Anne Guerriero

Guerriero’s innovative program, “The Ashuelot River Atlas,” will benefit seventh and eighth-grade students at Surry Village Charter School. Students will use technology to increase awareness and knowledge for local citizens of the unique historical and ecological significance of the Ashuelot River Valley. The river has been inhabited by humans for more than 10,000 years; however, many current residents may not be aware of its beauty and utility. To help make the community more aware of the river, participating students will create a map of the river as it winds its way through the community. They will collect and analyze data on water quality and compare their findings to results from a previous plan that was done on the river in 2002. The atlas created by the students will then be shared with the Southwest Planning Committee and the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee as well as the larger community to see how their newly-created atlas provides interactivity and annotation compared to previous versions. Guerriero, who resides in Keene, hopes her students will become active stewards of the Ashuelot River by creating dialogue about its future use and development and by influencing the experience of current and future citizens long after they have graduated.