Young Women's Leadership School Takes to the Creek
For the students at Young Women's Leadership Charter School, up a creek was a good place to be.
The students were part of a field trip led by Friends of the Chicago River Ecology Outreach Manager Mark Hauser on April 24 to Elizabeth Conkey Woods in south suburban Palos Heights. There, the students from the school at 2641 S. Calumet Ave., surveyed macroinvertebrates to determine water quality on Tinley Creek. They found it was 2.6 on a four-point scale, or "fair." (Photos below.)
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The river is a dynamic source of real-world information to teach about water, science, history and culture in the classroom. It is also an excellent tool for hands-on scientific experimentation, water quality monitoring, art/writing projects, and ecological restoration for students of all ages.
The Young Women's Leadership Charter School offers a college prep, Sciencem Technology, Engineering and Math-based curriculum "that allows them to engage in relevant, meaningful activities that will challenge them to excel." Its focus, the school says, on math, science and technology "nurtures [students'] self-confidence and challenges them to achieve."
Is your school interested in learning more about the Chicago River? Friends offers all kinds of training and will even lead field trips like the one the students from Young Women's Leadership went on. For more info on our Chicago River Schools Network, click here.
