Students learn importance of math, science

  • Published
  • By Gary Hatch
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Four busloads of potential engineers and scientists spent a day learning first-hand the impact their current math and science classes will have on their future career options as they visited the 95th Air Base Wing Environmental Management division and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center here March 21.

Environmental Management teamed with the Mojave Environmental Education Consortium to bring local students on base as a way of promoting environmental education and supporting President Bush's call to emphasize the importance of math and the sciences, both in the classroom and through real world experiences.

More than 150 students from Columbia Middle School in Adelanto, Calif., learned about the full spectrum of job opportunities open to college graduates with math, engineering and science degrees in environmental career fields.

"This is a great opportunity for the students. These are bright kids. They are learning a lot and they are enjoying it," said Cheryl Bennett, coordinator for the MEEC visits. "I think the real value of trips like this is that it will help spark an interest and motivate them to do well in their math and science classes."

Visiting Edwards for a day, students learned about a range of environmental efforts at the base, from protection of natural and cultural resources by biologists and archaeologists to preventing pollution and restoring the environment by engineers, chemists and technicians.

They also saw demonstrations and heard about the education it takes to work in the various environmental fields. The students spent half a day at EM and half a day at NASA.

"Some of these students are going to be the leaders of the next generation, and they're going to need a lot of education and experience to lead effectively," said Robert Wood, EM division chief. "We're just trying to encourage the best and the brightest to step up to the challenge, study and earn degrees in math and the sciences, so they are prepared."

Edwards' active partnership with MEEC began Feb. 22 when teachers attended a free workshop on water reclamation and conservation presented by EM. Workshop participants learned about water reclamation first-hand during a tour of the base's state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, where thousands of gallons of water are recycled daily for non-drinking use.

The MEEC was formed to enhance educators' knowledge of environmental subjects. They coordinate activities with businesses and government agencies that have ongoing environmental programs and that are willing to share information to help students prepare for jobs in environmental fields and provide teachers with practical lessons on environmental subjects.

Two more student groups are scheduled to visit the base. One group will visit on April 20 when the base celebrates Earth Day, and EM will have a number of displays, exhibits and information stations set up in the Base Exchange parking lot. The other group will visit the following week.