The Wind of Change

The future’s in the air,
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change.
~Scorpions, “Wind of Change”

This song began playing in my mind near the end of the Project WET Coordinators conference in August, after learning more about the multiple changes coming to our organization. No, the changes are not comparable to the fall of the Soviet Union. But the song by the German rock band Scorpions captures the mood of many of us as we left the annual gathering: anxious and unsure, but optimistic about the new possibilities the changes will provide for educators across the country.

Here are some of the key changes:

• Updated activities and four new guides! Why? Because the recent exorbitant rise in printing and shipping costs has made it too expensive to reprint and distribute the 3.3-pound Project WET Guide 2.0. Instead, we are publishing four smaller guides and updating the guides’ activities for the first time in 12 years, before current education standards were adopted.
  • The new and revised activities will stay true to the same constructivist design integrated into current science standards. It will be great to finally have our Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards work integrated directly into activities.
  • The guides will have greater emphasis on STEAM; environmental justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; career connections; and local application of activity content and skills.

  Here’s a glimpse of the proposed guides: ​

  • “Foundations in Water Education”: This guide will offer a dozen of the most popular and adaptable Project WET activities and is slated to be available by the end of this fall or early next year. This is expected to be a great introductory guide for many, including educators new to Project WET; budding educators and interpreters in college programs; and outreach or outdoor educators looking for a smaller guide loaded with engaging activities to teach multiple water topics.
  •  ​“Water & Earth Systems”: This guide and two others outlined below will have 20 to 25 activities, each based on “disciplinary core idea” themes in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Activities will include cycles and natural systems associated with the water cycle. We expect to focus student learning more on how each system functions and the movement of water within each system, as well as between systems. We’ll also show how this knowledge can be used to restore systems like the Klamath River and more sustainably manage the ecosystem services of aquifers.
  • “Ecosystems & Human Health”: Activities will center on the importance of water to life and how changes in the quality, quantity and properties of water can affect life in different ecosystems and our own communities. It will include activities on waterborne disease, the role of water in the human body, and how individual and societal decisions affecting water resources can affect our health and the lives of other people and living creatures on local to global scales.
  • “Management & Culture”: History and engineering will be highlighted in this guide, with activities that have students exploring the interrelationship of humans and water resources through time. It will focus on urban water systems, how development affects aquatic ecosystems and people over time, and how individual and community actions can help conserve water resources to make communities more sustainable and climate resilient.
  • Water Academy: Project WET is developing a new learning management system called the Water Academy. The new system will streamline our highly praised online training and is expected to be ready by January. The Academy will connect each participant to their local Project WET program and resources and allow Project WET to create an additional array of online training opportunities. The new system also eliminates the current problem of the program occasionally “forgetting” where a participant left off.
  • Water Education Learning Library (The WELL): This is a rebranding of WETconnect. The program was envisioned as an engaging online experience for students during the COVID-19 lockdown but most educators used it as a digital repository of resources to supplement lesson planning and outreach efforts. The WELL membership benefits will include more interaction with Project WET — through newsletters, webinars and online training opportunities — and access to activities from the full universe of Project WET guides, KIDS booklets and other resources based on the membership level.

  The Portal will remain unchanged — the same free, online repository where educators can download or print pages and store their notes for use with each activity. Its resources will be updated as the new guides become available. DiscoverWater.org will also remain free for students as a self-directed, online educational resource on water topics. The website is designed for use by children ages 7-12 and is also available in Spanish and Mandarin.

  California educators helped convince Project WET to create the three larger guides using NGSS themes, which will enhance our ability to offer a variety of workshops for them and teachers nationwide.

  California Project WET has been offering workshops on specific water topics for years. California teachers made clear in the Project WET national survey earlier this year that they are interested in diving deeper into water topics and have taken multiple Project WET workshops to do so.

  The new guides will be rolling out over the next year and a half. Workshops this fall will be the last chance educators will have to get a copy of a current, large Project WET Guide 2.0 with 64 activities. Please check out the Professional Development Opportunities section of this Gazette for upcoming Project WET workshops on water conservation, flood risk and climate change. Please also share with colleagues who might be interested in getting a copy!

  You’ll find links to Project WET updates in the Websites of Interest section of this newsletter plus a variety of Autumn Events to enjoy as our physical winds of change begin to stir with the change of season. There is also a pretty big list of potential Grants for you to consider and Student Contests & Other Opportunities to share with students K through 12 and beyond.

  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

  California Project WET Workshops

  Join us this fall for Project WET workshops focused on increasing your knowledge and environmental literacy through the lens of water, and how to use the interdisciplinary activities of Project WET to engage students K-12 in the study of water conservation, climate change & water resources, flood preparedness and water quality.

  Floods, Floodplains & California Water Workshops

  The California Department of Water Resources and Water Education Foundation invites K-12 educators to join us this fall at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center for a workshop exploring flood risk, the benefits of floodplain restoration and actions students of any age can take to prepare for a flood. A $20 registration fee includes a Project WET guide, light breakfast and lunch — and a $100 stipend.

  Classroom Aquarium Education Program

  The Classroom Aquarium and Education Program is an excellent way for you to engage K-12 students by raising native fish in your classroom. The program fosters stewardship of natural resources by relating the effects of human activities on native fish in your local watershed. 

  California Project Learning Tree Workshops

  Project Learning Tree uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase students’ understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve resources. UC Cooperative Extension hosts the program in California. 

  California Environmental Education Interagency Network 

  The California Environmental Education Interagency Network is a consortium of environmental educators representing state departments and partner organizations. Check out their online calendar for workshops, participatory stewardship opportunities and other valuable ways to increase your environmental literacy.

  California Regional Environmental Education Community Network

  The California Regional Environmental Education Community Network is a program of the California Department of Education. The network fosters regional partnerships throughout the state to promote environmental education and literacy. It provides teachers access to high-quality professional learning opportunities and education resources.

  WEBSITES OF INTEREST

  Project WET: Water Literacy Principles

  Water Literacy Principles serve as the foundation of helping to create a water-literate world. As part of the development of Project WET, we distilled water education priorities into a conceptual framework that guides all project activities.

  Project WET: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

  Project WET is dedicated to providing equal access to water education for all. In addition, we commit to prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion in all our publications and resources; increasing the availability of Project WET programs in Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities; incorporating diverse voices into our organizational leadership; and listening, learning and doing the hard work needed for real change. 

  Water Education Foundation: Water Equity

  More than 1 million Californians are affected by unsafe or unreliable sources of water for cooking, drinking and bathing. The Water Education Foundation maintains a list of resources to keep you informed on water equity issues in California and the West. You can also find the latest news stories on water equity posted on Aquafornia, our daily news scroll. Subscribe here. 

  Water Education Foundation: Where Does My Water Come From?

  When a person opens a spigot to draw a glass of water, they may be tapping a source close to home or hundreds of miles away. This web page is intended to help Californians identify their sources of drinking water, how it is treated and how to help prevent pollution of groundwater and surface water supplies. 

  Project WET: Water Education Learning Library (The WELL)

  Formerly called WETconnect, the Water Education Learning Library (The WELL) now comes with regular newsletters and webinars for tips and tricks on Project WET activities, current events and more. Choose the experience that best fits your needs and unlock the power of a learning community! 

  Water Education Foundation: Water Academy

  Water Academy is a great resource for researching a specific water topic such as drought or groundwater. Taking a steady pulse of the water world, the Foundation offers water news, background information and educational materials that bring together diverse voices.

  Project WET: DiscoverWater.org

  DiscoverWater.org is a self-directed educational resource about different water topics and designed for use by children ages 7-12 and for educators and parents of this age group, both in and outside a classroom. 

  Project WET: Climate

  Understanding climate, particularly how it is changing, is crucial to making informed decisions and building community and environmental resilience. Project WET offers resources and activities for introducing students and adults to the concepts of climate change and the effects of global warming on local water systems. 

  Water Education Foundation: Climate Change

  In the past 150 years, increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activity have accelerated the rate of climate change. Climate change poses an “immediate and escalating threat” to California’s environment, public health and economic vitality, according to “Indicators of Climate Change in California,” a 2022 report by the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 

  Video: “What is the RISKIEST Region in the US as the Climate Changes?”

  Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters worldwide. In the United States, more people are moving to regions projected to be most affected by climate change. This video would be a great resource to use with the Project WET activity “My Water Address – Take Action!”

  California Department of Water Resources: Education

  The agency provides a variety of resources to K-12 educators — including parents – to encourage water education in and out of the classroom. Its free supplementary materials can be used to help learn about California’s water resources. Check out the “Water Wednesdays“ YouTube page for recordings of weekly conversations with agency researchers on a range of water topics and our growing Water Phenomenon Gallery.

  US Geological Survey: National Water Dashboard

  The dashboard presents real-time stream, lake and reservoir precipitation and groundwater data from more than 13,500 USGS observation stations across the country. It includes NOAA weather data, precipitation forecasts and drought conditions, allowing anyone to observe and track extreme water and weather events as they occur. The data is great to use with Project WET activities!

  Video: “Go with the Flow: Keeping California Wet“

  Not everyone who works for the U.S. Geological Survey studies rocks or dirt, and that’s especially true for hydrologic technicians, who study water – oftentimes hanging in the air. The Bend Streamgage Cableway over the Sacramento River in Tehama County is one of the longest on the West Coast. This is a great video to use with the Project WET activity “Blue River.” 

  U. S. Geological Survey: Water Science School   

  Tap into over 140 years of USGS research in the natural sciences in the form of activities, maps, podcasts, online lectures, videos and more. Browse thousands of ideas for using these resources in elementary, secondary, university and informal education.

  AUTUMN EVENTS

  Sept. 1-30: National Preparedness Month

  September is National Preparedness Month, the perfect time to get prepared for disasters. Even though getting prepared can seem overwhelming, it is relatively easy to do once you break it down into smaller, more manageable activities. If you tackle one task each day throughout the month, you’ll be prepared before you know it! 

  Sept. 22-24: California Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

  This conference in downtown Sacramento is designed for K-12 educators, administrators and volunteers to come together to learn and share how to incorporate food and fiber into all curricular areas! 

  Sept. 23: California Coastal Cleanup Day. The annual event has diverted millions of pounds of debris from the ocean, but the event is about much more than picking up trash. It’s a chance for Californians to join people around the world in expressing respect for our oceans and waterways, and an opportunity for the community to demonstrate its desire for clean water and healthy marine life. 

  Sept. 23: National Public Lands Day. This event has joined people across the nation in the care and celebration of our public lands. It has grown into the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. 

  Sept. 23: Free Entrance Days in the National Parks. This year’s theme — 30 Years of Care and Community — celebrates the event’s 30th anniversary and provides an opportunity to show our appreciation for these unique places. You can join the celebration by volunteering at a national park site near you.

  Sept. 23: Oroville Salmon Festival. The festival celebrates the return of the salmon from the ocean to the Feather River. Learn everything there is to know about salmon by taking a free tour of the Feather River Fish Hatchery. There will also be a mobile fish exhibit, nature-related booths, live animals and food available.   

  October 8-14: Earth Science Week

  Celebrate the theme “Geoscience Innovating for Earth and People.” The year’s event will emphasize the many ways that innovations in geoscience is helping communities create healthier and more sustainable lives while accelerating environmental problem-solving around the world. Program resources and activities will engage young people and others in exploring the many ways that Earth science innovations benefit people and the planet. 

  October 20-22: California Science Education Conference

  This Palm Springs event draws educators from throughout California. The goals are to develop professional learning, deepen connections, foster creativity, generate new ideas and energize science educators to build excitement and enthusiasm for science education inside and outside of the classroom. 

  October 21-28: California Flood Preparedness Week

  Every county in California has been declared a federal flood disaster area at least once in the last 20 years. The results of each are the same: lives, homes, infrastructure and agriculture are lost, and damage to the environment and economy is likely without proper preparedness. It is crucial to prepare for flooding. 

  Nov. 11: National Parks Free Entrance Day

  Many national parks are battlefields, military parks and historic sites that commemorate the service of American veterans. The National Park Service invites visitors to remember veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day. 

  SCHOOL, CLASSROOM & TEACHER GRANTS

  Philanthropic Ventures Foundation 

  Teachers come up with good ideas all the time but don’t have the resources to fund them or the time to pursue arduous funding requirements. Teacher Resource Grants are small but critically needed to help teachers address inequalities in public education and build future generations of strong leaders. 

  “Let’s Go!” Field Trip Fund

  Administered by the nonprofit Environmental Volunteers, this fund helps to subsidize transportation costs for low-income youth (K-12) in the San Francisco Bay Area to access science, nature and environmental education field trips. Applications are being accepted for the fall/winter season.

  Early Childhood Education: Due Oct. 1

  The Frances R. Dewing Foundation supports innovation in early childhood education with seed money in the form of small grants, generally ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. The foundation prefers to provide a significant portion of any project it funds. Consideration is given only to projects concerned with early childhood education, specifically for children up to sixth grade. 

  Toshiba America Foundation, K-5: Due Oct. 1 

  K-5 grade teachers are invited to apply online for a $1,000 grant to help bring an innovative hands-on project into their classroom.

  Literacy for Life: Due Oct. 2

  These grants are designed to help initiate new projects or expand existing ones that promote agricultural literacy. Grants of up to $500 are provided to California K-12 educators to support the integration of agriculture into regular classroom instruction. Explore the list of project ideas and read how previous recipients have used this funding to improve agricultural learning opportunities on their campuses.

  Walmart Community Grant Program: Due Oct. 15

  These local community grants provide funding to local organizations in the U.S., including K-12 public, nonprofit private schools, charter schools, community/junior colleges, state/private colleges; or a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large. 

  Watershed Stewardship & Education: Due Oct. 16

  The Sacramento County Stormwater Quality Program is offering grants of up to $2,500 to support creative projects that will inspire people to keep waterways clean. Teachers, neighborhood groups, volunteer groups, environmental organizations and other nonprofit associations are encouraged to submit their ideas for protecting, restoring or enhancing creeks, riparian corridors, watersheds, and rivers within the unincorporated urban areas of Sacramento County.  

  Toshiba America Foundation, 6-12: Due Nov. 1

  Sixth to 12th-grade teachers are invited to apply online for a Toshiba America Foundation grant for more than $5,000 to help bring an innovative project into their own classroom.

  WHALE TAIL: Due Nov. 6

  Administered by the California Coastal Commission, these grants support experiential education and stewardship of the California coast and its watersheds. Grant projects can engage youth or adults and can take place anywhere in California. The commission strongly encourages projects that engage communities that have historically received fewer opportunities for coastal and marine education and stewardship, and applicant organizations based in and composed of the communities they are engaging. 

  Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Program: Due Nov. 15

  Grants of $100 to $500 are available to schools, nature centers, after-school care programs, community centers and youth groups in need of funding for a native garden or habitat for hands-on learning. To qualify, the project must use native plants or seeds to educate youth. Please note that the program does not fund vegetable gardens. 

  Toshiba America Foundation 6-12: Due Dec. 1 

  Sixth- to 12th-grade teachers are invited to apply online for a grant of less than $5,000 to help bring an innovative project into their classroom.

  Youth Garden: Due Dec. 15

  KidsGardening offers a variety of grants to new and existing youth garden programs across the nation. Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. In 2024, 50 programs will receive award packages consisting of a cash prize and a variety of gardening tools and supplies. 

  Walmart Community Grant Program: Due Dec. 31

  These local community grants provide funding to local organizations in the U.S., including K-12 public, nonprofit private schools, charter schools, community/junior colleges, state/private colleges; or a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large. 

  Karma for Cara Microgrant Program: Due Jan. 1, 2024

  This program provides a bridge between ideas and action, helping young citizen leaders execute and magnify their initiatives to help repair the world. Students 18 years of age and under may apply for funds between $250 and $1,000 to complete service projects in their communities in the U.S., such as converting a vacant lot into a community garden, rebuilding a school playground, or helping senior citizens ready their homes for the winter. 

  STUDENT CONTESTS

  Earth Science Week Video: Due Oct. 13

  The American Geosciences Institute invites applications to enter the “Geoscience Innovation Worldwide” video contest. Submit a 30- to 90-second, original video on how people are exploring new Earth science technologies and practices that can lead to healthier, more sustainable communities around the world. The contest is open to individuals or teams of any age in any part of the world. 

  Earth Science Week Photography: Due Oct. 13

  The photography contest is open to persons of any age and should focus on the topic “Innovation Right Here.” Geoscience innovations are all around us. They shape the ways we interact with the Earth, water, atmosphere, and other living things, often right in our own backyards. Use your camera to capture an image that shows how geoscience innovation is improving life in your community.  

  Earth Science Week Visual Arts: Due Oct. 13

  Earth scientists are always trying out innovations to change and improve how people interact with land, water, air, and other living things. Some innovations deal with areas such as food, water, clothes, buildings, energy, recreation, natural hazards, and many others. Use your artistic skills to produce an original work of art on the topic “Earth Science Innovations” that shows how Earth science innovations improve how people interact with planet Earth. Open to grade K-5 students. 

  Earth Science Week Essay: Due Oct. 13

  The world faces challenges in several areas including health, safe water, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, climate change, industrial development, and poverty. “Geoscience Innovations Solving Problems“ is the 2023 theme for the essay contest. Describe how one geoscience innovation is making the world a better place. Open to grade 6-9 students. 

  Imagine This…Story Writing: Due Nov. 1

  California students in grades 3-8 creatively explore where their food comes from by writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events based on accurate information about California agriculture. The winning stories from each grade are illustrated by high school art students and published in our annual storybook, “Imagine this… Stories Inspired by Agriculture.” 

  K-12 Coastal Art & Poetry: Due Jan. 31

  There are five grade categories for awards in both art and poetry: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Entries must have a California coastal or ocean theme. Winners will be selected for art and poetry in each of the five grade categories; winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to an art supply store (art) or a bookstore (poetry). Each winner’s teacher (named on the Entry Form) will receive a $50 gift certificate for educational supplies from Acorn Naturalists. In addition, multiple honorable mentions may be selected. 

  CREDITS

  California Project WET Gazette is published by the Water Education Foundation, which serves as the state coordinator and host institution for Project WET USA, a program of the Project WET Foundation.

  This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Cooperative Agreement # G23AC00673. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

  Editor: Brian Brown, California Project WET Coordinator

  Water Education Foundation
  2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205  
  Sacramento, CA 95833
  916.444.6240
  www.watereducation.org 
  projectwet@watereducation.org