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Water Pioneers opens eyes and minds of
Robinson Scholars
By
Carol L. Spence
 LEXINGTON,
Ky., (Dec. 19, 2007) – How do you effect change? Give young
people the information to open their eyes to the problem and the
freedom to open their minds to the solutions. That’s the
philosophy behind Water Pioneers, a program for Robinson
Scholars.
The Robinson Scholars Program provides young students from 29
counties in eastern Kentucky with support, leadership
development opportunities and ultimately, a scholarship to the
University of Kentucky. Funded by coal royalties from UK’s
Robinson Forest, the program accepts one first-generation,
college-bound student from each county. Starting in the summer
prior to ninth grade, the program provides extracurricular
learning opportunities that are designed to open doors and
career routes. Water Pioneers is such an opportunity, offered to
Robinson Scholars during the summer preceding their sophomore
year in high school.
“Instead of standing there and presenting information to them,
we present issues to them and let them try to disseminate what
the answers are,” said Doug McLaren, UK forestry specialist and
a Water Pioneers instructor. “That to me is one of the
overriding issues so that we can develop leadership. Learn how
to think. Learn how to question people in authority, not in an
argumentative way, but simply to investigate every possible
avenue.”
The avenues the scholars investigate in Water Pioneers are both
diverse and related.
“Our long term goals are obviously creating stewards of the
environment, particularly related to water,” said Stephanie
Jenkins, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute program
director, who helps coordinate the program’s curriculum. “We
focus on overall natural resources because each discipline
affects the other. If we get them thinking about these things
early, then it impacts their lives forever; it’s part of who
they become.”
During a week in June, the scholars converge on the Kentucky
Leadership Center in Jabez for an intense course of study.
McLaren teaches forestry and tree identification, UK entomology
specialist Blake Newton introduces the students to insect life.
Amanda Abnee Gumbert, UK agricultural programs water quality
liaison, and Jenkins handle the water quality sections and
Ashley Osborne, UK Cooperative Extension associate for
environmental and natural resource issues, oversees chemical
testing of water samples.
The curriculum is not just based on science, however. Gumbert
does Leopold activities with the group. Aldo Leopold was a
conservationist who conceived of the idea of a “land ethic” in
which the idea of community is expanded to include the land and
its people. Gumbert uses writing and journaling to give the
scholars a sense of place and a connection to the natural world
of their eastern Kentucky communities.
Jenkins said each year’s class has a different dynamic. The
first year they had a number of students who were interested in
the arts, so the challenge was connecting with them through
writing and nature art.
“What nature artists do is draw something in detail, showing a
characteristic of a plant, for example,” she said. “So if you
take a pinecone and draw it and really look at it, you’re really
observing a piece of nature and are able to describe it and
learn something from it. So we’ve tried to be creative in the
way that we developed the curriculum to engage as many as we
can.”
But it goes far beyond June’s five-day session in Jabez.
“During the weeklong program, we introduce them to little
components of the concept of water; how to measure it; how to
evaluate it; the value of water,” McLaren said. “As we add these
on, it provides them more information, so that by Thursday night
they are now mentally reviewing their county issues. By that
point, they have used all this information to put together a
project they can do in their own county.”
Between June and November, the scholars go back to the counties
to work on their individual projects. In November, they returned
to Hazard Community and Technical College to present their
results to an invited audience of parents, local officials and
UK faculty and staff.
Newton was impressed by the scope of the projects that were
presented to the group.
“Some took home what they had learned and taught it to younger
school children,” he said. “Others took it a step further and
said, ‘I’m going to actually make something happen in my
county.’”
He gave as an example Stephanie Fawbush from Laurel County who
became very interested in the idea of recycled tires
“It was almost like investigative journalism in her county,
following the trail of what happens to these tires and educating
people along the way,” he said. “She found out some really
interesting information. It taught her, and it taught us the
complexity of the issues.”
Kenny Craft of Knott County focused on detergents. He approached
local restaurants and the Knott County School Board, manned with
information that showed them that by using phosphate-free soaps
they could not only help the environment, but also save money.
In the end, the school board decided that next year they would
switch soaps throughout the entire system.
From the 29 presenters, four were chosen to present on the
national stage. Kenny, Regina Rice from Rockcastle County,
Miranda Lindsey of Harlan County and Tanner Stevens from
Lawrence County traveled to Virginia Beach to present their
projects recently at the 2007 North American Association for
Environmental Education conference. Tanner, who is a sophomore
at Lawrence County High School, was excited about all the things
he learned at the conference.
“It actually surprised me, because I didn’t realize there were
going to be so many people there,” he said. “I didn’t realize
how many programs there were all around North America and
everywhere. You don’t realize how many people there are out
there who really do care.”
Tanner collaborated with Dillon Bryant, a Robinson Scholar from
Carter County, and Zachary Niece from Elliott County on a
project which involved teaching visitors to Carter Caves water
conservation methods and how to test their water.
“We showed them what everything meant, so that way they were
more knowledgeable,” he said. “We had people tell us that they
were going to go and tell people about it.”
The trip to Virginia Beach was an eye-opener for the four young
scholars outside of the conference setting, as well. It was a
new and wider world the students experienced. Tanner and two of
his companions had never seen the ocean before. Jenkins said
that Miranda was astounded at how large the Atlantic was,
expecting to be able to see land on the other side.
“You know, we take that for granted,” Jenkins said. “We try to
give them experiences, outside of what we’re there to do. It’s
neat how it opened our eyes, because we can provide them with
multiple experiences.”
“I knew that Virginia Beach, of course, is on the ocean,” Tanner
said, “but I didn’t think about all the different creatures that
people in natural resources there have to deal with.”
Due to the Robinson Scholars Program with its programs such as
Water Pioneers, new ideas are blossoming and new doors are
opening for a bright and promising future for young people like
Tanner. He is now considering a career in natural resources,
possibly as a marine biologist.
“I just love it because it’s such an opportunity for students
who don’t have the opportunity to go to college,” he said.
“There’s just so much that you learn. I love it, that’s all I
can say about it.”
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Contact: Doug McLaren, 859-257-2703
Blake Newton, 859-257-7453
Stephanie Jenkins 859-257-1299
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The UK College of Agriculture,
through its land-grant mission, reaches across the commonwealth
with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of
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