Ben attended Allegheny College from the fall of 2010 to spring 2014 and graduated with a Bachelor's of Art in Environmental Studies, with a focus in Education and a minor in Music Theory.
During those four years Ben discovered his passion for teaching about this amazing global spaceship. A few of the experiences that led him there were:
- Teaching 6th graders once a week about ecological concepts
- Singing in operas and choirs
- Participating in ecological and place-based projects
projects
The Senior Comprehensive Project at Allegheny College is a Bachelor's level thesis designed to embody all that a student has learned over their four years at the institution. Working in the Environmental Department, Ben collaborated with the local Woodcock Creek Nature Center to design and budget a Natural Landscape Playground. The project helped the center provide a groundwork for a grant application process for a natural landscape playground.
Natural Decay Area. Photo taken by Kurt Kusserow summer 2016.
Log Area. Photo taken summer 2016 by Kurt Kusserow.
Sand Area. Photo taken by Kurt Kusserow summer 2016.
Kathy with the completed project sign. Photo taken by Kurt Kusserow summer 2016.
For years Prof. TJ Eatmon had been working on making aquaponics fully functional at Allegheny College. During his Junior year Ben helped to develop a website, called Food for Sustainability, to talk about the history, failures, and successes of the aquaponics program at Allegheny College.
In his World Geography class with Prof. Pallent Ben worked on developing a website designed to give new residents (specifically staff at Allegheny College) a history behind the new town they were moving to. Titled Meadville at a Glance Ben worked specifically on the agriculture portion of the website.