High school students from Wisconsin and Illinois take freshwater samples. Opportunities such as these encourage high school students to pursue degrees and careers in water science.
The UW Oshkosh Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) hosted 18 high school students from Wisconsin and Illinois for its inaugural residential “Freshwater High School Experience” on the UW Oshkosh campus.
Along with the ERIC staff, professors from Biology, Environmental Studies, Engineering, and Geology ran sessions for the students. The goal was to introduce high school students to academic and professional career options related to water resources and technology.
During the three-day camp, students participated in extensive hands-on experiences. Topics included drinking water treatment technology, field sampling techniques, groundwater resources, wastewater treatment, laboratory analysis of E.coli, microorganisms causing dangerous algal blooms, and much more.
Students took advantage of the location by using the Fox River and Lake Winnebago for lake sampling via boats, High Cliff State Park for field experience, and the many lab facilities available at UW Oshkosh.
The program was sponsored through a grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. The ERIC team hopes this will become an annual event!
Written by Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
Link to original story: https://freshwater.wisconsin.edu/freshwater-high-school-experience/