SERVICE LEARNING IN THE CORN BELT: WHEN COMMUNITY, INDUSTRY, UNIVERSITY, AND HIGH SCHOOL WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN

High school teachers and university faculty are working together along with community leaders to lead high school students in hands-on activities having direct implications for their community. Beginning as a community driven watershed project in 2013, the program has grown into a soon to be implemented high school curriculum. With support from community foundations and local business, students are currently using authentic field methods for collecting and analyzing data on the health of the Kishwaukee River Watershed in northern Illinois. These data include water chemistry, stream characteristics, invertebrate populations, and vegetation of the major and minor tributaries (both natural and constructed). Geochemical instrumentation and bio-indexing are being guided by university faculty and high school teachers alike and coordinated with an engineering firm for building the watershed management plan across rural county lines. In addition to field methods, students are being trained in the use of Geographic Information Systems to see the large scale implications of their work. During the school year, classroom laboratories and activities will also help students link their field observations with the health of the region. This region provides a unique opportunity for students to see the direct impacts of crop production and confined animal feeding operations on the surface and ground water quality of their community. These authentic research activities are also preparing the high school students to meet many of the Next Generation Science Standards performance expectations in Life, Earth, and Physical sciences. This presentation provides examples how these performance expectations have been met through place-based service learning. In addition, we demonstrate how this service learning experience prepares these high school students for pursuing college degrees in science.