Sami Laurence, with the watering can, of the Macoskey Center Sanctuary, teaches students, from left, Molly Andrews, Reilly Huff, and Jake Santora about surface water runoff and sewage overflow using building blocks and sponges at Slippery Rock University. Local high school students attending the 5th Annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program learned the placement of trees and bushes in an urban landscape can prevent sewage water drainage systems from overflowing. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Helping toward a sustainable future is something anyone can do.

On day one of the fifth annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program on Monday, students from Butler, Slippery Rock and Moniteau high schools gathered at the Macoskey Center at Slippery Rock University to discuss leadership and changes they could make to build a more sustainable future.

“I thought it was fun,” Maeley Cornetti of Butler High School said. “I like learning about the environment in ways where we can be more sustainable and the easy changes you can make.”

Students began the day at 9 a.m. with a get-acquainted activity.

Kelly Bailey, a youth leadership board member, and Butler County Chamber of Commerce President Jordan Grady asked the students questions, and they were told to stand on one side of the room or the other based on their answers.

“This is our first time coming to the Macoskey Center,” Bailey said. “I really hope they love it all, but I think they will enjoy the hands-on activities outside.”

Leadership Butler County, which is sponsored by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, was developed as a class project aimed to teach high school students about leadership.

“This was the conception of the graduating class of Leadership Butler County in 2017,” said Karen Brackett, co-chairwoman of the leadership program. “For the Leadership Butler County program every class is asked to pick a project that will better the community, and we thought this was a better way to represent the community.”

Following the first activity, students went into the Macoskey kitchen area to learn about ways they can make changes in their personal lives.

From left, Emma Covert, Carmella Ryan, and Jenna Zendron, all area high school students, examine chives in the herb garden at the Macoskey Center Sanctuary at Slippery Rock University on Monday. High school students attending the fifth annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program learned the basics of how to grow and use herbs for kitchen use. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

Sami Laurence, director of the Macoskey Center, showed students ways they could make homemade body products and how to reduce single-use plastics.

“I like to show off the hands-on, practical things,” Laurence said. “I really also love showing people the chickens.”

Laurence then took the students outside to show them ways the Macoskey Center is self-sustaining, such as the garden and their solar panels.

Students then were introduced to the chickens and Laurence showed them the different types of eggs they lay and how they help the environment, such as eating ticks.

“I liked learning about the beeswax and the scrubs that we can make on our own,” Cameron Hanratty, of Butler High, said. “It’s just simple changes to make things more sustainable.”

Before the students broke for lunch, they split into teams to build small-scale water erosion models with Legos.

Laurence gave the students five minutes to build and when they were finished Laurence poured water on their models to see how well they did.

“It’s really hard to create an impenetrable hillside,” Laurence said. “It really shows you how big of an issue it is. If we had more time, we would have talked about the impact of it and how can we change our cities to be more sustainable to catch more rainwater and prevent erosion.”

Day one concluded after the students went up to the high ropes course near the ski lodge.

The high ropes is an obstacle course that includes a three-story wooden structure, featuring a climbing wall, as well as more than 20 elements that are secured and supported by several wooden utility poles.

“They will learn how to be encouraging to their classmates,” Bailey said. “I’m sure there will be someone who is nervous, but they will have to work as a team to get their common goal.”

The program runs Monday through Thursday this week, with activities that cover fire safety, body language and personal branding.

Sami Laurence, holding the chicken, of the Macoskey Center Sanctuary, talks to local high school students about fresh eggs at Slippery Rock University. High school students attending the fifth annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program learned that chickens also eat insects, including ticks. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

“I like listening and watching the students engage,” Brackett said. “On the first day they don’t really know what to expect. As the day progresses you notice them working together more; then by the end of the day they are sharing phone numbers. Then by the end of the fourth session they are all friends. You can definitely see growth and it’s nice to see how they want to better their community.”

Sessions will now take place at Butler County Community College through Thursday beginning at 9 a.m.

Sami Laurence, right, of the Macoskey Center Sanctuary, shows students the benefits of waste recycling at Slippery Rock University on Monday. High school students attending the fifth annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program learned about composting and using household waste as fertilizer. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

Sami Laurence, right, of the Macoskey Center Sanctuary, explains the Center's herb garden to local high school students at Slippery Rock University on Monday in Slippery Rock Township. High school students attending the 5th Annual Butler County Youth Leadership Program learned it is easy to grow herbs. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle