Students from Western Wayne High School recently stepped outside the classroom to take part in a hands-on environmental learning experience focused on one of our most important natural resources—water.
As part of the Community Connections to Our Watershed program, students joined peers from several regional schools for a field trip to learn how drinking water is supplied to homes and how wastewater is treated before returning to the environment.
Participating schools included Carbondale Area, Lakeland, Mountain View, Old Forge, and Western Wayne.
The theme of the day, “Out of the Faucet and Down the Drain,” focused on helping students understand where water comes from and what happens after it leaves our homes and schools.
The day began with students meeting at the Lake Scranton Water Treatment Plant. There, students toured the facility and participated in a water filtration challenge that helped them better understand how drinking water is cleaned and prepared for public use.
Following lunch, students traveled to a wastewater treatment plant where they learned how used water is treated before being safely released back into the environment. The tour provided an inside look at the systems that protect rivers and streams while maintaining public health.
Throughout the day, students worked with presenters from Pennsylvania State Parks and Pennsylvania American Water, who explained the science and technology involved in providing safe drinking water and managing wastewater systems.
The experience allowed students to connect classroom science with real-world applications. By seeing these systems firsthand, students gained a deeper appreciation for the infrastructure that delivers clean water to their homes and protects local waterways.
Western Wayne students had an excellent time on the trip and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn outside the classroom while exploring real-world solutions to environmental challenges.
The watershed program will continue throughout the year as students work on environmental action projects and collaborate with other schools to better understand and protect local water resources.
From left: Noah Benson, Rhys Locklin, Mark Nebzydoski Ph.D. advisor, Aliyah Gregory, Giana Graci, and Aidyn Graci.
