Eighteen incoming high school freshmen from the Kalamazoo Public Schools took a field trip to a golf course Monday as part of a summer science program.
An organization called First Green pairs school districts with golf courses to teach students about science and technology. Monday marked the first time a First Green event was held in Southwest Michigan, according to the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA).
The program was held at the Kalamazoo Country Club.
Four STEM lab stations were placed on the greens, along the shores of Whites Lake. The labs focused on soils, bugs, macroinvertebrates, and water quality and conservation. A fifth station on the putting green gave the students from Kalamazoo Public Schools Summer Math and Science Institute an opportunity to try golf.
Diane Owen-Rogers is with KRESA. She is also the Southwest regional director for MiSTEM.
“It's something that you don't typically think about when you're out having fun on the golf course, but there's a lot of math and science that goes into making this a beautiful space and also keeping the environment healthy and the ecosystem here working,” Owen-Rogers said.
Jason Raddatz, with the Michigan College Alliance, said it’s important to get students into the field.
“They're doing legit science, right? They're looking at these animals and these macroinvertebrates and insects and making that decision. Hmm... this is a good environment for those, and this is a healthy ecosystem where most people would not expect to find a healthy ecosystem.”
The students who went on the field trip will earn a high school environmental science credit for successfully completing the five-week summer program.
Melvin Ferguson was one of those students. He called it a “great new experience” for him and his classmates. He said it was his first time at the golf course.
“I knew it existed, it’s just that I've never really been inside the country club before," Ferguson said. He added that it was his first time walking around the facility, which he described as nice, fun, and “very clean.”
Daria Smith agreed. She said when she was a student at Woods Lake Elementary School she'd pass by the Kalamazoo Country Club on her way to and from school. She said she always wondered what it was like inside.
“It’s fun, it’s really nice. I love the people here."
"It smells good,” Smith added with a chuckle.
Sam Noakes, 13, gave a similar review.
“I think it’s pretty awesome. I mean you see a lot of cool stuff, you get to putt, and I think it’s pretty good.”
All three students plan to attend Kalamazoo Central High School in the fall.
