Final day of BITS!

A closing ceremony was held for BITS service learning, where each youth received a certificate of completion. Special awards were also given out to youths picked by the mentors. From G3: Jessica Dixon- Most Consistent, Devin Edwards- Most Hard-working, Dishaun Crawford- Most Improved, and Michael Dorsey- Most Entertaining. Congratulations to all the youths for a successful summer work experience. A special thanks to City by the water, G3 for a great opportunity to getting to know each and every one of you. It was truly an amazing experience, and I hope you feel the same. Best of luck to all!

PYN showcase at the Convention Center.

Students from each of the City by the water groups were chosen specially by their mentors to attend a Philadelphia Youth Network showcase at the Convention Center. All youths that attended from BITS did an amazing job at demonstrating what they have learned over the past six weeks.

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

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Fairmount Waterworks Reflection.

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The Water Works Museum was designed in 1812. Originally wooden pipes was used for the water to travel through. They built a dam to change the direction in which the water flowed in. There are three water treatment facilities in Philadelphia. During the Industrial Revolution, the river became very polluted and people became ill because they were not able to clean the water. In the 1909 the Waterworks Museum was closed down due to the fact that the water was polluted and they could not clean it.
- Dishaun Crawford

Our last trip was to the Fairmount Water Works. I learned many things. One thing I found very interesting is that the water we use from our sewage travels down stream. This means that Pottstown’s sewage of Pottstown travels down through Norristown, etc., and all the way down the Schuylkill to Philadelphia where it is processed. I also learned that the room in which I watched a movie in at the Waterworks used to be a room where a water well was used. The last interesting fact I found was that the Art Museum was built over the old Reservoir. This was a very informative trip and I would love to go back and learn more.
- Imani Ferguson

Last Friday we went to the Fairmount Water Works museum and the experience was awesome. I learned great things about our city’s water system. Five important things that I took away from my visit to the Water Works museum were, the water system was built in 1812 in order to provide the city with a clean source of water since the city was infested with yellow fever. I also learned that humans contribute a great deal to water pollution by just flushing the toilet and washing our hands, because we are adding to water pollution. When I think of pollution I automatically think about garbage being thrown on the ground and blown into the water, but Friday I learned that there are other ways to contribute to water pollution. The Water Works museum built a dam and fish ladder in order to monitor the fish and our tour guide informed us that the more species of fish in the river the healthier the water is. Also, when seals hang around the river to eat fish that means the water is even healthier. The Schuylkill River has approximately 48 different species of fish in the river. But every good thing must come to an end and the wonderful Fairmount Water Works had to close its doors in 1909 because the water became too polluted. After closing its doors later in the 1970's, the Water Works was used for two purposes: an aquarium and a swimming area. The aquarium closed and now the space is used as an underground museum. The space has transformed from an aquarium and now museum but the original building still stands.
- Jessica Dixon

The Waterworks Museum was built in the 1810’s and closed in 1909. The original pipes for the museum, before it was really a museum, were made of wood. In order to have pipes of wood they would get a tree and cut out the entire insides of the tree so that it would become an empty wooden pipe. The Water Works was shut down because of too much pollution during the Industrial Revolution. At one point in time, the Water Works dam was the longest dam in the entire world. Before the Museum was a tourist attraction, it was used as a swimming pool and an aquarium.
- Devin Edwards

When we attended the Water Works museum last Friday, I learned a lot of things that I did not know. The waterworks was first built in 1812. When the Water Works was first built they used wooden pumps. When I went inside the museum I found it kind of interesting that the Water Works was underground. When we went inside there were many cool things inside. I never knew that the Water Works museum would be actually kind of interesting. There are three main water treatment facilities in Pennsylvania. In the Schuylkill river there are 48 different types of fish. There are many other interesting things that was established in the waterworks museum, but the waterworks was closed in 1909 because the water was becoming way too polluted.
- LaBria Farrell

When I went to the Water Works Museum I learned that there are 48 different kinds of species of fish. And the Water Works was build in 1812, also how the Schuylkill river was once freshwater and is now very dirty and very polluted. And they closed the Water Works in 1909. And how the water was so dirty that the water had a disease called the Yellow Fever. Also, how everything we do in the bathroom goes in the Schuylkill river. I learned that the Water Works was the best in the world.
- Michael Dorsey