Latest / Clean Water Conversations / Episode 11 with Lauren Beal

Transcript

Episode 11 with Lauren Beal · Clean Water Conversations

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hello everyone and welcome to Clean Water Conversations, the podcast where we have casual discussions about creating clean and clear waterways right here in Lancaster County.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ken.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm Alison.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_03: We're back.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're back.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to season two.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: Let's do this.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Season one was so much fun.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_03: It was.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_03: We had a lot of different people.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_03: We had an a kickoff for this whole concept of podcasting.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_03: We did, yeah.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think everybody was really excited about what that could look like.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_03: The storytelling components of it are so powerful.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_03: And it's so much fun.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's so much fun.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: And we, you know, we we're we're like we said, we're just kind of getting started with this whole podcast thing.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: But as of this morning at the time of this recording, uh we've had uh 916 downloads.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Which isn't a huge number, but dag on, we appreciate those of you who who downloaded and are listening, and we really do we can't do this.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we can do this without you, but what would be the point?
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, we need listeners.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: We need people to take this information and take it into action.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_03: So why do we format the show the way that we do, though?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, we have a different format than certainly any other conservation podcast that I've listened to.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um we have fun.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: We we joke around a lot, we have stuff like the trivia and the icebreakers, and you know, we there's a lot of laughter in our podcast.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: And there's and you know, that's actually done intentionally because we want our podcast to be accessible not just to people who are so inundated in the conservation world and live it every day, but we also kind of want to reach out to those folks who either have a passing interest in conservation or are just entertained by our show and then become interested in conversation because of it.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: There's that ripple effect that we always talk about.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because you you just never know that the new listener today who's never had anything to do with conservation, could be the next partner, could be the next volunteer, could be the next engineer that creates a brand new best management practice or BMP.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, I forgot about the acronym, the rule against acronyms forgot.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: We'll hit that up.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: We will hit that up a little bit later.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: But we want this message, this conservation, this conservation message to be able to get out to everyone.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: So while we were away, there were a lot of cool things that happened.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_03: It's a busy season, both for podcasting, but then the summer, in between, whether you downloaded and took us with you or you were building your own list of awesomeness, we're excited to share ours because there's so much happening.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_03: So things like report cards, like end of season or end of school year when we left you with season one.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, this report card came out about the Chesapeake Bay, and it was the best report card in or the best grade in 20 years.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's huge.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: So that's a prime example of how it's working.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_03: The collective effort in Lancaster, we're seeing those improvements.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the work that our partners are doing is making a difference, a positive difference, and that and that shows it.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, our season finale last year, our our live live stream, we literally sat live in a stream and talked to you, um, was during Lancaster Water Week.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that was a huge success.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: There were 60 plus events, which we mentioned before.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: They there were 1,500 native trees and shrubs given out by the Lancaster Conservancy.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh 10 million trees gave away like 900 more.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, all of the people who were online and participating in webinars or finding ways to volunteer next.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: So, yeah, kudos to the entire team for Lancaster Water Week success.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: And we definitely encourage you to go back and listen to one of the episodes from season one about that uh because planning's already starting for next year.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And during that live stream, we had a third person that you didn't you didn't see on camera, and that's Christina Martin.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_03: She's a newest member of our team.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_03: And as we as the backbone organization of this network have grown and been able to bring in additional resources, making sure that we have all of our kind of ducks in a row and compliance components, tracking components, making sure the invoicing processes are as smooth as possible, that is where we're so grateful for the capacity that Christine has brought to our team.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_03: And also this summer, it's a time that students may step away from the classroom, but the the teachers, they're in the classroom and their classroom is the environment.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: So this summer there were so many trainings with Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Lancashire County Conservation District, and then the IU 13 or the intermediate unit, we'll get to that.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_03: It was also one of the the partners along with the Lancaster County STEM Alliance for some teacher trainings that were outdoors using the environment as an integrating context.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm gonna use that to transition us right into today's guest because we're kicking off season two with a doozy.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this is very fun.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um she is the executive director of the Lancaster STEM Alliance, which is an acronym.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I was trying to figure out how to segue that in so that we explain what it is.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna explain what it is.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a delayed one.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: I was trying to figure it out how to not break it out.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: No, not this time.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Not this time.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: We will explain it.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a delayed, delayed explanation.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: She's the associate director of educational partnerships at IU13, which you already explained what that stands for.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: And she is a member of our board of trustees for Lancaster Clean Water Partners.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_03: We're really excited to have Lauren Beale here with us today.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning, Lauren, and welcome to Clean Water Conversations.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: We're so glad you're here.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, thank you so much for inviting me.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: This is a real honor.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: A lot to talk about.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Lots to talk about.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, we do.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: Happy back to school to everybody.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: We're having a good time again.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: Dive right in.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we want to get to know you just a little bit better.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: So let's break some ice.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: That's brand new.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Your icebreaker question.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you, and this is perfect because being in education, um, if you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore, who would it be and why?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, you read my mind because I'm actually gonna pick an educator.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: Oh.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: Perfect.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_02: All right, so I'm picking a Pennsylvanian, a maybe non-traditional educator that we might not think of, one of our favorite childhood heroes.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: Any guesses?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: I'm going with Mr.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_03: Rogers.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, bingo!
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I've just been thinking a lot about my childhood and like influential people and experiences.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I was a huge fan of Mr.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: Rogers neighborhood.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like he was just such an amazing educator.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: He taught us those skills that maybe we didn't quite learn in school.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so like reinforcing curiosity, kindness, uh, creativity.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, wow, like what an awesome educator! And it still resonates.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: Like, that's part of who I am now.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: So, Mr.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: Rogers, we need to get him up there.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_02: So true.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: From Pittsburgh.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh from from everything that I've heard, it is like what you saw on TV was him when the cameras weren't rolling.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: So just a kind, kind individual.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's awesome.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, Pennsylvania, you are you from Pennsylvania?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Where did you grow up?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, great start.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_02: So, yes, I am a product of a Lancaster County education, lived here my entire life.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, come from a family of educators.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: So my dad was a high school math teacher in a local school district.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think actually one of us in this room might have had it than mine.
• 8:04
  unknown: Yep.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I just I love Lancaster.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's the best place to live.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: What inspired you?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, obviously, probably your your dad had some had some input in that, but what inspired you to get into education?
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I'll actually start with my dad because I feel like that was a huge part of my career journey.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so, like as a kid, I can just remember like spending weekends in my dad's classroom, prepping activities.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_02: I just like loved that we would go out in public, and my dad was a coach and a teacher, and so we'd go out, and students and parents would like always come and gravitate to him and kind of share just how he impacted their lives.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: And so, from a really early age, like I just saw the importance of teachers in the community and what a humongous impact they have on people for generations to go.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so, I just I always wanted to be a teacher.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: I just thought that was like the coolest profession.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's cool.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you for what your dad has done and your whole family and that commitment to education.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, it makes a big difference.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_03: So you've taken that specifically within the STEM world, which is also known as science, technology, engineering, and math.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: I was trying to figure out how we were gonna get around that, by the way.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_03: I know I was like, how do I set this up?
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_03: Well so I don't get buzzed by Ken.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: People come up with a crazy string of things to make this acronym, but really like the foundation of what STEM is all about, regardless of the acronym you use, is it's just a way of thinking and a way of approaching teaching and learning that gets kids to really integrate all the concept, all the concepts that they've learned in school to do authentic problem solving.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so when I think about STEM, I mean I think about challenges and problems I face every day, whether at home at work.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm not doing anything just thinking about my science knowledge or my math knowledge.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: Like it requires this integrated approach.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so STEM is all about teaching kids to integrate all the things they know and use also a bunch of soft skills in order to solve innovative problems.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_03: And is that intimidating for some people?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_03: The idea of thinking and learning differently or using something as kind of overarching context?
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, it's just not the way that we were in school.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like when we were in school, you went to a certain class, you were there for maybe 50 minutes, you learned just that subject area, then the class, the bell rang, you picked up, you closed your textbook, and you went to the next class and focused on that content area.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think for a lot of people, teachers and students, it it's a real transition to think about how does my subject area and the curriculum I'm required to teach integrate with other content areas and where's the overlap?
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like that takes some thought.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and you've done that in so many different ways that include the environment.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: So whether that's extending the acronym, but how do you make the environment or clean water as a part of that overarching effort, I guess?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so clean water and this topic of environmental sustainability is the perfect context for STEM education because of all the things on our planet, clean water and natural resource protection truly requires an integrative approach where like you do need to understand the implications from all different areas when it comes to looking at clean water challenges and the solutions.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: I also just think in general, getting like youth out into the environment is such a critical piece to the learning environment.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: Helping them like connect, like connect with nature, realize the importance that they have in nature, I just think it provides like a real world context to integrate content areas and build empathy for our community.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_03: That's a great point.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_03: And and you get to do this in a more structured way now.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: So tell us about the Lancaster STEM Alliance.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I feel like I have the best job in the world right now.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um I don't know, we might argue with you on that one.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you already go.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: We get to do it all together.
• 11:58
  unknown: Yeah.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um so this year I serve as the executive director of the Lancaster County STEM Alliance.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we are a nationally recognized ecosystem.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: There are ecosystems all over the globe, actually, several in Pennsylvania.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: But what makes our ecosystem so unique is that we are connected with the Steimon Foundation in Lancaster.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: And if you're not familiar with the Steimon Foundation, they are a private family foundation that is committed to just making life better in Lancaster County.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so they provide the fiscal resources for us at the STEM Alliance to do some really, really amazing things.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so at the STEM Alliance, we are really focused on this ecosystem approach where we believe that educating our future can't just be the sole responsibility of teachers in the classroom.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: It really requires a community approach.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so, how can we leverage all of the business and industry in Lancaster County, the nonprofits like yourselves in Lancaster County, all the education institutes, all the after-school STEM providers?
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: How do we bring everybody together to create really this holistic approach to education so that learning is happening everywhere and we have this amazing talented group of individuals in Lancaster that can ultimately fill the jobs to keep Lancaster prosperous?
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: So I hope that that was a it's kind of all over the place, but an ecosystem is a really complicated complicated concept, and uh that's what we're trying to do.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think that's a perfect kind of tie because we talk talk so much about ecosystem health and the science of it or the clean water components of it, but you're talking about it from a community standpoint.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so, yeah, we're using the word ecosystem just in a slightly different term.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and just like in a natural ecosystem, we need these symbiotic relationships where everybody is working together towards a common goal that benefits the health of the whole community.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: And for us, we're we're looking at that through education and workforce development.
• 13:50
  unknown: Okay.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: How many organizations are involved in the STEM alliance?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I can't even measure.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, our ecosystem continues to grow.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm just going to give you the rough number of hundreds, which is pretty nebulous.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: But um, we have so many people involved in our ecosystem, and every year we try to engage more and more of our community members.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we're really focused on the business community, the nonprofit community, um, the community organizations and community leaders, and our 16 school districts in Lancaster County.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we're really focused on kind of bringing them together, talking about the challenges and issues that each different organization faces, the goals that each organization has, and how can we leverage our resources together to meet some common goals and objectives.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that, you know, that collaborative network is a large part of what we're about, right?
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: And just so many overlaps.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: And good ways.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like so the Lancaster STEM Alliance is so interested in people's stories, and their stories and their career paths are so important to inspire the next generation.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so, both of you working in the fields you do, I'd love just a quick overview of like pivotal moments in your life that got you to the career pathway.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think that's important for educators to hear.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Go for it.
• 15:03
  unknown: Sure.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: We like to talk about our stories.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: We're working on that too.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: Well, mine, I would say it's from playing in the cre in the creeks, like you said, that is so important from a teacher perspective.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, my teacher is one of them that inspired me.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so being able to play in the creek and tie that back to figuring out what I wanted to do.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_03: I had no idea what that was when I was in high school.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_03: But tying it into a biology major in college, but I was not the pre-med person.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_03: I was not the one with the microscope.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_03: I was the ecosystem thinker, the bigger way I can tie systems together.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: So that was really cool.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because I could do that, where I went to school, I was part of the first class of environmental studies majors.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_03: So there was only six of us.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_03: I was the only female, and there was an advocacy component to what we got to do senior year, but being able to be some of the leaders in that program, which is now doing well and much bigger, but it was cool to be part of the initial class for it.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: So tying that then into a career in environmental education, I still got to play outside.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_03: I remember when I came home from like I lived on an island in the middle of the Chesapeake.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: And when I came home, people were like, wait, you get paid to canoe?
• 16:19
  unknown: Like, yep.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I take people out and tell them about how amazing this is, the environment, and how the watershed concept of somebody else, you always live downstream from somebody.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, all of it ties back.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: So being able to now bring that to the Langster Clean Water Partners, and I just feel so fortunate.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: Such a cool story.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: How about you, Ken?
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: I have a much more convoluted uh path to our guy.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: I I tried to simplify that, but we all do, right?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: I was not involved in conservation uh until I started here uh a little over a year ago.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um my background is in marketing, um uh which is perfect for doing something like a podcast and producing videos and that sort of thing.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I uh I'm trying to think of how to how to um summarize this.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was reading somebody's obituary who did a lot of things for a lot of people and really made a difference.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it raised the question in me, what do I want my obituary to say?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: And it was that I made a difference.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I grew up next to the Susquehanna River, and I grew up at the the the foot of the mountains uh a little further north, and that was a large part of my childhood.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's what I care about, it's what I love.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: And when this position came open, they kind of merged those two worlds where I could bring the marketing and that into a better communication platform for the conservation world, I jumped on it and I have not looked back since.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I absolutely love what we're doing here, and yes, we are making a difference.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_03: You can't see me if you're on the podcast, but I'm doing a happy dance because who's here and yeah, so grateful that that pathway has led to us.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and so like my call to action to the listeners would be that your story and your pathway that got you to where you are is so important for teachers and students and actually really people of all ages to hear because none of our pathways are clear.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so I am so passionate about sharing these stories and hearing stories from others because I think for the student who just doesn't know where to go and what to do and what's it like where their passions lie and how that translates to a payable job, like these are really inspiring stories and moments, and so thanks for sharing.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: I have found that Lancaster County is such a collaborative community.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: So we have so many people that are passionate about the next generation, they're passionate about clean water, they're passionate about education, they're passionate about workforce development, and so tapping into our network has not been hard at all.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: Building this ecosystem has been actually the easiest part of my job.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's true in our work too.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: We have not found it difficult to find people who want to do this.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_03: But I also, within the Bay watershed context, people wonder why is this happening in Lancaster?
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_03: Or why is this more possible there?
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it's exactly what you're describing is the community's open to it.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_03: The community wants to work together outside of like people somewhat have to have silos to get things done.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_03: But those overlaps are what make that much more possible, more efficient.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's great.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm on a roadshow right now, really just meeting with those different partners to say, like, this is the benefit to you to be involved in this network.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: And it is an easy sell.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, educators, they want to be part of this network because they want to make their learning more relevant.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: They want their students to be excited about what they're doing, and they want them to graduate and be able to do whatever dreams they have, they have the skills to do so.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: Businesses, they care a lot about filling their um employee base.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: They want a talent, a pool that's ready to roll.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_02: They want a skilled workforce, so that's an easy sell.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: And our nonprofits, many of them are committed to, again, the prosperity of Lancaster, and so all of this really fits together to meet all the objectives we have.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: It sounds like you have lots of different feelers going out there.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_03: I later on, I want to know more about the roadshow specifics.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_03: But what's coming up next?
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, what's coming up next for you guys?
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_02: So we are hitting the ground running this fall.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: So September is a big month for the Lancaster County STEM Alliance.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: So on September 25th, listeners, you are all invited to attend.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we are hosting a community event which we call the Workforce 2030 Summit.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so we've done this now for several years.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_02: We bring together about like 250 to 300 community members.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_02: We have them together for a full day in one room talking about workforce development in Lancaster County.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: It is such an exciting day.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: The energy is palpable, like it's just, you don't want to miss this event.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so this year we kind of have a new a new um approach to the workforce summit.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: It is going to be collective impact work, where instead of being like a traditional conference where maybe you come and you sit in different sessions, we are going to be putting people together around topics that they want to explore and we're really going to be driving them to action plan.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's cool.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, I like this.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_02: Top secret.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_02: You guys are going to be the first to hear it.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um the Steinman Foundation, on behalf of the STEM Alliance, is also going to be putting$100,000 of what I'm calling idea incubator funds out at the end of the summit.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm like so excited to make this giant announcement.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: So if there's teams that come, they have a really cool idea, they connect across sectors, and they want to pitch an idea, there is funding to try some really innovative things here in Lancaster County around workforce development and STEM education.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: So please, listeners, sign up.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: Check out our website.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_03: What are some of the things that you've seen in the past that may prompt something?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: For an incubator idea.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we played around with this idea last year at the end of the summit, and it was just so fruitful that we had to include it again in this year's.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: So one of the big funding opportunities that was awarded was with Precision Cobotics, which is a local automation company in Lidditz, which I had no idea existed a year ago, and now they're one of my favorite partners.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so they were just really struggling with hiring people who had authentic automation experience.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: We do a lot of STEM education in K-12, a lot of robotics, a lot of robotics competitions.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: But what we're doing in that setting isn't quite the same as if you're manuf or you're automating on a manufacturing floor.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so he said we really need to give kids more authentic experiences that are being used right now in industry.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_02: And so, how do we get these kids who are really into robotics and really into STEM into like the industry?
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: And so they partnered with Millersville University, who has an applied engineering program.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: And they created a lab space called the Solutions Lab.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so high school kids and college kids can work side by side at Millersville University in the Solutions Lab, and they're working on real automated challenges that are being given to precision combotics that need RD.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, perfect.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_02: So it's just so cool.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: It's connecting business, industry, it's connecting post-secondary ed and K-12, it's connecting manufacturing.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: It's just it's so cool.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: So that's just one example.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: And they met at the Workforce Summit.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: They came, they met, they were like, hey, this is a challenge I have, this is a challenge I have.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: How do we work together for a solution?
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: The college students working with the high school students and then working with the professional world just reminds me of the old analogy of like climbing a mountain and you're all and you're reaching down to help the person below you so that everybody gets up to the top.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_02: I love that analogy, and that's exactly what we're trying to accomplish.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_03: I went last year and the I had no idea that Eastern Mennonite had a program at the airport.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, an aviation camp to teach kids like aviation is a huge lucrative career in high demand for employees.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: We have this amazing facility here in Lancaster that I didn't know about that until that's what the summit is all about.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: That was cool.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: Making connections.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you for including things like Career Ready Lancaster and ways that partners can participate at the level that fits for them.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_03: So if they want to host a program, great.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: If they just want to put their name on a list as an option of resources, it was really helpful to be part of that.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you for hosting it.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you to Steinman Foundation and excited for this year.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and Alison, that's such a great point.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: So when I talk about our ecosystem and why I have such a robust ecosystem, there are so many entry points.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: So anybody who wants who feels committed to Lancaster, who's interested in workforce development or STEM education, there is a place for you, and your voice and your work and your expertise matter.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so whether it's doing something as small as, you know, maybe spending an hour working with a teacher to kind of talk about what you do, or whether it's hosting a full internship and hosting students like the Precision Comotics Lab, I mean, there is a place and entry point for everybody.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_03: What's one of the ways that you see the environment being a connector for events that the STEM Alliance is either hosting or part of, or I know that there are curriculum elements that tie in for the education audience, but how do you see the environment being a kind of thread through it?
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's such a great question.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: So again, I feel like the environment is the perfect context for STEM education because it integrates every single content area into there's so many challenges and so many innovations that are going to be needed to protect our resources.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's helping kids who maybe are interested in or have a passion for the environment, outdoors, they have certain aptitudes that they like that would really fit well in a career.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to provide exposure to them that here's the career options and here's the education pathway to get there.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think helping build awareness of environmental jobs, huge.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um and also I just think having kids out in nature is just such an amazing like opportunity for mental health, um, for um building again like an empathy for the community, um, helping them become civically engaged.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, there's just so many amazing things if we use the environment as a context.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's pretty exciting because your students, we use that word and we think of a certain age group, but your students are also teachers.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_03: And so, how does your work kind of align with IU13 and the type of professional development that you do?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_03: Because I feel like the the as you just mentioned, that the students and the storytelling has all kinds of ages to it, all kinds of points of life too.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: And so, I mean, I'm gonna I'll get to the answer, but in kind of a crazy little way.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I will say, like, my audience is teachers and students, and they both play an interesting role in STEM education and workforce development from a STEM alliance standpoint.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so um obviously, like teachers have so much FaceTime with students and have such a tremendous influence in a student's pathway that building awareness for teachers of what's available and you know, hearing different stories and so forth so that they can then mentor and share with their students is really important.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_02: And so at the STEM Alliance, we do a lot of projects and a lot of um professional learning where we get teachers out of the classroom and put them into businesses and nonprofits and community organizations.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because for many of us, I'm speaking for myself, I'm a trained educator.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I went to school for four years, I have an environmental science education degree.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_02: I have never once worked in an environmental science job.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: So I know all the theory, I don't know any of the application.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_02: Terrible to say, but I admit it.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so um getting teachers out to see how the curriculum that they're required to teach, how it translates in the real world and how it's used, we need that.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's a really important part of the work we do is just educating teachers.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and we have found over the years that that has a tremendous impact in the way they design lessons, the way that they talk to their students, and even just the partnership that they can then make to bring into their classroom.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you for the way you've done that with partners like the conservation district and Sally and her work with teachers and as you said, the connector that you play, but also providing content, providing outdoor opportunities for teachers that may be completely scared to try that or may have no idea that their English lesson can also integrate the environment.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_03: And that is a way to launch for some people.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you for what you're doing.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thanks.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: We've been really lucky at the intermediate unit over the last five years.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_02: We've received some significant grant funding from NOAA and also the PADEP.
• 28:53
  unknown: Ah, yes!
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_02: I've been waiting to get buzzed.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: Good job.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it's become a badge of honor now.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_02: All right, so NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um federal agency that provides some amazing resources and funding to support environmental education.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: And DEP?
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: So the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is another statewide agency that has a lot of resources.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: They have an amazing website and also provide some local grant funding every year for organizations that are just again trying to provide educational opportunities around environmental education.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's open right now.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: I think so too.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_03: I think I just saw that.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_02: How could, like from your perspective, how could the Lancaster STEM Alliance and IU13, so two really educational um organizations focused on STEM, how can we support you at Clean Water Partners?
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think those examples you gave of having somebody be either a guest in a classroom or just a resource for a teacher to come to with questions or maybe a day in the field.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_03: I think sometimes that can be intimidating for a company or a nonprofit that is just like churning through things, trying to get through their requirements for the grant or whatever it might be.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_03: And that's where we can be a more direct invite.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_03: I think if we know like the middle school adoption program, if we know what the specifics are, then I can go to a partner and say, hey, here is the ask.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_03: It's not trying to explain all of the things that this program is doing.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's helpful for context, but what is the middle school adoption program?
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: I was hoping you would ask.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Ken.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_02: You're welcome.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: If I don't get it, I'm gonna ask.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so through the Lancaster County STEM Alliance, we provide grant funding.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_02: So our grants open every January.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: Anybody in the community who's a nonprofit or partnered with a nonprofit can apply.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: So that's like half of our budget.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: The other half are just programs that we see as a need that we leverage our ecosystem to make happen.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_02: And that is the adopt a middle school program.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: I am just in love with this program.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's so impactful.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_02: And so the purpose of the program is, again, as I shared, most educators, we have all the theory, but we don't necessarily have the application.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're trying to bridge the gap between what curriculum is taught in schools and how it appears in the workforce.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: And so, with that philosophy in mind, we are asking for teachers to volunteer.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: We're asking, like, what's a unit you teach or a topic you teach that's maybe a little like less engaging for students or maybe just not your favorite thing to teach.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: And then so they give that to me, and what I do then is some matchmaking on the back end where I find a local organization, whether it's a business, nonprofit, or organiz um community organization that does work connected to where that teacher is struggling, and I just get them in the same room at the same time for an hour to talk.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I just, the teacher talks about what they have are required to teach, the business talks about what that looks like every day in their job, and then together they just brainstorm an idea for a lesson or a project.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_02: We have had such a tremendous um just positive feedback from both students, teachers, and businesses.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: This program has like blown up well beyond what I ever expected.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I just need you to talk for an hour.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: Now we have like businesses who are coming in and working with kids, kids are taking tours of the business.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_02: They kind of what I've learned is like the business kind of falls in love with the classroom, and the classroom falls in love with the business, and then they have this mutually beneficial partnership where kids now know that the business exists and they have a much better understanding of the context and why they're learning what they're learning and what that looks like.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been so cool.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_03: I want to know if you have an official certification in matchmaking services now.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: I really should.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_02: I really should because we have a second matchmaking platform.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm kind of throwing all my fun stuff out right now.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_02: But um, we also have this awesome platform that we just launched this year called Inspire Lancaster.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: Again, as the matchmaker extraordinaire.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um the platform is an online system completely free to anybody in Lancaster, where students, and we're really directing this towards K-12 at this point in time, they can get online and they can search by, you know, let's say an industry type.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_02: They're really interested in learning about water or wet, let's just say wastewater management.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and they can search, and all the companies that are willing to host a job shadow, an intern, um, a tour, attend a job fair, are listed there, and the students can make direct contact to set up their own career exploration opportunity.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_02: So you have a child that was really interested in veterin.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_02: They can get online, they can find all the vets that are willing to open their doors so they can come learn more about what veterinary medicine looks like.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, so it's a really cool way to get kids out in the field seeing careers firsthand.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_03: What are some of the barriers that you've run into with maybe not on the student side, but how do you fill that?
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_03: Like that is a pipeline that I would imagine needs some maintenance or some love and attention.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so um the the site itself is only as good as the businesses that are willing to put opportunities up there.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so um we do we work with the Lancaster Chamber.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_02: This is a partnership project where they've really leveraged their network to explain really the mutual beneficialness of hosting like these types of experiences.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I think most of us have had an experience like that that has shaped our lives.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so when you start with that conversation, I think everyone says, I would like to do that for the next generation, you know, that person or that experience, like that was impactful to me, I'd like to be impactful to the next.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so, yeah, so I think just continuing to get businesses who are willing, and the entry point can be as much as you're willing to do.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: Would you be willing to just host a kid and give them a tour of your office?
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: Would you be willing to come into a classroom and talk as a guest speaker?
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_02: Or do you want an eight-week intern, which I hosted one this summer, and I have to tell you guys, interns are amazing.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so, um, yeah, so whatever your entry point would be, there's something for everybody to just really help inspire the next generation.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_00: And we are gonna put the links to these programs in the episode notes.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're listening right now, click on the episode and look at the notes and you'll have the links to everything there.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks, guys.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_03: So you have mentioned all the different hats that you wear and so many different places that you are a connector.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_03: We are very grateful for your role as a leader and connector on our board of trustees.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm curious how that specific role, or why is it important to you to step into a role?
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: It because I mean, I can guess things like you're talking about a collaborative approach in the ecosystem of our networks, but why is the board of trustees a place that you think is in need of that kind of leadership?
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to serve in that role.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's really been kind of an honor, and I've really learned a lot from the way in which Clean Water Partners structures their ecosystem and the metrics you have around how you're measuring progress.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_02: It's been really cool.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, on a personal level, I just as a Lancaster resident, I just I love the outdoors and I want to keep it beautiful, and I want to keep Lancaster, I love the charm of Lancaster and I want that to remain.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so, like on a personal level, I want to have hiking spots, I want to have beautiful water to look at, I want to have clean water to drink.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_02: And so I care a lot about the work that you do just on a personal level.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I also just think from an economic standpoint, if we really care about Lancaster prospering economically, we have to be looking at clean water, um, whether it's through recreation or whether it's just through kind of the economics that come along with um having natural resources that are thriving in a community.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like people want to live where there's natural resources that are that are healthy.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: And so I just think from the prosperity of Lancaster, which is the mission of our organization, yeah, and it feels so connected to the work that you do that it feels good to be part of it.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I also think education is such a critical piece to the puzzle and making sure that the next generation has, you know, the best practices in mind, um, has a passion for preserving the environment.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like we need to inspire them now.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so I think being a voice as an educator in the network is really a really important role for me.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_03: You have that recorded, right, Ken?
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I certainly do.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_03: Because that was awesome.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for your leadership.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_03: It makes a big difference.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I know that board members have said as well that education, K through 12 in particular, needs to be at that table.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_03: And so just really grateful how you have brought that to us and helped keep it in our forefront, the forefront of our thoughts, help it with help us with strategy around that.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and yeah, continuing to connect.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for the opportunity.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: And speaking of education.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, let's keep going.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: It is trivia time.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_03: Alright.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_00: You hear the clock in the background?
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's also another added one.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody gets so nervous, but everybody does really well.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yes, yes.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, part of that is because I cater to the individual guest.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: He does his research.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_00: That having been said in the research, of course, you are an avid runner.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's do some trivia about running.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: Here we go.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna start out relatively simple.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: I I knew that, and I'm not a runner.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: So uh how long is a marathon?
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_02: 26.2 miles.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: That is absolutely correct.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_00: What is the fastest recorded marathon time?
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's a good one.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_00: It is ridiculously fast, by the way.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_02: It's recent too.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: All right, I'm just like spitballing here.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna say an hour and a half.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_00: Not too far.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's two hours and one minute and nine seconds.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_02: Holy cow! Yeah, that's crazy.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's really fast.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: In a race on September 25th in 2022.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, that's that's crazy fast.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_02: Impressive.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_00: The average person will run approximately how many miles in their lifetime?
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, these are such fun questions.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_02: 26,000.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_02: That is correct.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, we have an active society.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: What is the most amazing guess I've ever heard by the way?
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: What is the largest marathon in the world?
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: In the world.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's in the United States.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_02: New York City.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_00: That is absolutely correct.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, they're not cow.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_00: They have over 50,000 finishers every year.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: I can't even imagine.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's well, I can't even imagine running in that.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_02: Streets would be so back.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_02: More than New York City, anyway.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_02: I like quiet country runs, so that is not my thing.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, like the bird and hand half marathon, which is I believe coming up in September.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_02: I heard it's Hilly.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_02: I've never done that one.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: We are we're gonna get back to that one in just a minute.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_00: So how about that for an upcoming segue?
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: Who was the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon?
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I have no idea.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: It was Catherine Switzer.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: She ran that in 1967.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_02: Learn something new today.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, guys.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: What was the fastest mile ever recorded by a human?
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um three minutes and fifty seconds.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna give it to you.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was three minutes and forty-three seconds.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, wow.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_03: That's really, really speedy.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_03: After watching all the Olympics track and field, wow.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_00: There was there is an international running group which combines running with socializing and drinking beer.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's my kind of race right there.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: Any idea what it's called?
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, we have one of those in Lancaster, but I'll keep that quiet.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I have no idea, but I want to join.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_00: It is the Hash House Harriers.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_00: They are an international organization.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: I don't even think I can say that a few times in a row, so certainly not after running drinking.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: Joggling is a sport that combines jogging with what other activity?
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: Joggling! It is indeed.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how somebody discovered that, but hey, good on them.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned earlier the Burden Hand half marathon.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and it gives an award in the shape of those who finish the race.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_00: In the shape of what?
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: A horseshoe.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_00: You are correct.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_00: You've got it.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_00: You've got this running trivia thing down pretty well, I'll tell you what.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_02: I was a little intimidated.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_02: That was fun.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we so do appreciate you being on the show.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_00: This was this was fascinating.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to hear about the opportunities out there, especially for younger folks.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh to to learn in a totally different way and about things that they've never that they've never heard of potentially.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_00: And just you guys are doing great work.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: I really do appreciate that.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_00: Such a fun way to start the school year.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, well, thank you.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel the same about all of you.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the work you do is so cool.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_00: And September 25th, remind everybody?
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, please, listeners, um, join us on September 25th for the Workforce 2030 Summit, where you can connect, you can learn more about what we're doing at the STEM Alliance and also at IU13, and you can find ways in which you can get involved in the efforts I discussed today.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_00: And again, information on that, the links will be in the in the episode notes.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_00: So take a look at that.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the time we have.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: That is our show this time.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_00: So, folks, we will be back in just a couple of weeks.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, take care.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: Bye.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_01: Bye.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_00: Cleanwater Conversations is brought to you by Lancaster Clean Water Partners.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_00: If you have comments or suggestions on show topics, please contact us at infol at Lancaster Cleanwater Partners.com.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.