Water Investigations Program Mentor Scientist
LOCATION
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Fingerprint/background clearance is required.Interns with an educator's fingerprint card will be given preference for these positions. However, interns without the card can undergo a sex offender background check and begin service after about 48 hours, and will also need to get a fingerprint background check at the beginning of the semester.
SCHEDULE OPTIONS
Semester availability
FallSpring
Service hours
MorningAfternoon
Available days/hours
Interns must be available during the school day at least one day per week. Some additional hours may be completed at other times.
REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS
- Comfort working with small groups of middle school students.
- Knowledge of the scientific process.
- Desire to facilitate student led investigations.
- Flexibility, enthusiasm, and interest in the program.
CATEGORIES
EducationEnvironment/Nature/Sustainability
Technology
Youth (direct interaction)
Youth III: 11-14 years (6th-9th grades)
Youth IV: 14-18 years (high school)
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Arizona Project WET--University of Arizona
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Duties
The Water Investigations Program is a year-long program for middle-high school teachers and their students. The program is a partnership between Arizona Project WET, a program of the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center, and The Nature Conservancy. The program begins with an investigation of Arizona's water resources, then continues on to a school water audit where students measure water use at their school, install low flow aerators at school and at home, and finally make recommendations based on data for future water savings measure to be taken at their school. In the spring, students develop their own investigations to be carried out at an Arizona river site during an all-day field trip. (Fall interns will primarily work on the water audit, and spring interns will primarily work on the field investigations.)
Mentor Scientist interns will:
Participate in training
Work with small groups of students to carry out their water audit (fall) or field (spring) investigations.
Teach students about scientific methods and collecting accurate data
Assist APW staff in whole-classroom presentations
Attend student presentations and provide feedback to students
Prepare materials for water audits and investigations
Assist APW staff in tracking water savings data for each school
Population served
Interns will work with middle and high school students throughout the Phoenix valley. Interns will serve students of all sorts, including those underrepresented in the science fields, second language learners, and at-risk populations.
Community need/impact
Interns will serve as volunteers in schools throughout the Phoenix Valley. This will enable teachers to provide quality education in small groups to their students. Best practices in science education include having students work in collaborative learning groups, and the interns will be supervising these collaborative learning groups, make the experience richer for teachers and students.
Interns will:
Generate real water savings in our community!
Improve the quality of science education for middle school students!
Instill a love of science and the natural world in middle school students!
