Moorefield High Teacher Justin Campbell wants his chemistry students to enjoy the same equipment and experiences as students in bigger schools, and Hardy Telecommunications is assisting with that effort.
Derek Barr, Hardy director of customer service and sales, marketing and human resources, presented a $250 donation to Campbell to help with buying a spectrophotometer and related equipment. A spectrophotometer is an instrument used to measure how much light a chemical substance absorbs. It measures the intensity of the light as it passes through the substance.
“This helps a lot,” Mr. Campbell said, explaining that Hardy Telecommunications’ contribution pushed his effort more than halfway to his fund-raising goal. “We really appreciate Hardy’s dedication to improving the learning of MHS students.”
Few high schools in West Virginia have spectrophotometers, and most of those are either in the schools with the highest number of students or schools located close to larger medical facilities, he said. Moorefield High students will have the same opportunities as those in bigger schools to do experiments with the spectrophotometer.
The device helps students to learn about solubility, equilibria, kinetics, calorimetry and biology. Students can take a liquid of unknown concentration, which might appear to be only one substance, and discover with the spectrophotometer that the liquid actually consists of several substances, all by measuring how light passes through the liquid, Mr. Campbell said.
The money also will go toward buying special test tubes that fit in the spectrophotometer.
Derek said Hardy Telecommunications was proud to contribute to the educational resources available to students.
“We get a lot of requests for donations, and we can’t accommodate everyone. We try to donate to causes that will positively impact as many people as possible. Mr. Campbell’s goal of improving the scientific resources for Moorefield students will have a widespread benefit not just this year, but for years in the future,” he said. “Why shouldn’t our local students have the same opportunities as those at larger schools?”
If you are interested in donating to the cause, you can contact Justin Campbell at Moorefield High School, 304-530-6034.