Incarcerated Students Get Hands-On Lessons About the Weather

Students who are incarcerated in Multnomah County are getting some real-life science skills in the classroom.   Teacher Jennifer Hastings wanted to use what she learned in college and while doing her master’s work at the Oregon Youth Authority.  She got rain gauges installed in the yard of the juvenile detention center in Portland, and tasked her students with measuring it every day at the same time, and sending the information to the National Weather Service.  That data is then used by the agency.   The class even has a Twitter page: DELWx @Alt_ed_ology

Hastings was nominated as a KXL Everyday Hero by Mark Dodge with the Clackamas Education Service District. He says what she’s doing to teach students is “next level”.

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“Hastings”, as she’s called by staff and students, says the kids are encouraged by the project and share what they’re learning within their communities.  Several she taught at the Oregon Youth Authority have taken the skills they learned and fought wildfires that broke out in Oregon over the last couple of summers.

Hastings is also really excited about public reaction to weather videos made by the students.