Our aim is to introduce eager middle school students to the concept of PFAS and microplastic pollution while teaching them the necessary chemistry knowledge to be able to analyze and interpret scientific information

Information:

The Water & Pollutions program is a unique month-long summer program that provides exciting learning experience as students dive into the impact of water which any living thing relies on, and develop an awareness of pollution that impacts humans, animals and plants. We’ll start from the study of streams in our neighborhood, potential pollutants and how what we do everyday 

Ages: Rising 5th – 8th graders 

Dates: Monday, July 7th – Friday July 25th, 2025

Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Requirement: Students must have Math skills with a minimum of Pre-Algebra (Algebra I preferred), able to write and present their work using Powerpoint, and have an established work habit of self-study. There will be weekly experiments in chemistry. A minimum of two outdoor trips will be expected.

Cost: $1850 total including food, supplies and trips.

Location: VINCI School Merrifield, 8408 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax, VA 22031

Curiculum:

Week 1: July 7 – July 11

Goal: Introduce students to chemistry and get them excited about environmental science/chemistry

Week 2: July 14 – July 18

Goal: Learn about the effect of pollutants and types of pollution; relate to chemistry

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Intro to Environmental Science: What is pollution?	Types of Pollution: Air, Water, Land	Importance of Water and Types of Water Pollution	Intro to microplastics and PFAS	Related Field Trip: Water testing local streams

Week 3: July 21 – July 25

Goal: Allow students to demonstrate what they have learned through a creative project/presentation

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Look at results of stream testing	Activity + work on presentation	Activity + work on presentation	Activity + work on presentation	Presenting day