August 20, 2015 – As kids go back to school throughout our region, the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) joins them through the authority’s award-winning education and scholastic outreach programs.
Started in 2002, the scholastic outreach programs offer hands-on environmental and ecology lessons to K – 12 students and teachers in more than 300 schools within ALCOSAN’s service area, as well as after school programs to move students into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. ALCOSAN also provides approved teacher training through these programs, helping classroom instructors get real assistance in fulfilling curriculum standards and providing continuing education credits required of all teachers.
“ALCOSAN’s certified teachers change lives, opening horizons for students while educating them in a hands-on and fun way,” said Jeanne K. Clark, ALCOSAN’s public information officer. ”The kids who have participated in our school-based and after school programs and our summer science camp not only learn a lot about water, public health, and the environment; they also find that they learn about themselves. They are inspired to look to their own future, and how they can make their dreams of a career in science come true.”
A key part of ALCOSAN’s educational programs takes place during the organization’s free open house, coming up on Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This award-winning event is the region’s largest environmental and water protection festival, featuring tours of the wastewater treatment plant and laboratory, hands-on environmental exhibits and games, live performances, a live quiz show, booths from community groups and other environmental organizations, prizes, food, and more. Kids can earn extra credit for many of the activities, and a simultaneous free professional development workshop for educators, “Using Low Impact Development (LID) Strategies to Reduce Stormwater Runoff,” provides five hours of continuing education training. Teachers must pre-register for the professional development course by September 15 at http://www.alcosan.org.