Major grant helps students investigate outdoor environments

Jun 7, 2010 — The Arizona Daily Sun

Jun. 5, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Schools across Coconino County are using $400,000 in grant money to study outdoor environments using geographic information systems and geospatial analysis.

Winners in the "Power of Data" project programs are at Sinagua, Flagstaff, Williams, Tuba City and Page high schools, Flagstaff and Mount Elden middle schools, Eagle's Nest Intermediate School (Tuba City), Verde Valley School and Rimrock Public High School. The competitive funding is administered by Science Foundation Arizona and made possible by the state board of education.

Local projects include identifying potential sites of geological degradation around Sinagua and Flagstaff high schools; improving the Frances Short pond area and finding a good location for a school pond at MEMS. Students at Sedona's Verde Valley School will travel to Malawi, Africa, to complete a water quality study at a village.

The "POD Project" pairs teachers in career technology and education and science to give students hands-on applications of geospatial technologies to gather and analyze data to find solutions to everyday problems. The Coconino County vocational education district and Northern Arizona University will join the schools on their projects.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0065-45834983