READING, Pa. — Penn State Berks students and Olivet Boys & Girls Club children will participate in a “Water Ecology Learning Day” event from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club Clinton Street location. The presentation is part of an ongoing partnership between the Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research at Penn State Berks, the City of Reading, and the Olivet Boys & Girls Club to promote conservation of safe, green spaces for the Reading community to enjoy.
“Water Ecology Learning Day” is the third event of this program that began with a cleanup in Baer Park and the Schuylkill River Trail on Friday, Oct. 6, with Penn State Berks students and Olivet children. Next, Penn State Berks Earth Systems Science students conducted water testing along the Schuylkill River in late October and early November with 20 Olivet children. This follow-up event will inform the children what the results of their water testing indicates about the river’s health. The overall goals of the partnership are to foster the students’ and children’s love of nature, commitment to conservation, and enjoyment of age-appropriate scientific learning.
For additional information, contact Laurie Grobman, Director of the Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research, at 610-396-6141 or via email at [email protected].
About the Center
The Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research supports faculty who involve their students and community partners in collaborative, impactful work. Service learning and community-based research are two instructional strategies that contribute to community well-being and simultaneously enrich students’ course learning. Since its founding in 2010, the Center has facilitated nearly 50 academically grounded college-community partnerships. Going beyond conventional concepts of public service that emphasize a one-way process in which the university transfers its expertise to the community, service learning and community-based research is a commitment to sharing and reciprocity, partnerships, and two-way streets defined by mutual respect among the partners for what each brings to the table.
About the Schuylkill River Trail
With 60 miles of completed trail, the Schuylkill River Trail stretches portions of trail from Pottsville to Philadelphia. The trail is used for biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Trail users can also utilize the river for fishing, kayaking, and in some areas, motor boating.
