AWARD YEAR: 2022

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

DIRECTOR: JOANN BURKHOLDER, PH.D.

PROJECT TITLE: FALLS LAKE PARTNERS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE II

Falls Lake Partners in Forensic Science II is a three-year renewal project designed to engage eighth/rising ninth grade students in the upper Neuse River watershed in STEM, information technology, and career education, including hands-on experiences in “forensic” investigative aquatic science. The program (65 contact hours per student) foundation is a partnership between the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology (NCSU) and Wake County Public Schools represented by eighth grade science/math teachers Ms. Katherine Price (Moore Square Magnet Middle School) and Mrs. Dawn Navarro (East Garner Magnet Middle School. Inner-city Moore Square has 130 eighth graders (47% minorities; nearly one-third on free/reduced lunches). East Garner, in a fringe rural setting, has 440 eighth graders (84% minorities; 59% on free/reduced lunches). Both schools are in NC’s top 20% most diverse middle schools, and both rely upon Falls Lake for their drinking water. Overall project goals are to encourage underprivileged/under-represented minority, female, and special needs youths to understand direct connections between water quality (WQ), healthy aquatic life and healthy people; improve student competence in STEM; and inspire students to pursue STEM careers, highlighting inquiry-based aquatic science and water resource management. Specific project objectives in each year are to: 1) Kindle students’ interest in aquatic science, first through interactive presentations and participatory workstations for all 8th grade science students, emphasizing the importance of Falls Lake to their everyday health and the health of their families and friends; 2) Excite students and their teachers about aquatic science by providing hands-on field and aquatic science laboratory experiences  in summer sessions (up to 15 students per session, 2 sessions per summer) and 4 Saturday sessions during the academic year; 3) Inspire students to pursue STEM careers through direct interactions with aquatic specialists and with other SSEP PIs and students; and 4) Provide related classroom activities, career information, and references to enhance teachers’ skills in teaching aquatic science. All planned activities will be designed to address the three major goals of BWF’s SSEP, and will be correlated to Goals 8E.1.1.–8.3.1.4 of the NC Essential Science Standards.

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