Baltimore Students Learn Engineering Through Watershed Education

Baltimore, MD – On November 12, 2015, students from ConneXions Academy will address water-quality issues in Baltimore through the General Motors Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GM GREEN) managed by the Earth Force program, part of Carnegie’s BioEYES’ Your Watershed, Your Backyard education effort. Students will partner with engineers on Gwynns Falls Trail, Leakin Park in Baltimore, from 10 am to noon. The media is invited to attend.

The program allows young people to learn about area watersheds. It builds on students’ environmental literacy for informed decision-making about environment changes and challenges. Engineers and students will conduct water-quality testing in local streams and use their findings for a sustainable action plan for addressing water-quality issues. Spokespeople from GM Baltimore Operations, Earth Force, BioEYES, and ConneXions Academy will be available at the event.

“It’s critical that today’s youth are connected to their local communities and the environment,” said Valerie Butler, Program Manager at BioEYES. “We work to build that connection and help young people see the role they can play in protecting and adapting the environment for the next generation.”

Carnegie’ Steve Farber, co-founder of BioEYES, remarked,  “Improving the state of K-12 STEM education is a substantial challenge that can only be addressed by a concerted effort of government, non-profits, industry and academia.  Our partnership with Earth Force and GM GREEN to deliver the BioEYES curriculum is just that kind of strategy.”

Earth Force has organized GM GREEN in Baltimore for three years, partnering with local schools through BioEYES. The nonprofit Earth Force provides learning resources and coordination to the networks of partners in 42 communities across North America in which GM operates. 

“GM GREEN nurtures collaborative environmental stewardship and exemplifies the best in STEM education and our commitment to serve and improve Baltimore,” said Chris Desautel, Plant Manager at GM Baltimore Operations. “Access to clean water is essential to all communities, and this program encourages students to be leaders in advancing water quality and conservation.”

Over 14,000 young people throughout the U.S. and Canada last year, the 25th anniversary of the program GM GREEN, engaged in this longest-running conservation education program by any automaker. Baltimore Operations mentored 375 youth in the Baltimore community in 2014 through water monitoring, classroom visits and student-driven watershed improvement projects.

For more information about Earth Force and the GM GREEN program, visit http://earthforce.org/water/. or contact Kristen Mueller Earth Force – Communications  at Kmueller@earthforce.org, or 314-640-4413.

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BioEYES offers science outreach programs using live zebrafish for K-12 students, including the environmental unit Your Watershed, Your Backyard. Its programs are offered through the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Utah, the University of Notre Dame, and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The program is entirely funded by grants and gifts. For more information please visit the project’s website, www.bioeyes.org

General Motors, LLC (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Earth Force is a national 501(c)3 organization with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Its mission is to engage young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future. Through Earth Force and its network of partners, young people get hands-on, real-world opportunities to practice civic skills, acquire a deep understanding of the environment, and develop the skills and motivation to become lifelong leaders in addressing community issues. Visit www.earthforce.org or follow @earthforce on Twitter to learn more, or contact Kristen Mueller

Earth Force – Communications AND Kmueller@earthforce.org, or 314-640-4413.