Data to Action: A Secondary School-based Citizen Science Project to Address Arsenic Contamination of Well Water

“数据行动：一个以中学为基础的公民科学项目，以解决 井水” 摘要/总结（30行）： “数据行动”项目的最终目标是创建和试点一个国家STEM教育模式， 让学生作为公民科学家参与进来，为他们提供工具、技能和资源， 数据，以便其结果可以为地方、区域甚至国家一级的行动提供信息。让学生参与 以社区为基础的项目产生的数据与他们的生活有关，将激发人们对科学的兴趣， 导致追求进一步的STEM教育和对STEM职业的兴趣。在缅因州和新罕布什尔州， 井水砷污染是最紧迫的公共卫生问题之一。大多数人在这些 各州的饮用水来自私人威尔斯井。这些地下水储备通常被污染， 砷，在许多情况下远远超过EPA的10 ppb的限制。因此，在缅因州解决这个问题， 新罕布什尔州的中学科学教室为学生从事科学探究提供了环境， 以及通过发现过程来构建知识和意义的动机。学生将 收集井水数据进行砷分析，并学习分析和交流他们的发现，以便 有效地告知他们的社区并促使人们采取行动。他们的数据将通知缅因州中心， 疾病控制中心和新罕布什尔州环境服务部，这两个部门都被 努力提高井水砷检测率，以了解问题的严重程度， 保护公众健康。为了实现这一目标，我们将提供公民科学方面的教师培训， 环境监测和建立数据分析和沟通的技能在夏季数据素养 （DataLit）Institute.然后，我们将与教师合作，在他们的课堂上实施公民科学项目。 从缅因州和新罕布什尔州招募的当地科学家IDEA生物医学研究卓越网络 （INBRE）伙伴机构将与教师和学生建立伙伴关系，并帮助他们完成项目， 特别是了解井水监测的结果，并帮助他们将结果转化为 当地的行动。我们计划在这两个州推广这些学生-教师-科学家伙伴关系， 在每个INBRE机构附近有效地创建“STEM卫星中心”。建立了联系 INBRE机构和周边学校之间的长期关系将随之而来，这将证明是有益的 教师和学生超越这个特殊的公民科学项目，激励一代又一代的学生， 批判性思想家，并考虑在科学，医学或公共卫生事业。

“Data to Action: A secondary school-based citizen science project to address arsenic contamination of well water” ABSTRACT/SUMMARY (30 lines): The ultimate goal of the “Data to Action” project is to create and pilot a national model of STEM education that engages students as citizen scientists and provides them with tools, skills and resources to make sense of data so that their results can inform actions at the local, regional, and even national level. Engaging students in community-based projects that result in data that is relevant to their lives will stimulate interest in science and lead to the pursuit of further STEM education and interest in STEM careers. In Maine and New Hampshire, arsenic contamination of well water is one of the most pressing public health issues. Most people in these states derive their drinking water from private wells. Often these groundwater reserves are contaminated with arsenic, in many cases far exceeding the EPA limit of 10 ppb. Therefore, addressing this issue in Maine and New Hampshire secondary science classrooms provides context for students to engage in scientific inquiry, and motivation for them to construct knowledge and meaning through the process of discovery. Students will collect well water data for arsenic analysis, and learn to analyze and communicate their findings, so as to effectively inform their communities and move people to action. Their data will inform the Maine Center for Disease Control and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which have both been working to improve well water testing rates for arsenic in order to understand the extent of the problem and protect public health. To accomplish this goal, we will provide teacher training in citizen science and environmental monitoring and build skills in data analysis and communication in a Summer Data Literacy (DataLit) Institute. Then, we will work with teachers to implement citizen science projects in their classrooms. Local scientists recruited from Maine and New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) partner institutions will form partnerships with teachers and students and help them with their projects, in particular, with understanding the results of well water monitoring and helping them translate their findings into local action. We plan to extend these Student-Teacher-Scientist Partnerships throughout both states, effectively creating “STEM Satellite Centers” in the vicinity of each INBRE institution. By establishing links between INBRE institutions and surrounding schools, long term relationships will ensue that will prove helpful to teachers and students beyond this particular citizen science project, inspiring generations of students to be critical thinkers and consider careers in science, medicine, or public health.