Project Summary:
The WaterShed Education Network will use communication, coordination and collaboration to educate youth about non-point source pollution, to integrate watershed education into school systems, and to leverage the energy created by the award-winning WaterShed traveling exhibit. This network will create environmentally literate and engaged citizens.

Metro WaterShed Education Network provides:

• Development funds for a centralized, coordinated guide to existing resources for Metro-area K-12 watershed educators. This is a crucial component of this grant. While the Metro area has many excellent resources for watershed educators, (among them the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, SEEK, and others,) there is neither a centralized online guide to Metro area K-12 watershed education resources, nor a network of support for K-12 teachers who use watersheds as a context for learning.
• Crucial funds to hire a Network Coordinator. Educators cannot easily find and evaluate watershed curricula and support materials most appropriate for them. The GreenPrint survey identifies lack of time as the number one barrier to implementing environmental education. The Metro WaterShed Education Network Coordinator will develop a thorough resource guide and website that encourages the use of existing curricula, programs, and materials that meet the needs of K-12 educators.
• Funds to institute a watershed education hotline staffed by a watershed education specialist who can be a "fair broker" for these materials and programs. This resource will also save educators valuable time when searching for watershed and non-point source (NPS) pollution materials.
• Funds to develop an active, collaborative network of educators. Educators are isolated in their watershed education efforts. The Network will facilitate avenues for educators to share their experiences through a physical and virtual network, and create a WaterShed Ambassador program to mentor teachers not familiar with water quality issues.

The creation of a Metro WaterShed Education Network will offer support, resources and opportunities for local educators as they integrate watershed education into school systems. The Metro WaterShed Education Network will work with existing local resources and partners, (Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, SEEK, and others) to create an easily accessible, centralized resource for educators, and to market the Metro WaterShed Education Network to educators.

Goals:
Through our collaborative efforts, our goal is to fulfill a series of unmet needs that have been identified by the WaterShed Partners Education Committee, the Minnesota GreenPrint environmental education survey and direct feedback from educators. There are three primary goals of the Metro WaterShed Education Network:

1. Delivering quality watershed education materials.
2. Provide educators with an active, collaborative network of resources, support and learning opportunities.
3. Provide support for educators as they integrate watershed education into school systems

Objectives:
We feel we can more effectively reach K-12 educators in the seven county metro region by implementing these objectives:

• Create a WaterShed Hotline, to serve the immediate needs of watershed educators in the Metro area.
• Create a WaterShed Educators Listserve, as part of a virtual and physical educators network.
• Create and maintain an online Metro area Watershed Curriculum Guide for Educators.
• Identify local watershed content experts to serve as educational resources.
• Facilitate K-12 educators' access to watershed and non-point source pollution information (10,000 web site hits and 1,000 hotline calls).
• Recruit and train 50 WaterShed Ambassadors.

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Center for Global Environmental Education
Hamline University Graduate School of Education
1536 Hewitt Ave. MS-A1760, St. Paul, MN 55104-1284
Phone: 651-523-2480 Fax: 651-523-3041