We’re excited to share a new addition to our classroom that’s already sparking curiosity and meaningful conversations about sustainability: a classroom vermicomposting system made possible through a grant from Let’s Go Compost. Thanks to their support, our school received a complete vermicomposting kit designed specifically for classroom use. The kit includes the physical setup, educational…
Read MoreOperations are in full swing at the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) at McKinley Vocational High School, where our students have been hard at work contributing to the CASCADE Project—an exciting environmental science initiative aimed at addressing pollution in our local waterways. Over the past two weeks, SCESL students have taken to the field,…
Read MoreToday marked a major milestone for the students of the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) at McKinley High School. For the first time, our student scientists rolled up their sleeves and got hands-on with debris collected from a real storm drain—this one located in Rochester, NY. While it wasn’t a local sample from Buffalo just…
Read MoreExciting news for McKinley High School and the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL)! We recently learned that two projects launched last year—the Mack STEM Lab and SCESL—have earned our school a $25,000 STEM grant! This funding represents a significant investment in hands-on, inquiry-based STEM learning at McKinley and will help expand opportunities for students…
Read MoreToday, the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) was excited to welcome Dr. John Atkinson, an environmental engineer from the University at Buffalo. Dr. Atkinson shared insights into his critical research on plastic pollution, highlighting his efforts to understand and mitigate the impacts of plastics in our ecosystems, especially in local waterways. Our regular guest,…
Read MoreToday in the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL), our AP Environmental Science students took a hands-on approach to understanding pollution in watersheds. Using a model watershed, they demonstrated how plastics, fertilizers, and other contaminants move through aquatic systems. A Hands-On Approach to Watershed Science Our students built a scaled-down version of a watershed, simulating…
Read MoreThe Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) is officially in full swing! As part of our ongoing CASCADE project, students are getting hands-on experience exploring the science behind water quality, pollution, and sustainability. In our most recent session, students investigated plastic density, a key factor in understanding how plastics move through waterways and contribute to…
Read MoreAs educators and environmental advocates, we continuously seek ways to engage students in meaningful, real-world issues while fostering a deeper understanding of scientific principles. This year, Ryan Sajdak, director of the Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) at McKinley High School, is excited to participate in a groundbreaking initiative: the MOLLUSCA project. This three-year research…
Read MoreThe Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) at McKinley High School is proud to partner on the CASCADE project, Community Action for Stormwater Clean-up And Debris Elimination, alongside NY Sea Grant, the University at Buffalo, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Tapestry Charter School. This two-year initiative is designed to empower students to address pollution…
Read MoreThe Scajaquada Creek Environmental Science Lab (SCESL) is poised to make a significant contribution to environmental monitoring and community science with its upcoming participation in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). This exciting development promises not only to enhance the understanding of local weather patterns but also to bolster community engagement in…
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