# Data to Action:  A Secondary School-based Citizen Science Project to Address Arsenic Contamination of Well Water

> **NIH NIH R25** · MOUNT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LAB · 2021 · $317,944

## Abstract

“Data to Action: A secondary school-based citizen science project to address arsenic contamination of
well water”
ABSTRACT/SUMMARY (30 lines):
The ultimate goal of the “Data to Action” project is to create and pilot a national model of STEM education that
engages students as citizen scientists and provides them with tools, skills and resources to make sense of
data so that their results can inform actions at the local, regional, and even national level. Engaging students in
community-based projects that result in data that is relevant to their lives will stimulate interest in science and
lead to the pursuit of further STEM education and interest in STEM careers. In Maine and New Hampshire,
arsenic contamination of well water is one of the most pressing public health issues. Most people in these
states derive their drinking water from private wells. Often these groundwater reserves are contaminated with
arsenic, in many cases far exceeding the EPA limit of 10 ppb. Therefore, addressing this issue in Maine and
New Hampshire secondary science classrooms provides context for students to engage in scientific inquiry,
and motivation for them to construct knowledge and meaning through the process of discovery. Students will
collect well water data for arsenic analysis, and learn to analyze and communicate their findings, so as to
effectively inform their communities and move people to action. Their data will inform the Maine Center for
Disease Control and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which have both been
working to improve well water testing rates for arsenic in order to understand the extent of the problem and
protect public health. To accomplish this goal, we will provide teacher training in citizen science and
environmental monitoring and build skills in data analysis and communication in a Summer Data Literacy
(DataLit) Institute. Then, we will work with teachers to implement citizen science projects in their classrooms.
Local scientists recruited from Maine and New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
(INBRE) partner institutions will form partnerships with teachers and students and help them with their projects,
in particular, with understanding the results of well water monitoring and helping them translate their findings
into local action. We plan to extend these Student-Teacher-Scientist Partnerships throughout both states,
effectively creating “STEM Satellite Centers” in the vicinity of each INBRE institution. By establishing links
between INBRE institutions and surrounding schools, long term relationships will ensue that will prove helpful
to teachers and students beyond this particular citizen science project, inspiring generations of students to be
critical thinkers and consider careers in science, medicine, or public health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10206187
- **Project number:** 5R25GM129796-04
- **Recipient organization:** MOUNT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LAB
- **Principal Investigator:** Jane Elizabeth Disney
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $317,944
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-17 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10206187

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10206187, Data to Action:  A Secondary School-based Citizen Science Project to Address Arsenic Contamination of Well Water (5R25GM129796-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10206187. Licensed CC0.

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