Community Engagement at Lake Chadwick

In the Spring 2022 semester, during one of our Community-Engaged Learning (CEL)-designated courses, Water Biogeochemistry, several graduate students designed educational signs, placed along Chadwick Lake on Mississippi State’s campus. The signs, targeted towards children, convey the process of the water cycle in the form of a storyline following the adventures of an anthropomorphized water droplet, and how at many of these steps, water can become contaminated with elements such as harmful algal blooms and acid rain. This project was completed in partnership with the MSU Facilities Department, with funding from the Center for Community Engaged Learning at MSU.

In addition, the graduate students demonstrated water quality measurement techniques in collaboration with Partnership Middle School, and completed a field trip to Chadwick Lake, where the middle school students were able to sample and test water for pH, nitrates, and dissolved oxygen. 

We are thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in our local area and look forward to future projects working with the community!