Exciting opportunity for local high school students!  Nicolette Cagle wears many hats at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.  During the academic year, she is a lecturing fellow in Duke’s Thompson Writing Program, and a DEL instructor and advisor for online Masters students (DEL-MEM).  This week, she heads up an exciting opportunity for local high school students as the Director of the Environmental Science Summer Program (ESSP).  The ESSP program at Duke was designed to inspire environmental leaders of tomorrow in our own community. To do this, the Nicholas School of the Environment and Durham Public Schools (DPS) worked together to create an experience that would excite local high schools students interest in environmental science, while giving them skills and confidence to pursue environmental science as a college and career option.  Drawing from her PhD in Ecology and her work experience as a naturalist, Nicki created a program that includes real-world ecological field work in the Duke Forest and data collection for our community partner, the New Hope Creek Corridor Advisory Committee. The students also have the opportunity to interact with environmental professionals from Duke, the City of Durham, and local community organizations, and they create resumes with the Nicholas School’s own career services advisors.

Last year, the program was such a HUGE success! Therefore, this July, with DEL’s participation, Nicki is excited to offer three one-week intensive sessions of ESSP for over 30 Durham Public Schools 10th, 11th, and 12th graders! During one session, they will be partnering with Charles County Schools, in Maryland, allowing the students to communicate about water quality issues and describe their experiences via TelepresenceTM. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the Duke Smart Home during orientation and explore and collect data at New Hope Creek. Nicki states, “With DEL’s participation, we have also created an engaging module on environmental risk analysis! We’re looking forward to an enriching and fun experience!”

Here what the 2012 ESSP students thought!
“My favorite part of ESSP was going down to the creek [and] finding crayfish, fish, and a lot of salamanders, caddisflies, stoneflies, mayflies. They were all incredible. I could just scoop them up with the d-net and they were all there.” – Justin, Southern School of Engineering

“I have learned so much. I’ve learned how to apply information to the real world and what it means outside the classroom. I’ve learned how much fun environmental science is and the passion people have for it. The number of opportunities are astounding!” – Katie, Durham School of the Arts

View highlights from the 2012 ESSP camp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN4lj2a8TW0&feature=youtu.be

ESSP students conducting a visual stream analysis.
© Duke Photographer Megan Morr

ESSP students collecting physical data at New Hope Creek in the Duke Forest.
© Duke Photographer Megan Morr