Imagine if a city left the safety of its water supply to a class of middle school girls. How might the youngsters design a filtration system to clean up dirty water? How might they remediate a contaminated well or remove pollutants from an aquifer? As it turns out, that class of middle schoolers would handle the challenge with ingenuity and creativity – they did, in fact, at a science workshop in southeast Colorado last week.
Two University of Colorado Boulder students led water quality workshops for middle school girls from southeast Colorado as part of the Girls in the Middle program on April 13 at Trinidad State Junior College. Girls in the Middle aims to expose 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls to math, science, engineering, and technology careers through group workshops led by female professionals. The event introduced nearly 100 girls from 9 middle schools to academic pursuits and careers in fields such as engineering, veterinary sciences, and medicine.
Before embarking on hands-on water activities simulating well water and aquifer clean up, CU-Boulder students Adrianne Kroepsch and Jessica DeHart shared stories of their personal paths to science and career goals.
Kroepsch recently graduated from CU-Boulder’s Geography Department with a master’s degree, and she plans to begin the Environmental Studies doctoral program the fall. “I got into science because I liked the idea of extending what we know, through scientific research, in ways that help people,” she told participants.
DeHart, a 2012 undergraduate who plans to begin graduate school in environmental engineering at CU-Boulder in the fall 2012, will earn an English degree before focusing on engineering. “I went to Nepal with Engineers Without Borders to address the issue of treating wastewater in the water supply,” she said. “It got me thinking about what I can do to contribute.”
In one workshop, Kroepsch and DeHart asked the participants to identify potential pollutants of North Lake, which supplies the city of Trinidad’s water. The group then filled a beaker full of water – representing the real lake – with edible items that corresponded to the contaminants the girls had identified. Coconut flakes served as trash, lentils became bacteria, Gatorade was a proxy for chemical runoff, and olive oil represented motor oil. Kroepsch and DeHart then challenged the girls to design a filter capable of removing all of the ingredients.
Dressed in colorful matching t-shirts and flowered leis to fit the Girls in the Middle Hawaiian theme for 2012 the girls took on the challenge in teams of two – some reluctantly, others eagerly. “Eww,” said one of the would-be scientists when Kroepsch stirred the beaker of mucky water.
Using filter paper, sand, rock, and activated carbon, pairs proudly created filters that rendered the water drinkable. As the girls fiddled with their filters, Kroepsch and DeHart explained that this exercise is similar to a task an environmental engineer might be faced with on the job. The CU presenters pointed out that ultimately the young girls, and their counterparts worldwide, will face many of the water quality issues mentioned in the workshops and other concerns throughout their lifetime.
DeHart shared photos of children from Nepal, who she met while leading a similar workshop aimed at educating youth about the importance of clean water in the mountainous region of south Asia.
“Water resources are important all over the world. Not everyone is as lucky as we are to just turn on the tap,” DeHart explained. “We are going to continue to need environmental engineers and water engineers because we are going to continue to need clean water.”
As the participants and the CU-Boulder students said their goodbyes, one young girl asked expectantly if the Kroespch and DeHart would be presenting again next year.
“We hope so,” DeHart said. “The question is will you be back next year?” Kroepsch added.
The Girls in the Middle presentation was part of a series of CU in the Community events that took place in Trinidad in early April. CU professors Mark Williams, geography, and Joe Ryan, enivironmental engineering, presented to K12 students, Trinidad State Junior College students, faculty, staff, and community members as part of an open forum and evening presentation.
View photos in the April CU in the Community photo album.