OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – A new program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh called the’ Freshwater Experience Camp’ gave high school students a hands-on opportunity to learn about multiple career paths.
Guided by the university’s chair for the Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Greg Kleinheinz, and a few upper-level undergraduates, these students were introduced to many career opportunities, including environmental science, environmental engineering, biology, and chemistry. This was the first year of this new program, and the department says a turnout of twenty students was a great number to get this experience up and running.
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The campers reported to the university on Monday and stayed through the day Wednesday, going out onto the Fox River to collect water samples, learn how to operate the equipment used in the field, test for certain bacteria, among many other things as part of this multi day event.
“They are getting introduced to groundwater resources, surface water resources, water and wastewater treatments, stormwater management, engineering of systems, sensors,” says Kleinheinz. “Really all aspects of water usage, re-use, treatment, water quality monitoring. Really anything that we can think of that we have some expertise.”
Students traveled from all over Wisconsin and even outside of the state to be a part of this program. Being on the waters of the Fox River and a short drive to Lake Winnebago, UW-Oshkosh serves as a perfect place to get hands-on experiences in many fields. Madeleine Murphy made the trip from just outside of Chicago, and she says this is helping her figure out what path to take in her educational journey.
“I’ve always been interested in like environmental engineering and environmental sciences and i think this is definitely helping pursue this interest even more and be a little bit more sure with what I wanna do.”
Closer to home, Shawano High School Student Ayden Berquist says in just a short time, he’s already starting to learn about the water system we all call home.
“Now I know what goes into the water, what’s inside of it, all the things of if it’s safe or not safe to swim in it to be more cautious, where to take your dogs.”
No matter where the educational journey takes these hardworking and eager students, Kleinheinz hopes that at the end of this camp, the students gain valuable skills that they can use wherever they go.
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“Hopefully, whether the students come to UW-Oshkosh or another UW campus, they leave here with a better appreciation for not only things that they can study as it relates to water but also different areas of a career that they may not have considered before.”
This program is funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, of which UW-Oshkosh is a partner. This helps promote the introduction of all things water-related careers. The department hopes this is just the beginning of a yearly event.
