This fall Boxerwood pioneered new family-based programs at two local lakes. In partnership with Maury River MS, we invited families whose children attended its federally-funded afterschool program to also join us for some STEM investigations at Lake Robertson. The goal was to involve everyone in hands-on science, developing and testing real-world questions. Working together as family groups, each research team posed, planned, then executed their own water quality investigations, using kayaks and canoes to gather their data.
Some families wondered whether dissolved oxygen levels would be greater near the shore or in the center of the lake; others wondered about changes in pH, or how temperature changes with lake depth. In addition to moms and dads, other citizen scientists included grandparents, aunts, and teen siblings. Sharing our discoveries with one another created an easy-going community feel in a peaceful, outdoor setting.
Boxerwood educators employed a similar approach for a program offered at Cave Mountain Lake for families whose children attend Natural Bridge Elementary School. This program featured family hikes and salamander studies as well as water color painting and aquatic chemistry: something for everyone. We’ve discovered helping families learn together is great fun and we can’t wait till spring!
