It is important that environmental education is targeted to youth, as they are the future leaders of our community!
Water School / Water’s Cool is a day-long annual field trip, which hosts hundreds of Grade 5 students over the span of 2-3 weeks from a variety of local schools to take part in hands-on interactive and immersive learning. Each class spends an entire day at Water School and is taught by experts who work in the water conservation and environmental protection fields. The students explore where their water comes from and how to conserve and protect this precious resource.
Topics covered in these classes include (but definitely not limited to!):
- the water cycle
- water use in their community
- water conservation in and around the home
- how to find and fix leaks in your home
- respecting water and its place in the world
- groundwater
- function and importance of of watersheds, wetlands, and buffer zones
Students are taught using a variety of experiential learning models and presentations. They are hands-on throughout the day as they learn how everything in nature is connected and everyone has a role to play in conserving water and protecting the environment.
This program was developed for Stratford students in 2011 by Billy Ramsay (previous Town of Stratford Water Technician) and Kelley Farrar (previous Stratford Area Watershed Improvement Group Coordinator).
In 2019, the successful Water School / Water’s Cool program was extended to include schools in the Charlottetown area. Currently, the program is hosted by the Town of Stratford with the support of the City of Charlottetown, the Stratford Area Watershed Improvement Group, and Ellen’s Creek Watershed.
Remember…water’s cool!
