The
inquisitive
minds
of
students
on
Penn
Elementary
School's
Green
Team
want
to
know
"What
do
Jaguars
eat?"
and
"Can
our
food
choices
help
with
sustainability?"
They
took
a
trip
to
Namibia,
a
country
in
the
southern
part
of
Africa,
to
have
their
questions
answered
by
a
scientist.
Thanks
to
the
wonders
of
technology,
no
transportation
was
needed
for
the
approximately
7,300-mile
journey.
At
Penn
Elementary,
the
Green
Team
leads
the
school's
energy
conservation
and
sustainability
efforts.
Christy
Parthenakis,
an
administrative
intern,
coordinates
the
group
of
third
through
fifth
grade
students
who
meet
before
school.
She
arranged
the
meeting
with
Erin
Connelly,
a
conservation
biologist,
through
Skype
a
Scientist,
a
nonprofit
organization
that
connects
students
with
scientists
throughout
the
world.
"Penn's
Green
Team
is
focused
on
energy
and
sustainability,
so
I
asked
to
be
matched
with
a
scientist
who
works
with
conservation,
recycling,
or
sustainability,"
Parthenakis
explained.
Connelly
studies
how
humans
and
wildlife
can
coexist
and
share
resources.
During
the
meeting
with
Penn
students,
she
shared
information
about
her
previous
work
in
Kenya
where
she
assisted
farmers
who
were
struggling
because
cheetahs
were
killing
their
livestock.
She
explained,
"They
didn't
want
to
kill
the
cheetahs
because
that
would
defeat
the
purpose
of
wildlife
conservation.
So,
they
added
guard
dogs
to
their
farms.
The
dogs
protect
the
livestock
by
scaring
off
the
cheetahs."
Connelly
has
been
living
in
Namibia
since
January
2022,
where
she
is
conducting
the
same
research.
Parthenakis
said,
"These
types
of
opportunities
give
students
a
chance
to
meet
someone
in
a
career
that
connects
their
school
experience
to
the
world
beyond
their
own
community."
Gabriel,
a
fifth
grader,
enjoyed
the
experience,
"It
was
my
first
opportunity
to
talk
to
an
actual
scientist.
When
we
do
research,
it's
usually
just
finding
information
in
books.
Talking
to
a
scientist
in
person
was
cool
because
we
get
to
see
things
from
her
perspective
and
hear
about
her
studies."
Connelly
encouraged
students
to
"get
outside
because
nature
is
everywhere,
but
when
visiting
natural
spaces,
take
care
of
them."
She
offered
simple
tips
to
students
about
how
they
can
support
local
conservation
efforts.
