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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State Extension will provide free curriculum activity kits and training for sixth to 12th grade educators who teach youth about water or would like to add water education to their lessons.
"Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow and Watershed Decisions Facilitator Training" will take place at the following location:
• Cumberland County: 1-3:30 p.m. and 5:30-8 p.m. April 23, Penn State Extension office, 310 Allen Rd., Suite 601, Carlisle.
This workshop is designed for formal and informal educators in subjects such as science, the environment, ecology, social studies, agriculture, food and natural resources, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Nature center educators, environmental club leaders, volunteer educators, and FFA/4-H educators also may benefit from the training.
Water, a vital resource for people everywhere, can serve as a cross-curricular topic supporting science, math, literacy and other subjects, organizers noted.
Participants can learn why teaching youth about water is important and how it aligns with the new Pennsylvania Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Standards and the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences framework.
Attendees will take home a free "Rain to Drain" curriculum kit and book, a $60 value, and a free "Watershed Decisions" curriculum kit, valued at $39. They will receive hands-on instruction on how to use the kits.
The session also will introduce participants to the new Future Master Watershed Stewards program and how classrooms and programs can partner with a trained volunteer.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Environmental Education Grants Program provides financial and other support for these workshops.
The grant award "Increasing Capacity to Create Future Master Watershed Stewards" is aimed at helping Pennsylvania address its environmental literacy goals by increasing the capacity of the environmental education network through the training of experienced volunteers and partner educators.
Water resource quality and quantity issues are among Penn State Extension's top educational priorities. The extension water resources team has more than 20 subject matter experts statewide, reaching more than 500,000 people with water-related educational content each year.
Penn State Extension also has several networks of highly trained adult volunteers who can assist with water research tasks and outreach, including more than 900 Master Watershed Stewards and more than 200 Master Well Owners.
By attending this workshop, Pennsylvania certified teachers can earn Act 48 continuing education hours, pending approval.
Penn State Extension offers these workshops free of charge, but pre-registration is required. Registration deadlines vary by event.
More information is available on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/watershed-teaching-tools-for-educators.