SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — “There's no real better way to do that than with the youth because they're going to have to design it,” said Benjamin Quartermont, Technology teacher, South Milwaukee High School.
For teachers at South Milwaukee High School, it is all about changing the norm of what is taught.
One way they are doing that is with a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that encourages the use of citizen science.
“I think it's important in education to stay fresh and to bring things that are really current and important issues to our students so that they can make good decisions for personal health and also for sustainability reasons,” said Daniel Lesniak, AP Environmental Science & Biology teacher, South Milwaukee High School.
Lesniak and Quartermont were so eager to share this work that they even got substitutes for their classes so they could speak to TMJ4 during the school day.
“I think it's very important that students can see the connection to their own lives and understand that their actions have consequences and they need to care about the space they're living in,” said Quartermont.
The money will go toward buying equipment that will help students collect data and analyze the levels of microplastics in our area’s water supply.
“We would like to share this with the community, beyond just South Milwaukee, southeast Wisconsin, and possibly further,” said Lesniak.
South Milwaukee High junior Gevon Lopez is one of the students taking the class next year.
He says he is grateful for the opportunity to learn something special and hopes others get involved.
“I believe that they should do their research and seem as if it's something that they would be interested in,” said Lopez.
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