Institute for Technology Development

Middle school students' trail becomes more than a concept

May 20, 2005
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News

CARROLLTON - When they chose to plan a hiking and biking trail system for their annual project, little did students at Ted Polk Middle School know that one day, their work would go from a concept on a computer screen to the real thing.

But city engineers and capital projects officials didn't expect to see work from middle school students that was almost on par with that of consultants often hired to create similar concept plans.

City officials were so impressed with the concept plan the school's GIS Club developed that they have decided to incorporate as much of the concept as possible into a trail that should be under construction by fall along Furneaux Creek.

"I was just blown away," said Jonathon Russell, 13, one of five seventh- and eighth-graders involved in the project. "To actually see it out there in a couple years or so, that would be so cool."

The trail will be part of Carrollton's Greenbelt Park. The segment the students planned stretches along the creek from just east of Frankford Road and Cemetery Hill to Josey Lane.

"The kids are very talented. Their ideas are great," said Andrew Combs, the city's capital improvements coordinator. "What they came up with took a lot of great thought, as far as connecting trails and placement of some of the elements and ideas.

"What these kids have done is work comparable to what a consultant would do in preliminary conceptual planning."

Using $2.4 million approved in the May 2004 bond election, the city plans to build a network of trails. A consultant is developing a master plan for the trail system.

Most of the construction would be done in conjunction with a major erosion control and drainage project along the creek, said Cesar Molina, Carrollton's director of engineering.

One segment, just south of the one the students developed the concept plan for, is under construction.

Besides Jonathon, the team included students Sarah Pritsker, Nathan Schiferl, Dorathy Scrudder and Matthew Zettler. Club sponsors are Randy Scrudder and Kathy Stevens.

The students, who were required to team up with someone in the community for the project, worked with Charles Neely, the city's senior engineering tech and Geographic Information System manager.

Using GIS software and aerial mapping systems, each student plotted a course he or she thought the trail should take. Then they walked their routes along the creek to see if they would work.

"Some of their walking places were right in the middle of the creek," Ms. Stevens said. "Another student discovered he had a manhole in the middle of his walking trail. Another discovered he had a big ditch that ran across his trail. Another one ran into a tree."

The students, using handheld global positioning systems, revised their paths accordingly.

"We had a lot of fun just being able to walk around an area and see the area where we were working on a screen," said Matthew Zettler, 14.

Then the students consolidated their proposed trails into a recommendation that features one main trail, with three branches.

They also identified locations for a playground, a parking area, picnic tables, benches, trail lights and an emergency telephone that would immediately connect callers to 911.

Some additional links for more information on the Ted Polk Middle School (TPMS) GIS Club: