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College to Host Sustainability in Motion Workshop

Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The first Sustainability in Motion workshop will be held Saturday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Westminster College Field Station, 937 Fayette-New Wilmington Road.

The workshop is for middle school and high school teachers and offers several activities: building and experimenting with solar cars; constructing and testing a Gratzel solar cell; experimenting with a number of devices (fan, radio, motors) using solar power; learning how active solar energy works; examining the mechanisms of a solar home; and using a solar cooker to make s'mores.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Helen Boylan, Westminster associate professor of chemistry and project director for Sustainability in Motion, and Dr. Douglas Armstead, Westminster assistant professor of physics. They will be assisted by Westminster students Nicole George, a sophomore chemistry major; Zachary Smith, a junior chemistry major; and Cassie Treshok, a senior psychology-human resources major.

George is a daughter of Jonathan and Lisa George of Valencia and a graduate of Mars Area High School.

Smith is a son of Joseph and Constance Smith of Bethel Park and a graduate of Bethel Park High School.

Treshok is a daughter of Anthony and Karen Treshok of Sarver and a graduate of Freeport Area High School.

The program includes Act 48 credits, continental breakfast, and classroom kits. Reservations for the workshop are required and may be e-mailed to martinls@westminster.edu.

The workshop is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Environmental Education Grants Program with support from Westminster's Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Westminster's Science in Motion Program.

Sustainability in Motion is an outreach program established at Westminster to educate students of all ages about the benefits of solar energy and other sustainable technologies. In addition to Boylan, those involved with the program are Dr. Patrick Krantz, Westminster associate professor of education and director of the Drinko Center, and Dr. Timothy Sherwood, associate professor and chair of Westminster's Department of Chemistry and director of its Science in Motion Program.

Contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu for additional information about Sustainability in Motion.

(L-r) Cassie Treshok, Zach Smith, Nicole George