Marshall Middle School Students Visit the Sugarland Campus

Students spent the day at the Sugarland location where they toured the facilities and conducted water quality experiments.

by Adela Trujillo

News Editor, Cantamount News - John Marshall Junior High

In January 2004 to launch the Year of Water activities, nineteen eighth graders participated in Schlumberger Corporations Project SEED (Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development). Students spent the day at the Sugarland location where they toured the facilities, conducted experiments on water testing and water safety and participated in the Joy of Learning Collaboration with New York University.

"The Joy of Learning Collaboration was quite interesting because we got a chance to talk to other students, by satellite, in New York. When we entered the conference room, they were already seated and waiting on us. We communicated back and forth with each other about our water experience and water knowledge from earlier water testing," Melissa Cabrera said. After participating in an interactive class taught by Mrs. Harris, the students had the opportunity to perform scientific tests on the lake located on the Schlumberger campus. They were taught about the many people who have very limited access to clean water and the diseases and death that this can cause. The Marshall team was happy to present their new water knowledge to other students around the world.

Project SEED connects disadvantaged school children in developing countries to the Internet, shares the real world of science through a multilingual online science center, and facilitates collaborative projects among school children around the world.

"We were anticipating interacting with students in Thailand; but there was an unexpected glitch, so we met the class from New York," Daisy Salinas said.

According to Paula Harris, project coordinator, Schlumberger's vision is to build a learning community that dissolves barriers and creates connections.

Harris selected Ms. Johnson's class after meeting with her and the administration and discussing the program thoroughly. Johnson chose her Pre-AP (advanced placement) class and seven other
selected students.

"I sure would love to participate again. It was so much fun, and Mrs. Harris is a great person," Rigoberto Pacheco said.