Engineering Outreach Event Thrills Paterson Students

On June 9, members of CH2M HILL’s Parsippany, NJ office, in collaboration with students from Garrett Morgan Academy (GMA), held a series of dynamic presentations and interactive demonstrations on water and environmental engineering in Paterson Public Schools 2 and 5.

The event, called the Paterson Engineering Outreach, was presented to 120 students in grades 3 to 8. It was organized through New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC), which leads the after school program.

GMA is an innovative high school academy whose mission is to ensure academic success for all students while also helping students to explore career options in engineering and transportation. Prior to the June 9th event, CH2M HILL hosted GMA students at its Parsippany, NJ office to discuss engineering career opportunities and to organize the teams and activities for the outreach event.

The Paterson Engineering Outreach Event included:

(1) An interactive slide show on water cycle, source waters, water treatment, pollution, green energy, environmental engineering careers, and trivia questions

(2) A water treatment experiment simulating water filtration using muddied pond water

(3) A pilot scale demonstration of one step in the Passaic Valley Water Commission’s (PVWC) water treatment process

(4) A hands-on demonstration including suiting up in personal protective equipment and respirators and sampling “groundwater” with a bailer through a well screen

(5) A simulation of an environmental cleanup (using absorbent pads as “booms”)

Everyone, from staff to students, had a great time. Students relayed their excitement with comments such as “I love science!” Another stated, “I never knew science could be so cool,” while another requested CH2M HILL staff “to come back again soon.”

As Dave Gelman, Garrett Morgan Academy Coordinator at NJCDC noted, “The effort and enthusiasm that CH2M HILL staff put into the project was obvious. It is clear that the students enjoyed themselves, but also got something out of the project to take back to their classrooms as well. It is a rare opportunity for Paterson students to be able to travel to organizations in their field of study and work side by side with professionals. I also know how valuable it was to give them mentoring and teaching experience with the younger students.”

The staff of CH2M HILL helped make important connections with the students between their everyday activities and their impact on the environment. From conserving water to minimizing pollution, the students were encouraged to make a difference. All the participants walked away with a better understanding of drinking water and wastewater treatment and the importance of protecting and cleaning up the environment.

In addition to raising engineering awareness among the children, this event also gave CH2M HILL staff an opportunity to support CH2M HILL’s reputation as a strong community partner.

Special thanks to Laura Cummings, Plant Superintendent, Passaic Valley Water Commission, and Vice Chair, AWWA New Jersey Section for providing water treatment supplies for the demonstration and the water bottles that were given to the students.

For view more pictures from the day, please visit the photo gallery.