Timothy Wood, who created the Highline School District's Waskowitz Environmental Leadership and Service Programs, has received a 2006 Golden Apple award.

The statewide Golden Apple Awards program is sponsored by KCTS TV and funded by PEMCO Insurance.

Wood is among nine individuals and one program honored for making a positive difference in state education from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

He was originally hired by the Highline district to start a summer adventure-based education program for disenfranchised youth.

Since then, Wood has created year-round experiential learning programs.

Through the full-time Environmental Leadership Semester program, high school students develop leadership skills and learn how to mentor elementary school students in learning about the environment.

The program emphasizes outdoor challenge, academic study, the exploration of career options and extensive work on environmental service projects in the community.

"Mr. Wood's creativity in providing a quality experiential educational community for his high school students is unparalleled," declared Roberta McFarland, director and principal of the Waskowitz Outdoor School.

The award winners will be honored in ceremonies Jan. 19 in Seattle. Elected officials and education leaders will be among the invited guests.

Each of this year's Golden Apple winners will be recognized with a "Golden Apple" statuette. In addition, each of the individual honorees will receive $250, and each of the winning programs will receive $500.

PEMCO also will award each Golden Apple recipient a $1,500 grant to use to support their classroom, school or educational program.

The winners will be featured in a prime-time broadcast on public television stations statewide in February.