Building Local Community Capacity for Water Science and Management in Northeast Ohio
"Building Local Capacity for Water Science and Management in Northeast Ohio"
In “Building Local Capacity for Water Science and Management in Northeast Ohio,” Lauren Kinsman-Costello (Biological Sciences) and Patrick Bitterman (Geography) will work with Community Investigator Scott Lenhart (High School Computer Science Teacher) and educators, students, stormwater professionals, and community stakeholders in Boardman, OH. Centered on the Forest Lawn Stormwater Park—a recently constructed wetland designed to reduce flooding in a residential neighborhood and filter pollutants in stormwater runoff—the project integrates community-engaged environmental monitoring, K–12 inquiry-based learning, and institutional network analysis.
Through summer research experiences for Mr. Lenhart and two 17cҳ SURE undergraduate students, followed by curriculum development and student-led inquiry during the academic year, participants will actively contribute to wetland monitoring, data interpretation, and environmental advocacy. In parallel, the project will document and map the cross-sector network of agencies, schools, and community organizations responsible for wetland design, management, and decision-making.
By pairing environmental data collection with analysis of social and institutional coordination, this pilot project will demonstrate how school-based, community-engaged science can enhance local environmental management while generating foundational insights for a competitive external proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Science of Science program.