Students turn teachers on lake subjects They've won awards, $50,000 in grants The Wisconsin State Journal May 23, 1999 Reprinted with permission

By Meg Turville-Heitz

Wisconsin State Journal

Thanks to their studies of Lake Ripley, some Cambridge High School students have resumes that make them sound like college professors.

They've won awards, hit the lecture circuit, taught teachers, and attracted more than $50,000 in grant money.

The students are the product of hands-on teaching at Cambridge High School that's evolved since 1992, when juniors in advanced biology moved from the classroom to Lake Ripley, monitoring the lake in partnership with the Lake Ripley Management District and the Department of Natural Resources.

By 1995, students had become teachers, as they presented and taught at state, national and international venues. Students inspired by biology classes in the field launched the Cambridge Aquatic Environmental Club, open to all grades.

"About 50 schools are doing water quality studies as part of their curriculum due to training by (Cambridge) students," says biology teacher Ed Grunden. "There are students graduating who have taught over 1,000 adults."

A popular student workshop, "Roadblocks and Detours," teaches teachers how to include water quality studies in existing curriculum, how to gain administrative approval and funding, what tests to conduct, where and what the data mean, and how to start an environmental club.

"It's just neat to see that we can make a difference," says senior Scott Miehe, who found his involvement has strengthened his interest in biology, the major he'll take up at UW-Oshkosh this fall.

For CAEC co-president, junior Sarah Kast, who wants to major in English, learning the computer skills to keep up the group's World Wide Web page, the public speaking opportunities and independence are important skills gained beyond learning about science. "The sense of pride and ownership, that you make a difference in the community and beyond" mean the most to her. Kast, 17, co-wrote a paper with co-president Elisabeth Moe that recently won an environmental academic excellence award, beating papers submitted by academics with doctorates. "It'll definitely look great on applications," says Kast.

Moe, 17, like Kast, joined the club as a freshman and has seen her interest in biology grow. "I found out how fun science can be," she says, noting "It has improved me as a person, taught me . . . so many skills such as learning how to speak in front of thousands of people and writing grants."

Senior Elizabeth Birkrem likes teaching others and only knows that she'll go into some science field at Brigham Young University this fall. "It's made it more interesting. I'm using it in life, and not just in the classroom."

It's exactly that hands-on experience that intrigued Lori Carlson, a 1996 graduate entering her senior year at UW-Stevens Point in environmental education. Carlson plans to travel with past and present Cambridge students to Costa Rica in July. She'll be part of a combination of workshops, student teaching and water quality sampling, some of it in conjunction with the Milwaukee Public Museum, stemming from an invitation by Costa Rica from several years ago. The project has experienced many "roadblocks and detours" as participants struggle to raise the money necessary for the trip. The most exciting part for her will be working with the Costa Rican students.

But it isn't all about the glamour of travel, or the accolades. It changes lives, says Rachel Droessler, a 1997 graduate now entering her junior year at UW-Whitewater.

"Freshman and sophomore year in high school I was an average student and in trouble most of the time," says Droessler, noting that, "I wanted to drink and that was about it." But as her involvement with CAEC grew, so did her confidence and interest. Grunden helped her get an apprenticeship, her grades improved and she suddenly became interested in college. Her chosen field, public relations, came right out of her experience traveling, presenting and speaking.

"Now as an intern I'm setting up presentations and conferences. It's kind of scary." She notes, "The biggest thing is, it was confidence building. (Grunden) always had faith no matter what you did. I gained mostly the confidence to dare to do things."

"I'm nothing more than an enabler," says Grunden. "That's my big thing: to help them be successful and learn a life skill they can use forever."

Posted June 14, 1999

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