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Jul. 1, 2010
The American Correctional Association (ACA) has named Russell Metz as one of the “Best in the Business” in the United States. Metz is a science and aquaculture teacher at Meadow Mountain Youth Center, a Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) facility located in Grantsville. The facility specializes in the treatment of youth with substance abuse issues. Metz is one of only 17 correctional employees selected by the ACA from hundreds of submissions.
Since 2005, Metz has steadily transformed the classroom-oriented approach to science, math, and engineering into an environmental science program that takes a hands-on approach in the facility’s environmental center. In partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service, Metz and his students study the cultivation of fish and other aquatic organisms, which is also known as “aquaculture.”
“I have always enjoyed teaching, but it is very rewarding to watch the excitement and joy the students express when they partake in these new experiences,” said Metz. “Some of these youth have never been out of the city, so this country, outdoor, environmental experience is all new.”
Metz and his students oversee the state’s only indoor recirculating system for growing hybrid sunfish. The students are responsible for the care and maintenance of the fish by conducting water tests and collecting data for food and growth charts. The fish are then taken to local ponds by the DNR and released to re-stock the fish populations.
“I already know that DJS has some of the most dedicated employees in the country, but it is great to see one of our own receive the national recognition that he rightly deserves,” said Secretary Donald W. DeVore. “Russell’s aquaculture program has achieved remarkable success with youth who previously have struggled to learn in a traditional classroom environment. The youth that participate in Russell’s classes are not just learning about environmental science; they are learning that they can succeed.”
The ACA also recognized three DJS employees as the “Best in the Business” for the state of Maryland: Dwain Johnson, director of the DJS Violence Prevention Initiative; Daniel McCoy, resident advisor supervisor at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center; and Leo Zilka, community detention officer III.
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