Juniata Valley High School Students Study Water Quality
That's
exactly what twenty-eight Juniata Valley High School ninth grade ecology
students intend to do.
When PA CleanWays
of Huntingdon County outlined their program for the year, youth and
education outreach came to the top of the priority list. Fortunately,
a grant was available to apply for through the League of Women Voters.
The Pennsylvania
Water Resources Education Network (WREN) is a nonpartisan informal collaboration
among organizations and public officials working for surface and groundwater
water resource protection and management. Goals are accomplished through
education and informed policy-making.
Board members collaborated
and titled their submission Land Use Impacts to Groundwater Quality
and Quantity. With a focus on youth, a CleanWays committee came up with
an idea involving high school students. Teens would write informative
articles and design a newspaper insert used to prevent non-point source
pollution in groundwater resulting from various land uses. The insert
would reach all Huntingdon Daily News readers.
When Executive Director
Alana Roberts announced the chapter had been awarded a $2,030.00 grant,
the committee was very pleased. "Partnering with Juniata Valley
students and staff was a dream come true for me," says board member
Patty Garthe." She further notes, "As a resident of the JV
school district I was thrilled to have CleanWays be given an opportunity
to have a positive impact on students and the community."
JVHS Ecology instructor
Mike Smith designed his curriculum around the topic and Roberts scheduled
knowledgeable speakers to visit the class. Several speakers, including
Roberts and board members Jim Garthe and Andy Patterson, addressed the
class on topics including illegal dumping, the role of government, stormwater
runoff, impacts of urbanization, agriculture, wetlands and homeowner
impacts. According to Smith, "The students found the speakers to
be very interesting." Garthe's display of actual trash elicited
expressions of "yuk" and "we can see why trash and groundwater
don't mix!"
Since speakers have
completed their presentations and students have been provided resource
materials, writing will soon begin. Smith noted, "The class just
finished mid-term exams. Article writing will begin on January 26th."
Guidance from the JVHS journalism department and the Huntingdon Daily
News will help guide writers through the process. A CleanWays committee
is also on board to assist with technical editing.
Members looking
to learn more about water issues can do so this spring by reading the
copy of the Daily News, which includes a special insert, designed and
proudly written by our youth.
