Watershed Education Initiative (WEI)
Project Description:
The WEI delivers high-quality, experiential watershed education programs based on local issues associated with the Truckee River, such as water quality and invasive species while empowering youth to protect and enhance the quality of the Truckee River.
Through this funding, SNJ will serve 800 K-8th grade students in 30 classrooms throughout northern Nevada. Conducted over a four-week period, WEI includes three in-class lessons, one field-study experience, pre- and post-assessments, classroom extension lessons for teachers, significantly increases family and community engagement, and citizen science. Curriculum developed and delivered by SNJ’s team of credentialed teachers aligns to state and national standards and the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Guidelines for Excellence.
TMWA Benefit:
This program satisfies the TRF Grant Priority VI – Stewardship and Environmental Awareness.
WEI is an education program that addresses water, water quality and watershed protection for K-8th grade students, directly aligning with Grant Priority VI. Students gain first-hand experience with the Truckee River, explore human impacts on their water source, and obtain skills and knowledge to help protect the watershed. The overall long-term impacts achieved through this program include:
- Students understand important concepts related to the Truckee River watershed,
- Students understand and discuss with family and friends how their behavior affects the Truckee River,
- Teachers use extension lessons and implement more hands-on exploration of the watershed,
- Parents and community members engage in watershed education directly through WEI volunteer opportunities, and
- The health of the Truckee River watershed and local ecosystems improves as students and their families adopt environmental stewardship practices