October 12, 2022

Two graduates of the Columbus State University UTeach Program and current Muscogee County School District science teachers, Carlonda Williams and Brianna Dent, have partnered with CSU’s Biology Department to create a science club at Kendrick High School. In conjunction with that effort, the university’s Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center has coordinated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experiences for the club by integrating the subject-matter expertise found among CSU’s STEM faculty.

“We saw a need for students to have a chance to develop a deeper relationship with the fields of science and wanted to increase their involvement and engagement outside the classroom,” stated Williams, a 2019 CSU alumna who teaches science at Kendrick High School.

The club began in 2021 with 25 students. This inaugural group of students enjoyed the club and the activities so much that they insisted on having two meetings a week instead of one. 

“The students do not have access to different STEM materials outside of the classes and we felt that this would be an excellent way to nurture young STEM majors for post-secondary success. We also felt this would give the students an opportunity to learn and truly visualize themselves with a future in science. We made the club free to join as well to encourage more student participation,” said Dent, a 2019 CSU alumna who also teaches science at Kendrick High School.

The science club anticipates more members this year with their various STEM experiences and individual research projects being provided and supported by Oxbow Meadows. 

Through donations to the CSU Foundation and designated to Oxbow Meadows, shuttle service helps ensure Kendrick High students have transportation to the Oxbow Meadows campus and other learning locations. On a recent trip, Dr. Rosa Williams of CSU’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences provided the students with a tour of the WestRock Observatory at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center and allowed the students to observe through the center’s telescope.

In an upcoming project, CSU faculty member Dr. Clinton Barineau, also of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, will lead students in a walking geology tour of the RiverWalk to help them understand how geology helped literally shape Columbus. Eight more faculty members at Oxbow Meadows are brainstorming ideas for hands-on experiences they can provide to the students in the future.

Dr. Michael Dentzau, Oxbow Meadow’s executive director and a professor in the Department of Teacher Education, Leadership & Counseling, anticipates the benefits each learning experience can have for students.

“The students will develop an appreciation for how content knowledge is applied in the STEM fields, and see the opportunities that their hometown university can offer to further their education in science, mathematics, engineering, robotics, and computer science,” he noted.

Both Dent and Williams graduated from Columbus State University’s innovative and integrative UTeach program, which connects its students with CSU math, science, and computer science faculty, as well as educators from local P-12 schools. The program offers students hands-on teaching experience and, ultimately, an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry, earth and space science, mathematics, or computer science. After passing required state certification exams, students graduating from the UTeach program are qualified to teach in grades 6-12 (for math and science) or in grades P-12 (for computer science).

Located at the southern end of the Columbus RiverWalk, Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center offers a view of the ecoregion of West Central Georgia and the Chattahoochee Valley. The center opened in 1995 as a collaboration among Columbus Water Works, Columbus State University, and the City of Columbus. Today, it features exhibits, displays and nature trails, and also offers formal and informal programs about the ecology and natural history of the region. Interpretive and hands-on programming is provided by Columbus State University professional staff, contributing faculty, student assistants, and volunteers.

Columbus State offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees, minors, tracks and certificates spanning science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields—with many full degrees and stand-alone courses available online.