Incorporating a Service Learning Project in Upper Division Environmental Chemistry Course – Partnership With a Local Middle School

In this activity, college level students learning fundamental concepts in Environmental Chemistry apply their knowledge either in carrying out a research project or in designing a hands-on mini-workshop with the key objective of teaching middle-school students topics relevant to water quality and stormwater. College-level students also take part in a restoration activity on a local watershed three miles away, working side by side with the middle-school students and the members of the community. The project aims to bring together middle-school students, college-level students, and local citizens on a monitoring and restoration program of a local creek; improve the public\u27s understanding and engagement on local environmental issues such as stormwater; improve the educational experience of both middle-school and college-level students; and motivate middle-school students to pursue further education in the field of science. This project is an example of environmental education bringing together two different levels of students, as well as the community as a whole