Wareham High School teacher and former student Craig Berriault says engaging kids with environmental science is about more than fostering high grades. It’s for the good of the Earth.

“Kids are becoming disconnected from the natural world and I think we need to salvage that,” the Rochester resident said. “Who’s going to protect the planet if students don’t have a sense of ownership?”

This year marked Berriault’s first teaching an advanced placement (AP) environmental studies course, after a decade at Wareham High School. In his brief time as an AP teacher, his students' scores have risen to put him among the top 10 teachers in his subject area across the state.

For his efforts, Berriault has been named as a Mass Insight Education Partners Excellence Award Winner. The award recognizes 54 Massachusetts AP teachers during the 2014-2015 academic year. A nonprofit organization, Mass Insight Education works to improve performance in public school.

When he started teaching the course Berriault said there was a learning curve, but with help from Mass Insight personnel and by looking to real world examples to engage students, the curriculum came together quickly.

“I think the material grabs the kids in general. We’re talking about the energy crisis and global warming – it’s really easy finding examples to get the kids hooked,” Berriault said.

To help students immerse themselves in the subject matter, after school and Saturday sessions were held where students reviewed the material. Also, field trips to facilities such as energy plant SEMASS in Rochester showed students how waste is transformed into electricity.

While teaching environmental studies is new for Berriault, his background makes him well suited for the position.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stonehill College and later a masters of arts in teaching in biology from Bridgewater State University. Berriault taught most of the science courses offered at Wareham. He also co-developed the zoology course six years ago which has provided students hands-on opportunities to learn about animals.

An avid fan of reptiles, he received grants to breed geckos in the classroom.

Through the breeding project, zoology students learned lessons on reptile care and husbandry that developed new appreciation for nature, according to Berriault.

Berriault, along with the other award winners, will be honored at Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award Celebration on April 5 in Boston. In addition to the recognition, each honoree will receive a check for $1,000.

While the award is appreciated, Berriault said he’s glad to have helped students learn more about their world.

“As a first year AP teacher, I found teaching AP students to be rewarding, since I knew that I was educating young adults who were passionate about learning and would be the next generation of leaders…because the next generation of leaders will be critical in determining the future of our planet,” Berriault said.