Wright State University is engaging Ohio high school students in hands-on environmental science through a program that teaches them how to detect heavy metals in water, while inspiring them to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math.<\/p>\n
Wright State University is helping Ohio high school students discover the real-world impact of science through a hands-on program that teaches them how to test and analyze water quality and sparks interest in STEM careers.<\/p>\n
Supported by a nearly $50,000 award from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the project \u2014 Futures in Chemistry: Empowering Young Minds in Electrochemical Detection of Heavy Metals for Water \u2014 introduces students to advanced instrumentation used to detect heavy metals in water.<\/p>\n
Suzanne Lunsford, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at Wright State and the program\u2019s organizer, said the project helps students connect classroom lessons to real-world environmental and health issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeavy metals are very toxic and can cause brain damage in young children,\u201d said Lunsford.<\/p>\n
More than 40 Batavia High School students recently participated in a hands-on lab at Wright State, where they learned how to test water samples for heavy metals using electrochemical methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time I look at water I\u2019ll probably think of this experiment,\u201d said sophomore Brooklynn Gibson.<\/p>\n
Graduate chemistry student Kwaku Nyarko, who assists in the labs, said the lessons have global relevance, pointing to his native Ghana, where water testing is critical.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of illegal mining going on in Ghana, and they are using these heavy metals and destroying our bodies in search for gold and other minerals,\u201d said Nyarko. \u201cAnalyzing heavy metals in water is the best thing I think the high school students should know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom Smith, a 2018 Wright State grad who teaches at Batavia High School, said the experience broadens his students\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to dream outside your neighborhood,\u201d he said. \u201cChemistry might not be in their future, but it might lead them to a place they would not have otherwise gone by taking part in this program.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wright State University is helping Ohio high school students discover the real-world impact of science through a hands-on program that teaches them how to test and analyze water quality. Continue reading