17736_Authority_August

The collabora Ɵ on with community partners for each week of the program not only gave students direct access to industry professionals, but also aimed to increase community awareness and investment in local youth. The UMJA/Upper Perkiomen High School partnership is the first of its kind for ACE Greater Philadelphia. What made the program unique: • We maintained consistent a Ʃ endance during the program's a Ō er school hours • Students grades 9-12 willingly par Ɵ cipated, with diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic status • Mul Ɵ ple adults came together to supervise, both from UMJA and UPHS • Free and within walking distance from the high school • Regular communica Ɵ on from the program facilitators • Genuine interest from our local industry partners/mentors • With plans of a site tour or two next year It has quickly become a model program for future partnerships with community organiza Ɵ ons and industry professionals. The impact con Ɵ nues today! Following the program, students joined UMJA sta ff for a local stream cleanup event, pu ƫ ng their knowledge into ac Ɵ on in an impac ƞ ul way. Addi Ɵ onally, students that par Ɵ cipated in the program are eligible to apply for ACE scholarships for post- secondary educa Ɵ on. Visit acementorphilly.org and follow @acementorphilly on social media to learn more about how ACE supports high school students in preparing for their future career goals! To read more about the UMJA/Upper Perkiomen High School program, visit Upper Montgomery Joint Authority on Facebook where weekly updates were shared throughout the program!  Upper Montgomery Joint Authority (UMJA) is located in Pennsburg, Montgomery County serving 3,600 residents within the Borough’s of Pennsburg, Red Hill and East Greenville. Our mission is to operate and maintain a wastewater treatment plant and collecƟon system in a socially, ethically and environmentally responsible manner. We aim to protect the health, well-being and quality of life of our customers. The Authority recently completed a 20-million-dollar upgrade at the treatment plant and is currently working to remediate main sewer lines, manholes and service laterals within the collecƟon system. We believe in strong community outreach and have partnered with many organizaƟons such as Upper Perkiomen School District Art and Science Students, ACE Mentor Program, Hereford Elementary Trout Release and numerous tours of the treatment plant. We recently partnered with Bird Town and in conjuncƟon with the Delaware Estuary Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Aqua, we are parƟcipaƟng in the Green Lane Mussel propagaƟon program. UMJA also parƟcipates in the Perkiomen Watershed Clean-up annually and produces and provides free Biosolids (ferƟlizer) to local residents and farmers for lawns and gardens. The Authority has been honored with numerous awards for excellence, ingenuity, hard work and dedicaƟon to serving our community. UMJA arƟcle conƟnued from page 18. Student TesƟmonial: The opportunity was not something I would normally take, but I was interested by it, especially the engineering and architecture segments. Stepping outside my comfort zone actually made this a good experience. I can’t think of anything I disliked about the course. Everybody involved was very helpful and friendly, and what we were taught was engaging and interesƟng. Overall, it was a nice thing to do for a few months, and for those who are truly considering a future in the careers discussed in. Andrew - UMJA/Upper Perkiomen High School partnership parƟcipant.