Sept. 16, 2021 — Chardon High School science teacher Dr. Rebecca Schneider pursued and successfully secured a Chardon Schools Foundation grant in spring 2021 for the purchase of 16 Earth Force® water quality monitoring test kits and 32 Rapitest® digital soil test kits for use by the school’s Advanced Placement Environmental Science, Environmental Science, and Biology courses in the 2021-22 school year and beyond. Dr. Schneider’s pursuit of the kits for the school’s science department is aimed at promoting hands-on learning for Hilltoppers. As one example, the laboratory curriculum for Advanced Placement Environmental Science relies on a hands-on approach to field data collection and data analysis.
“The test kits allow for this experience in the aquatic and terrestrial environments and allow students to utilize data collected for environmental planning activities described in the AP curriculum,” explained Dr. Schneider during her May 2021 grant proposal.
In addition, she described the kits as useful in the school’s Honors Biology courses as well as part of the Ecology unit wherein students can explore the varied ecosystems that exist on the school campus.
“The kits enhance our students’ laboratory experiences by giving them real-world data collection techniques and analysis,” said Dr. Schneider. “They also allow physical testing of samples in the field instead of having to transport them back into the classroom.”
On Sept. 16, Dr. Schneider sent a thank you note to CSF president Dave Jevnikar expressing appreciation for the approved grant and sharing photos of her AP Environmental Science students using the water quality testing kits.
“Thank you to CSF for the environmental science equipment,” she wrote. “My students had their first opportunity to use the water quality test kits today, and they are awesome. Thank you again.”
CSF is a non-profit organization providing educational grants for the school district since 1989. The water and soil quality testing kits grant for CHS was one of several educational grants bestowed by CSF in the spring.
In just the spring 2021 grant review session alone, CSF approved a combined total of nearly $14,000 in funding for classroom projects in the school district. Funding is made possible by community support of CSF's annual fundraisers.
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District Media Contact:
Kelly Misch
Communications Director
Chardon Local Schools