Every day at Freeman Middle School, about 175
students march through the classroom of science teacher Mindy Poindexter. How tough is the job?
It’s an easy question Poindexter answers without hesitation. “Teaching kids science -- it’s the best job in the world.”

If a teacher’s enthusiasm can be captured in a single sentence, that maybe it. Indeed, for Poindexter, science isn’t just a classroom subject, it’s a passion and a joy. It’s also a passion she’s passed on to her students, whose enterprise and achievement are consistently recognized in regional science competitions.

Every year, Freeman’s 8th graders walk away with a significant share of prizes at the Spokane Youth Environmental Conference. It’s an annual conference for middle and high school students that requires participants to conduct in-depth scientific investigations in the months preceding the event. On the day of the conference, participants present their findings

in oral presentations and poster exhibits.

Work is judged by professionals from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority, Spokane Regional Health District, Spokane Regional Solid Waste System and Spokane County Water Quality Management.

This year’s contingent of 30 Freeman students (of those, eight were session presenters; 11 set up displays) conducted a host of experiments relevant to local ecology. They included water testing on local wells and a nearby creek; creation of a model aquifer, complete with percolation tests; a study of grassy swales around new construction sites; an examination of field burning impacts; and an investigation of diesel
spills on agricultural land.