Video: Columbus High Students Present Special Project

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Students at Columbus High School are presenting a special project for the International Baccalaureate Monday (10/29) at 6pm.

For the past five weeks, students at Columbus High have been studying local water sources. It’s a part of the curriculum for the International Baccalaureate program. IB biology teacher Hope Hogan says the program is a great way for students to be introduced to college level course work.

“The IB program is a very rigorous and stringent field of study for students in their 11th and 12th grade year. It affords them the opportunity to learn college level work during high school,” says Hogan.

The International Baccalaureate has focused on educating students ages 3 to 19 for more than 35 years. The program encourages young people to become active in their community and to understand other cultural environments around the world.

“IB schools are worldwide. A lot of the things that we study and things that we do are relevant worldwide. So the things that we look at in Columbus are things that other IB schools can take in and look at as well,” says Hogan.

IB students Breauna Gardner and Jake Thomas were both involved in this year’s project which studied the water quality in and around Columbus.

“We talked about iron, nitrate, chloride, chromium. We tested the turbidity and this is just a great way to get involved in the community, talking about water,” says Gardner.

Thomas says this year’s findings were positive.

“We figured out the water is pretty stable. Of course, with us being a major fishing area, it shows how stable our water source is,” says Thomas.

Presenting the yearly project is a requirement of the IB program.

To find out how your school can become an International Baccalaureate school, go to www.ibo.org.