Kacy Debney

For 16 years, Mrs. Kacy Debney has dedicated her career to shaping the next generation of environmental stewards, teaching her students not just about science, but about the power they hold to protect the planet. With over 2,500 students touched by her passion and expertise, Mrs. Debney’s impact is nothing short of transformative.

As the AP Environmental Science (APES) teacher at Samuel Clemens High School, Mrs. Debney covers all aspects of the AP curriculum, from biodiversity and population dynamics to the effects of energy and water use on the environment. Her hands-on approach empowers students to see the real-world consequences of their actions through projects like designing sustainable homes, cleaning local parks, and even drafting legislation to address environmental challenges.

Each spring, Mrs. Debney and her colleagues stretch funding so that her AP students can take a field trip to gather water and soil samples, giving them the opportunity to use professional-quality tools to collect and analyze scientific data. The results of these efforts aren’t just class exercises—they form part of an ongoing, multi-year study of a local park, driven by her students, whom she affectionately calls her “Little Loraxes.” This study, and the real-world skills it imparts, will leave a lasting legacy of environmental research that her students will carry with them long after graduation.