Thanks to the support of PECO, Stroud Water Research Center was able to share science and STEM education to students participating in Kennett Consolidated School District’s After-The-Bell program.
After-The-Bell is an after-school program that provides middle school students throughout KCSD with safe, structured, meaningful, and fun activities that promote learning and growth at no cost to the parents.
“At PECO, we power programs and initiatives that are helping our youth achieve a well-rounded education and that provide a broad spectrum of opportunity,” said Mike Innocenzo, PECO President and CEO. “We are proud to join the Stroud Center and the Kennett Consolidated School District to provide this important environmental educational experience for local students.”
Throughout the six sessions, the students experienced some of the ways that the Stroud Center’s scientists study our streams and rivers. With boots in the stream, students collected macroinvertebrates and then took them back to the classroom to identify them and learn how they tell the story of stream health, just as the Stroud Center’s entomologists use macroinvertebrate populations to determine stream health.
One lesson focused on the ecosystem surrounding White Clay Creek — from riparian buffers to best management practices, students learned how land use affects the health of a stream. Students also had the opportunity to watch electrofishing and learn how the Stroud Center’s scientists study fish populations and why that is another important piece of the stream health puzzle.
Chemistry, ecology, and biology aside, this wonderful partnership gave some students, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity, the chance to explore their natural surroundings, discover cool caterpillars, and learn about watersheds. PECO’s commitment to STEM education is an essential part of helping the Stroud Center to share their science with more students throughout the region.
Contact:
Diane Huskinson
About Stroud Water Research Center
Stroud Water Research Center advances knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration and to help businesses, landowners, policymakers, and individuals make informed decisions that affect water quality and availability around the world. Stroud Water Research Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
