One Small Investment

Harmony High School, two biopaddles, about $160.

A team of high school juniors needed these devices to test for fecal coliform and other bacteria in two water bodies that were the subject of their research project. Audra Edwards, their teacher, made the application to YLACES. She had received funding before so it was easy to say yes to the request. The result was wonderful. The boys completed their research project and submitted it to GLOBE. It received great reviews and the students and their teacher traveled to the GLOBE Learning Expedition in Ireland to present their results and join roughly 180 students from countries as diverse as Oman, Thailand, and Kenya. They took measurements in the National Forest, listened to the research presentations of their peers, and engaged everyone in a bit of Texas style dancing during the cultural entertainment

evening. Beside better learning of science, they learned and demonstrated communication skills, nicely represented the United States, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. One could hardly have asked for a more positive outcome from a small investment.