Mentoring
Dr. Emily Deaver, Associate Professor of
Environmental Science and Dr. Elizabeth
Desy, Professor of Biology at Southwest
Minnesota State University (SMSU) received a
grant in 2004 to develop a monitoring project
on the Redwood River in Marshall, MN. The project
is focused on active learning, civic engagement
and collaboration with local secondary educators
(Holly Knudson, Marshall High School and Carrie
Sueker, Marshall Junior High School)
Each year SMSU students learn details about
river water quality and methods to test a variety
of parameters. The college students then work
with local high school students to teach them the
same information. The high school students in turn
teach a group of junior high students and all three sets
of students travel together to the monitoring sites on the
Redwood River to measure the water quality.
The project allows SMSU students to make a connection to the
area in which they are living, apply their knowledge to current,
field-based issues and to serve as important role models and
mentors for area students. Since fall 2004 over 1,183 students and
8 teachers have been involved in the mentoring and monitoring
project. A display of the project results is housed in the Natural History
Museum at SMSU.