THE H2GEO CAMP: BUILDING FUTURE GEOSCIENTSTS WITH HANDS-ON, PLACE-BASED EXPERIENCE THROUGH A CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED HYDROGEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL TARGETING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LANCASTER AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA

The geoscience field has an aging workforce and there is not enough influx of young geoscientists to bridge the gap. This project develops the Hands-On Hydrogeology (H₂Geo) Camp which is targeted towards urban and rural high school students in Lancaster and Cumberland counties, Pennsylvania. The camp design is centered around hydrogeology and watershed stewardship in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The hydrogeology curriculum focuses on stream and groundwater hydrology at two restored wetlands and two milldam sites in Lancaster County, PA and a spring site in Cumberland County, PA. Using a backward design strategy and emphasizing place-based education, this project can serve as a model for creating camps with age-appropriate field-based lesson plans for high school students and educators. The camp design includes the creation of a "watershed walk" that introduces students to mid-Atlantic watersheds, milldams, legacy sediments, and stream restoration strategies for water quality improvement. The "watershed walk" will be used in outreach to local schools as well as the local communities. Hands-on science experiences have been shown to not only generate interest in STEM, but also foster a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. Place-based, service-oriented, hands-on experiences will introduce more high school students to geoscience and related career paths, increasing the number and diversity of students entering this field in undergraduate programs. Introducing pathways for careers in geoscience through field experiences is an important step towards building future geoscientists and ensuring we have the people power to solve the geoscience problems of tomorrow.