Groundswell Student Showcase set for May 20

The work of more than 1,700 area high school students to protect the Grand River watershed and the Great Lakes will be highlighted during the Sixth Annual Groundswell Student Showcase May 20.

Groundswell, housed in the College of Education at Grand Valley State University, creates opportunities for hands-on environmental learning for students throughout Kent County. Student projects will be displayed on the big screen and in the Beacon Lobby at Celebration! Cinema North in Grand Rapids.

Groundswell currently works with 22 schools and more than 40 teachers. School districts represented at the showcase include East Rockford Middle School, New Branches Charter Academy and CA Frost Environmental Science Academy.

Groundswell Student Showcase
May 20
6 p.m. Theater Presentations
7-8 p.m. Table Exhibits
Celebration! Cinema North at East Beltline & Knapp, 2121 Celebration Drive NE, Grand Rapids
Free and open to the public

Groundswell, a coalition of community partners, is a hub of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative and is committed to enhancing student learning while empowering students to develop solutions to environmental problems in their communities. It is funded through the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Wege Foundation, Frey Foundation and Baldwin Foundation.

For more information, contact Joanna Allerhand, Groundswell coordinator, at (616) 331-6414.

PROJECT DETAILS

East Rockford Middle School
Students at East Rockford Middle School are working with Trout Unlimited to help protect the Rogue River. This river is an important resource for the local economy, but new growth and urban development are impacting river health. With help from community partners, the students determined that rain falling on urban areas and flowing to the river was one of the biggest threats to local water resources. In response, they are designing and implementing projects to reduce the stormwater runoff in their community. The students are planting two rain gardens in downtown Rockford that will allow rainwater to soak into the soil instead of flowing directly to the river. They engaged local city government officials to enhance support for the project and presented to the city council.

New Branches Charter Academy
Middle school students at New Branches Charter Academy teamed with a well-known local artist to create an educational art campaign. The artist, Reb Roberts, is helping the students design art that will be painted on storm drains in the community. This art will include an educational message to raise awareness that rainwater flowing through urban areas adds pollution to the Grand River. Students want to make sure community members know that water entering storm drains goes directly to the river, not a treatment facility. The students will paint three drains near their school property this spring and host a community event to unveil the art. They also plan to enter ArtPrize this fall with several additional painted storm drains in downtown Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department has been a valuable partner on this effort by providing technical assistance and support.

CA Frost Environmental Science Academy
Students in fifth through eighth grade are learning how activities on land affect the health of water resources. They partnered with the Blandford Nature Center to identify ways to help protect the forests and natural areas surrounding the center. The students concluded residential development had changed the water cycle in the area and was harming local streams. Natural vegetation was replaced with houses, lawns and pavement, and rainwater was no longer able to soak into the ground. Instead, it flowed into storm drains that emptied into a nearby creek, causing erosion. In response, the students organized an event to educate neighborhood residents about ways to keep rainwater out of the storm drains. At this Water Night event, community members can sign up to have students visit their property and provide suggestions for reducing stormwater impacts.