Elizabethtown College Associate Professor of Engineering & Physics Brenda Read-Daily worked with Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry students at Palmyra Area High School in the spring to teach them about the environmental engineering field. Her project, which taught the students about nitrogen cycle management and water hardness, was featured in a recent Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Newsletter.
Read-Daily’s project, which was funded through the AEESP Foundation Grant 
Program, showed the AP Chemistry students the connections between the topics they learned in their class and real-world environmental engineering applications. Students analyzed different water samples and completed assignments that directly connected their AP Chemistry skills to scenarios like managing excess nitrogen in the Chesapeake watershed and treating hard water.
“Many high school students are unfamiliar with the opportunities that exist in environmental engineering,” said Read-Daily. “My hope is that this positive experience at Palmyra Area High School will serve as a springboard for future opportunities with other area high school science classes.”
The AEESP Newsletter states that the students demonstrated a high level of engagement with the project and particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities. The AP Chemistry teacher also invited Dr. Read-Daily to return next year and complete the activities again.
