News Center

April 5, 2013 – Creek Connections will host its 18th annual Student Research Symposium at Allegheny College on Friday, April 12 in the college’s Campus Center. Community members are invited to view students’ project displays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Creek Connections is an outreach program of Allegheny College that brings hands-on, inquiry-based education about watersheds to students ranging in age from elementary to high school.

Throughout the school year, participating students retrieve water samples and conduct research on various waterways, monitoring the conditions that affect the creeks’ water quality. At the research symposium, they come together to share interactive research displays, oral presentations and hands-on workshops with their classmates, teachers and the community.

Approximately 400 students will attend the symposium, representing schools from northwestern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York. Several environmental organizations will also present displays.

“The symposium is a big day for the local elementary schools, daycares and preschools to come and learn from the projects on display,” said Wendy Kedzierski, Creek Connections project manager. “First District Elementary second-graders, as well as the preschool classes from Meadville Cooperative Preschool and Meadville Children’s Center, are long-time visitors to the symposium.”

A second symposium, on April 19 at YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee in Fombell, will showcase the work of students from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Directed by Jim Palmer, associate professor of environmental science and biology at Allegheny, Creek Connections is supported by Allegheny College, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Bayer USA Foundation, the Buhl Foundation and the Grable Foundation.

For more information, contact Wendy Kedzierski at 814-332-5351 or visit creekconnections.allegheny.edu.