Water Pioneers Come to Menifee By Emily Maness

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      Ms. Paula Mattingly's seventh and eighth grade science classes had a special instructor this month.  Tyler Wells, a MCHS sophomore presented two lessons about ways of keeping local creeks and streams clean. 

       Wells participates in the Robinson Scholars Program. This program sponsors students who would be first generation college graduates, and who show outstanding scholastic abilities in their eighth grade year.  The students are chosen from eastern Kentucky counties that have traditionally low college admittance.  After a rigorous competition that included interviews and essay writing, Tyler Wells was awarded the 2012 scholarship from Menifee County.  The program will allow him to attend the University of Kentucky on a full scholarship. However, he and his fellow recipients must gain useful skills and experience through the yearly camps and workshops. For example, Robinson Scholars who are sophomores spend a week studying water quality at the 4H Leadership Center at Lake Cumberland. This particular program and its participants are called Water Pioneers.

        In the first class, Wells had the MCMS 7^th and 8^th to graders in there first class test water from Clear Creek in Northern Menifee County. On the second day, they tested water from Beaver Creek, the creek that flows through Frenchburg.

         Wells also presented information about the Robinson Scholars to the classes in order to build interest in the program with possible future participants. "I think that the students enjoyed it," said Wells, "I hope that at least one of them will go on to excel in this program."

         Wells used a LaMotte water testing kit for his project.  These kits test the amount of acid, oxygen, and sediment in the water. He taught about several types of water tests. The tests carried out were pH (acidity test), electrical conductivity, turbidity (how clear the water is), and dissolved oxygen (amount of oxygen in the water).

        Wells had scheduled a local creek walk in Beaver Creek, but inclement weather prevented the event. Even with this part of this project canceled, he is going November 7 to present his results to Robinson Scholar Staff and his fellow 2012 recipients.