Citizen Scientist Floatable Monitoring Program

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The Citizen Scientist Floatable Monitoring Program (Program) is designed as a hands-on, year-long collaboration between Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES). In the Program, scientists from DPWES and students from several schools across Fairfax County work together to monitor the amount of floatables (stream litter) that is reaching our local waterways. Throughout the school year, students identify and quantify the number and type of floatables in a 100-foot by 20-foot section of the stream valley. The goal of the program is to encourage students to use what they learned from their data to create an action plan to reduce the amount of floatables reaching their stream. The Program is a win-win-win collaboration as it provides DPWES with information about floatable loading in specific streams, gives students an opportunity to collect real data and see how that data can be used for a scientific evaluation, and fosters the connection between students and their environment. Response to this lab has been overwhelmingly positive from both teachers and students.