OHIO Online student promotes environmental stewardship through story

An OHIO Online student is turning his education into action, using what he is learning to support environmental stewardship and sustainability education in Appalachian Ohio. Artie Knapp, a children’s author with more than 40 published books, videos, stories and poems, is working with the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service in a collaboration that shows how online learning can lead directly to community impact.

 

Knapp offered the use of one of his stories, "Thurman Goes Green: A Turtle’s Guide to a Cleaner Planet," for faculty to incorporate into STEM programming for younger students. As a current OHIO online student, he is able to connect his professional experience and creative work while pursuing flexible academic pathways that support real-world application.

The flexibility of online learning makes it possible for students like Knapp to balance ongoing professional commitments with academic progress, while immediately putting ideas into practice. In his case, that means connecting environmental storytelling, youth engagement and sustainability education in ways that extend beyond the classroom.

 

That applied approach is visible in his collaboration with the Voinovich School. "Thurman Goes Green" follows a turtle confronting litter and pollution, helping introduce children to environmental responsibility through a format designed to be accessible and engaging.

The partnership also highlights the value of cross-unit collaboration at Ohio University. By connecting OHIO Online with the applied, community-facing work of the Voinovich School, the university creates opportunities for students to translate learning into practical outcomes.

 

In this case, Knapp’s story was incorporated into kindergarten through grade 4 resources offered through the Appalachian STEM Enrichment Academy. The digital story appears in the “Explain” section of the academy’s Intro to Sustainability lesson, where it gives young learners another way to engage with topics such as litter prevention, pollution and care for the environment.

 

According to the Voinovich School, the lesson was developed through a student-led, staff-assisted process as part of the Appalachian Ohio Climate Literacy Network project, which was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The addition of Knapp’s story strengthens both the environmental and literacy components of the lesson while expanding access to online resources for young readers.

Knapp has said that making the story available digitally and free to schools creates another way to connect children with environmental issues. That outcome remains an important part of the story, but it now stands as evidence of a broader pathway: online education enabling a student to apply learning, partner across the institution and contribute to public-facing work.

 

Knapp is also a 2004 OHIO graduate and a second-generation Bobcat, but the strongest frame for this story is where he is now. As an online student working in collaboration with the Voinovich School, he represents the learners Ohio University serves through flexible programs that support ongoing learning and impact beyond campus.