Parks Service, Mississippi River Connection launch teacher award  

The National Parks Service and Mississippi River Connection have announced their first-ever Big River Teacher Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation by a teacher who has participated in the park’s education programs. 
The award came about in honor of retired Ranger Lyndon Torstenson, who was committed to bringing the river into Minnesota classrooms. The award will celebrate a Minnesota educator who has created innovative coursework that empowers students to have lifelong relationships with the Mississippi River. The award will include a $500 honorarium and a plaque. 
Applications, which can be completed online at tinyurl.com/bda7xcsj, are due May 20, and the winner will be announced June 3. 
The winner will be honored at the Big River Awards, along with the student winners of the Big River Art Contest, on July 12 at Fort Snelling Park, 101 Snelling Lake Rd., St. Paul.