We welcome Chris Labosier to Concord Academy this year as a new science teacher. Labosier is teaching two advanced environmental science electives, along with freshman Biology. He also serves as the environmental sustainability coordinator, overseeing sustainability efforts at CA. Labosier comes to CA with a background in environmental science, specifically climate science, and was an associate professor of environmental science previously.
Labosier’s interest in environmental science began with his love for nature and the outdoors, which incited his curiosity about ecology and the processes behind nature. Later in life, he connected this knowledge base to an interest in sustainability and environmental conservation, which plays a major role in his work today.
CA’s mission and students’ excitement to learn were some of the main reasons why Labosier left his job in higher education. One well-recognized aspect of CA is its commitment to equity, belonging, and sustainability. These same qualities drew Labosier in. He also found it exciting that other faculty told him he had to match students’ energy, an idea relatively foreign to most schools.
Outside the classroom, Labosier plays an important role in the community as the sustainability coordinator, where he guides and supports the efforts of the student environmental representatives. This position allows him to interact with the entire school, letting him quickly get to know his new community and vice versa.
Labosier is most looking forward to the Energy and Climate elective he is teaching this fall semester, which aligns most closely with his previous work. He is also looking forward to a future class in development that would blend sustainability work with learning in a hands-on method.
Labosier advises his students to remain curious. “There’s so much to observe if you slow down and look,” he said. For him it was the environment that grabbed his attention, but for others it could be anything.