ABSTRACT
Created originally with public education as its primary goal, ALLARM quickly expanded its focus as it began to appreciate more fully the value of the data being collected. In recent years, ALLARM has redefined its focus from working with individual volunteers to assess the impact of acid deposition on streams to working with watershed groups on more widely integrated environmental problems. As the public clamors for more information regarding the environmental impacts of human activities, the people have seen the demand for technical advice and support increase in the Commonwealth. ALLARM is one model capable of creating a mutually beneficial partnership between an academic institution and its community to work toward the education and empowerment of the public, thus ensuring the democratization of the decision-making process. The ALLARM project also provides a possible model for other institutions, and its success demonstrates that service projects can provide a much-needed context for the undergraduate science curriculum.
