Watershed Education Initiative (WEI)
SNJ offers the WEI program for Washoe County youth that focuses on watershed education, and to build critical thinking and social-emotional skills through real-world applications and community involvement. The WEI includes:
- Classroom Sessions: Educators conduct hands-on lessons on watershed models, pollution, invasive species, erosion, water conservation, and stewardship.
- Field Study: A 3-hour outdoor session at sites like Oxbow Nature Study Area, Galena Creek Regional Park, and McCarran Ranch Preserve. Students observe the Truckee River, collect data, and study macroinvertebrates to assess river health.
- Extension Lessons: Five additional lessons for teachers to reinforce and extend learning.
- Volunteer Involvement: Engages the local community and supports low-income schools by keeping costs low.
SNJ prioritizes partnerships with schools serving underprivileged youth, aiming to bridge the science and outdoor education gap. SNJ will serve 700 students, for K-8th grades, in 26 classrooms within the Truckee River Watershed, focusing on those with the highest financial and learning needs.
TMWA Benefit:
Grant Priority VI: Stewardship and Environmental Awareness: Students gain first-hand experience determining water quality, explore human impacts on their water source, and obtain skills, knowledge and a field experience to connect them to their local river. The overall long-term program impacts include:
- Students grasp essential science concepts related to the Truckee River watershed and understand the impact of their actions on local ecosystems.
- Teachers utilize extension lessons for hands-on watershed exploration. Parents and community members participate in watershed education through volunteer opportunities.
- The health of the Truckee River watershed and local ecosystems improves as students and their families adopt practices that reduce water pollution and human impacts.