Environmental Health Partnership (EHP)
EHP 2004
The 2004 NIEHS/EPA Superfund Environmental Health Partnership (EHP) program, developed and coordinated by the Outreach Core of our Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) took place at the University of Florida Sunday, June 20 - Saturday, June 26, 2004.
The University of Florida Center for Precollegiate Education and Training (UF CPET) was proud to host twenty-one outstanding teachers, selected from across the state to partake in our intensive one-week program. The teachers represented the true diversity of Florida: 13 counties, 18 schools, nine grade levels, and curriculum including gifted 4th grade, underserved rural middle schools and AP/IB programs. Throughout the week, the teachers attended lectures to learn current research concepts and applications in environmental toxicology, participated in hands-on laboratory and field research, and developed leadership skills to become agents of change in the environmental health of their community. The EHP teachers return to their communities, having learned the most recent advances in science which, combined with their outstanding teaching talents, will bridge the research community with the general public.
The teachers will return in February to present the results of the Action Plans they developed during EHP to the SBRP researchers and graduate students during a poster presentation. The Action Plans are lessons the teachers have designed to incorporate SBRP information into their classroom and community.
EHP 2004 participants received three manuals, six CDs, and field identification cards as listed below as well as lecture notes and journal articles:
Manuals:
"Laboratory Experiments in Environmental Pollution, Bioassay and Bioremediation"
"The Schema of the Superfund Program"
"Water Quality and Biodiversity, A Field Manual"
CD-ROMs:
"Toxic Nation"
"Water Resource Primer"
"The EPA Water Sourcebooks
"Superfund: Classroom Activities for Understanding Hazardous Waste"
"Project A.I.R.E.
"Florida Freshwater Invertebrates & Key"
Field Identification Cards - Florida Freshwater Invertebrates
View 2004 EHP participant Action Plans (pdf)
Sunday, June 20
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Dr. Mary Jo Koroly gave an overview of the week as well as some of the other UF CPET programs. Dr. Steve Roberts presented a lecture on the Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) at UF |
Monday, June 21
Pediatric Toxicology
Dr. Aaron Hilliard, from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, gave a ‘front line’ look at the cleanup of Superfund sites and the testing of areas around Jacksonville for contaminants such as lead. His presentation this year focused on pediatric toxicology.
Water and Wetlands
Mr. Steve Everett presented information about hydrogeology and the Floridan aquifer in preparation for the field day on Thursday. The teachers reviewed the flow of water from sink to spring and discussed projects for their students and communities.
Mr. Pete Sleszynski presented information about wetlands, springs, and plant ecosystems. He has worked extensively with plant tissue culture and led efforts in plant ecosystem restoration.
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Risk Assessment Dr. Steve Roberts presented material on Human Risk Assessment. |
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Sharing Session The teachers participated in Best Practice Sharing sessions in which each teacher presented a novel or successful classroom activity or approach. |
Tuesday, June 22
Vitellogenin Experiment
The teachers performed part one of a two-day experiment in biotechnology. Dr. Nancy Denslow’s laboratory staff and students led an experiment utilizing vitellogenin as a biomarker in Fat Head Minnows
exposed to estrogenic compounds. Dr. Denslow’s graduate students presented research related to the experiment in short lectures and the undergraduate students discussed the concepts and techniques the teachers were learning.
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Wednesday, June 23
Vitellogenin Experiment
The teachers completed the vitellogenin experiment by developing their Western blots and Comassie stained gels.
Ecotoxicology
Dr. Gross with the USGS and UF College of Vet Med gave an overview of the Ecotoxicology Program, part of the SBRP. The teachers rotated through laboratories and had ‘hands on’ opportunities to work with
birds, fish, alligators, and alligator eggs.
Blackworm Laboratory
Relating to Dr. Roberts’ lecture on risk assessment was a hands-on laboratory demonstrating the effects of various toxicants on blackworms. This is an excellent activity for the teachers to take back to their
classrooms.
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Thursday, June 24
Environmental Field Day
Mr. Steve Everett, an Environmental Science teacher and Summer Program Assistant with UF CPET, led the teachers through North Central Florida’s water, from a sink to a spring. The teachers collected water, soil, and
benthic samples while at the various sites.
Water and Soil Testing
Dr. Charles Lawrence, a CPET instructor, presented the teachers with an environmental classroom projects manual and CD-ROM he developed, and demonstrated some of the experiments so they could easily be reproduced
at the schools. Using samples gathered during the day, the teachers were able to perform the experiments themselves. The teachers had the chance to identify the macroinvertebrates they collected during the day.
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Friday, June 25
Laboratory Rotations
The teachers participated in laboratory rotations through Pharmacology and Toxicology with Dr. Kathleen Shiverick, Environmental Engineering with Dr. Angela Lindner, Cell Biology with Mr. Dustin Vale-Cruz, Plant
Ecology with Mr. Pete Sleszynski, and Histology/Pathology with Dr. Karyn Bischoff. Three groups of 6-7 teachers spent two hours at each laboratory, engaged in ‘hands-on’ and ‘mind-on’ research activities. They were also presented with different career-related applications of the research programs.
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Friday Night Out
WooHoo!
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Saturday, June 26
Action Plans
The teachers presented the Action Plans that they will implement in their classrooms. The results of their action plans will be presented to the SBRP scientists, students and teachers from across the state at the
Florida Junior Science, Engineering, and Humanities Symposium (JSEHS), hosted by UF CPET in February at UF.
