Project Narrative

The Challenge of Water Quality Project
China and United States ‘Sister Schools’ Seek Solutions Together

Scofield Magnet Middle School
Shandong University Middle School
Connecticut, USA

Water pollution is an enormous challenge, anyone would agree, but is it something middle schoolers could possibly help with? Most people may see this as too complex for anyone but lab-coated scientists and environmentalists, but students at Scofield Magnet Middle School in Stamford, Connecticut are now actively involved in real-world analysis of groundwater.

Working with a variety of community organizations and utilizing HP technology, classes track data about quality of water, topography, drainage, flora and fauna, as well as the impact of urban development.

Scofield students are learning first-hand how development in their community impacts local waterways, reading local newspapers depicting the contamination issue, and meeting with environmental reporters to discuss investigative journalism. By working with Shandong University Middle School, Scofield hopes to cast an international spotlight on the rapidlygrowing issue of poor water quality. The nearby Huangshui River Basin, the focus of the Shandong project, is recognized as one of the most polluted river systems in China. The project is putting students on both continents side by side with scientists and other experts in 2010 HP Catalyst Initiative

A project of the Office of Global Social Innovation at HP
the field, giving them the chance to practice skills and techniques relevant to science and environmentally related careers.
The classes have already begun testing pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, turbidity,water flow, water depth and temperature, using GPS, HP Mobile Calculating Lab probes, HP calculators, notebook computers, and GIS software to document their findings.