Students tapped to help Connellsville
Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series about a recent workshop for Connellsville Area High School students. Former Connellsville resident, now Duke University professor Dr. Galen Wagner formulated and conducted the study for participants to identify a problem and through research, develop a solution that would help with the revitalization of Connellsville. BY CONNELLSVILLE – It was 9 a.m. on a weekday morning and many of the juniors and seniors sitting at picnic tables at Crawford’s Cabin were still trying to wake up.
It was the first day of a three-day workshop for the Connellsville Area Senior High students that at its conclusion would complete their graduation project requirement and perhaps ignite an interest in their hometown.
This was the first year for the mid-summer project that had begun nearly two years ago when Connellsville native, now a Duke University professor, Dr. Galen Wagner, returned home for his 50th class reunion.
“He was very disappointed at how downtown Connellsville had deteriorated,” said Indy Lynn, high school assistant principal and a friend of Wagner’s. “He was determined to see change happen in Connellsville and wanted to be a part of it.
“He began to contact others who would share his passion, both from within and outside of Connellsville.”
His work as a mentor of doctoral fellows through cardiac research development and analysis, coupled with his international travels to share with physicians and educators how to analyze data in medical decision making, helped him and those who joined in his local initiative to develop a program for the high school students.
“(Wagner) came up with the idea of doing the same type of workshop here to encourage our young people to become more involved and invest in Connellsville,” said Lynn.
After conferring with high school principal Dr. Tammy Stern, Connellsville Cultural Trust President Michael Edwards and receiving approval from the school board to conduct the project, Lynn and the others began to recruit community leaders that would share their insights and knowledge and at the same time be supportive of the students that would take part in the project.
Connellsville residents Nino Merendino and Jim McIntire, joined with former Connellsville history teacher and president of the Connellsville Historical Society Karen Hechler, Wesley Health Center executive director Marilyn Weaver, Councilman Brad Geyer, members of the Trail Town Outreach Corps, Widmer Engineering Inc. engineer Glenn Wolfe, Charleroi Federal Savings Bank branch manager David Marchewka, Yough River Trail President Ted Kovall, Connellsville Area Chamber of Commerce President Bryan Kisiel and Trail Town program manager Amy Camp in the workshop sessions.
During the school year Lynn had sent out the information about the workshop and asked for volunteers.
“At first I just saw it as an opportunity to complete my senior project early,” said high school senior Jesicca Corvin. “I figured it would also give me something to do this summer, but after I got to do the workshops, I found that I was really having fun doing the jobs that we had to do to finish the project.”
Their first assignment was to learn about Connellsville’s history.
Hechler offered an historic overview as they sat on the same site where George Washington, Gen. Edward Braddock, William Crawford, Zachariah Connell and scores of others that contributed to the development of Connellsville and the nation had visited at one time.
It was then on to a walking tour with Edwards serving as a guide to various landmarks. There, participants learned about the historic significance of various buildings, that the now Crawford Avenue bridge was at one time a toll road and how the Youghiogheny River and railroad has played a significant role in the city’s past and its future.
The students also received a close up look at the number of buildings that are dormant, and in some cases, deteriorating.
“Before I participated in this workshop, I had never taken the time to truly look at Connellsville,” said senior Elizabeth Butt. “Now that I have seen how unique it really is from its architectural structures to the history and waterways I see how important it is for Connellsville to be revitalized.”
When the students returned to the senior high school, Wagner, laid out how they would conduct their local research study, after selecting a specific project.
The 17 students divided into groups and began to discuss what they would tackle. In some cases, they were very large projects, such as renovating the vacant Brimstone building and the Aaron’s building along North Pittsburgh Street or purchasing a vacant property to highlight area art.
Wagner and Lynn cautioned the students to be realistic in their pursuits while at the same time not dampening their enthusiasm.
Pointing to the need to develop a hypothesis for the research study, Wagner said that the participants might find that the project is not viable.
“You don’t know what the end result might be,” he said. “It may be a silly idea; it may be a great idea.”