Pitt Hosts Environmental Service Fair For Middle School Students, Teachers

April 18, 2002

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance and Earth Force of Pittsburgh will cohost "EarthFest," an environmental service fair for 300 middle school students and their teachers, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 25 in the William Pitt Union.

EarthFest will feature workshops concerning environmental service and service-learning titled "Environmental Service-Learning," "Recycling," "Lead Poisoning Education," "Homemade Paper," "Instituting Recycling in Your High School," and "Making the Connection: Service and Activism."

The workshops are designed to get students and teachers excited about serving the Earth and their communities. "EarthFest is a great opportunity to get students involved in service-learning and understanding environmental issues in their own communities," said Cynthia Wetmiller of Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance.

Service-learning, according to Wetmiller, is a teaching method that addresses academic standards through service projects that engage students in addressing authentic community issues; students, teachers, and the community all benefit.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance and its initiatives, contact Wetmiller at 412/648-1673 or Stephanie Gundry at

412/648-3580 (email: volunteer@faithtechcenter.com).

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4/18/02/tmw