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Contacts:

Zach Ronneberg

Science

Da Vinci High School

925.286.4353

zronneberg@djusd.k12.ca.us

Bekah Rottenberg

Science

Da Vinci High School

401.480.8873

rrottenberg@djusd.k12.ca.us

Catherine Kemp

Genetics Graduate Student

UC Davis

cakemp@ucdavis.edu


Pond Project and Energy Audits

Da Vinci Charter Academy High School

Davis, CA

 
Pond Project

Students will spent the entire year studying two drainage ponds in North Davis. The motivation for this project was a group of residents who are interested in finding out about the health of the ponds (including biodiversity, chemical, toxin, and mineral content).

Students from chemistry, biology, and environmental science worked with a UC Davis grad students to collect water samples, chart biodiversity, and analyze the data collected from the two ponds in North Davis.

After collecting and analyzing data for biodiversity and water quality, students shared their results with the community. They made posters, pamphlets, and public presentations.

  

 

Energy Program Youth Corps (EPYC)

Through EPYC, a project of the UC Davis Center for Regional Change, students in two physics classes learned about energy efficiency issues and used watt meters to do home energy audits. The in-class activities were led by UC Davis graduate and undergraduate students. The high school students analyzed the results of the energy audits, made recommendations to reduce energy use and created brochures and public service announcements (PSAs)  to spread the word to the community. Students made a presentation at a school board meeting to share their findings and show the PSAs. They also participated in a Green Schools Expo in the community.

EPYC is supported by a Bright Ideas grant from PG&E. Other partners include the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center and the Davis Joint Unified School District Green Schools Initiative.

EPYC Website

Newspaper article about project