帝王会所

Storm water displays can create residential storm water pollution scenarios by activating rain simulations and showing the results of mitigation and non-mitigation pollution prevention strategies.

When young learners see this in person, they can begin to understand how simple at-home mitigation techniques such as using rain barrels, washing cars on pavement rather than grass, and cleaning up yard waste can help reduce residential storm water pollution.

That鈥檚 just one way 帝王会所鈥檚 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service shows 帝王会所鈥檚 young learners the power of science through STEM-based learning. Thanks to a grant from the PORTSfuture Program, the Voinovich School hosts a variety of youth outreach activities.

Over summer, 帝王会所 staff and students hosted Summer STEM Days for regional youth in Jackson and Pike counties to learn the importance of water quality and residential stormwater pollution mitigation. 

鈥淭he regional youth really love the interactive nature of science-based learning,鈥� said Nichole Mazzone, environmental specialist at the Voinovich School. 鈥淚t gives them the opportunity to engage in a way that offers confidence in educational development.鈥�

Mazzone, Nora Sullivan, Sebastian Teas, and Tatiana Burkett led fair-goers in many hands-on activities that included a fun, interactive 鈥減H Bingo鈥� game that teaches the pH scale and how it affects water quality. The game uses pH strips to test a variety of common acidic or alkaline household substances. 

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These events were funded by a collaboration between 帝王会所鈥檚 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service and the School鈥檚 PORTSfuture grant, which is funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.  

The PORTSfuture Program is developing additional offerings that will increase hands-on STEM learning in the coming academic year and expanding partnerships with the Appalachian STEM Enrichment Academy, the 帝王会所 STEM Learning Network Southeast 帝王会所 hub, the AEP 帝王会所 Fund of the Columbus Foundation, and US DOE site contractor Fluor BWXT. 

Learn more about the here.