Greater Allegheny

Local middle school students visit Greater Allegheny for World Toilet Day

Students from Founder’s Hall Middle School in the McKeesport Area School District visited Penn State Greater Allegheny for World Toilet Day. For most of them, it was their first glimpse of a college campus.

The seventh and eighth graders toured the campus, ate lunch in the café and participated in breakout sessions with Greater Allegheny students. The day ended with a presentation by Veronica Montecinos, professor of sociology, who spoke about the differences in sanitation facilities across the globe, and the connection between sanitation issues and the ability of girls to attend and complete school. She also introduced the students to a proposed solution, Peepoo, a one-use biodegradable toilet.

According to the website unwater.org/worldtoiletday, World Toilet Day is a day to raise awareness about all people who do not have access to a toilet. Montecinos urged the students to get involved in solving this far-reaching problem.

Admissions counselor Sarah Ma facilitated the day’s events. “I feel it is important for middle school-aged children to be exposed to life on a college campus. It can help to encourage them to begin thinking about their educational goals,” said Ma. “For some kids, going off to college can be scary. Experiences like today, when they get to see a dorm, listen to a professor and interact with college students, can help lessen the fear of the unknown."

The Teaching International program at Penn State Greater Allegheny has been in place since 2004. Its goal is to educate students about world trends by studying different regions and issues of global importance. This year's focuses are on the Balkans and gender.

On World Toilet Day, Professor of Sociology Veronica Montecinos challenged middle school students from McKeesport Area School District to get involved in introducing solutions for the lack of proper sanitation throughout parts of the world. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated December 9, 2014