Autumn 2018 California Project WET Gazette
Volume XXlll, Issue IV
Back to the Future
It has been a heck of a summer of fire, heat and weeks of varying densities of smoke filled air painting what visibility we have had with a garish light one can imagine on some plane of Hell. But six months from now, our focus will likely turn from fires to floods – if decent amounts of precipitation fall. You’ve probably heard people wondering why anyone would live in or is allowed to live in these places – or news of people leaving the state after experiencing one of these events. But, honestly – where in the country – or world for that matter – could one go that doesn’t expose you to one or more life threatening natural hazards? The fact of the matter is, there are natural hazard risks to living anywhere.
So what factors determine where communities get built or rebuilt? “Back to the Future” (p: 307) is a Project WET activity that engages students in studying this question. Sorry movie fans, the title isn’t a reference to the 1980’s movie, but is a bit of a double entendre on the debate that occurs after every natural disaster – a resurgence of past arguments debating where people should be able to build mixed with current science derived from looking into past data – all to decide the future. Students are tasked with being the decision makers in “Back to the Future,” as they analyze streamflow data and viewpoints on four proposed sites – or three in the California version – to build a new community on and off a floodplain for a growing population.
Students develop their own argument on where to build after weighing the pros and cons of each site, then are provided with the next 6 years of data to analyze and find if their chosen location has survived a severe flood year or two. The activity definitely digs into an NGSS nature of science statement that “(s)cience knowledge can describe consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes.”
Adding an engineering component to “Back to the Future” as outlined in the detailed NGSS correlations for the activity would add greater depth to the activity, which I have tried to add to the linked California scenarios. But more could be added: What strategies have people used through time to deal with the risk of flood where you live? How have engineering and science been used to develop materials, technology and/or standards to reduce the risk of floodplain communities – and how successful have any of these performed to date?
Science research is showing floodplain ecosystems provide multiple benefits from sustaining biological diversity to services that benefit us including improving water quality and flood protection. State and local organizations involved in flood protection are using floodplain research to identify where restoring an area of floodplain makes more sense than a new levee to improve our flood control systems and our environment.
Several farms in the Sacramento Valley are working with researchers to study how floodplain farm operations can be re-engineered to boost the health of migrating salmon while still growing crops. Based on the information provided in the “Back to the Future” activity, where might it be most effective to invest in engineering a new community against flood or drought risk, an agricultural operation that takes advantage of existing floodplain processes or maintain or increase the floodplain ecosystem?
“Back to the Future” includes an extension suggesting students look into how the cost of flood insurance might affect decisions on where to build. Immediate follow-up questions students may have might include if the insurance is applied as “one-size fits all” or is there any nuance or incentive for people who take actions to reduce flood risk? If there are insurance rates for other natural hazards in California, are they required by law and how do they compare to those for floods? Flood risk probability and potential cost of damage to an area are two factors involved in calculating flood insurance rates – and both are the focus of the Project WET activity “High Water History” (p: 321).
“Back to the Future” is intended for a secondary audience and more focused on a community planning process. There are of course Project WET activities that focus on the personal responsibility we each have as individuals and community members to be aware of local natural hazards and take personal actions to counter the risks – even if the best we can do at the moment is have a plan to get safely out of the way! September is National Preparedness Month and with the fires on everyone’s mind, it may be a good time to consider the Project WET activity “My Water Address, Take Action!” (p: 433).
“My Water Address, Take Action!” begins with a list of questions to guide students in discovering the natural hazards near their home, school and larger community – i.e., stream courses, floodplains, topography, vegetation types, weather events, etc. MyHazards – an online tool by our California Office of Emergency Services for the general public to discover hazards in their area (earthquake, flood, fire, and tsunami), including recommended actions. to reduce personal risk. It is a wonderful tool for use with “My Water Address, Take Action!”
Once students research the natural hazards in their area during the activity, they develop a description of the hazards specific to their home or school and the role of water in those hazards – the “Water Address” in the title. MyHazards can simplify the activity for lower grades or provide a stepping stone into a much larger investigation of natural hazards. The online tool also connects perfectly with the rest of the Project WET activity, which has students developing an emergency action kit and a family safety plan for the local natural hazards.
My own preference on this activity would be to have students make the emergency kits, not just make a poster of what one would include as described in the activity. National Preparedness Month is followed by California Flood Preparedness Week in late October. Have students find out who is the local natural disaster relief organization and invite them to visit the class as suggested in the extensions in the activity – and see if they can help pull together the resources for students to build emergency kits and provide insight on local emergency planning, evacuation routes and examples of global or local technologies that are or can be used to prepare for and protect people from natural hazards.
Please see the Websites of Interest for links to support and allow you to go deeper into either activity highlighted in this Gazette as well as other Project WET activities related to the topic of floods and flood awareness. In addition to National Preparedness Month and California Flood Preparedness Week, the fall – as usual – is loaded with opportunities to engage your class or just yourself in citizen action eventsfrom the annual coastal, Delta and river clean-ups of September to the King Tides Project in December.
Of course, a changing climate is playing a role in changing the level of risk posed by natural hazards and two of our upcoming Project WET workshops are focused on climate in San Diego and Arcata. You’ll also find a pretty big list of potential School, Classroom & Teacher Grants to pursue anda variety of Student Contests. Hope you have a wonderful Fall!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
California Project WET Workshops
The California Project WET program and our sponsors are eager to assist in supporting local professional development and water education outreach efforts. Our network of workshop Facilitators has been hard at work designing and organizing workshops for the upcoming season, including Project WET workshops on water conservation, water quality and restoration efforts, climate change and the integration of Project WET, Education & the Environment Initiative and California education standards.
Caring for Our Watersheds – Teacher Workshop
The California Caring for Our Watersheds program invites teachers working with 9th – 12th grade students in Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, Colusa, Yuba, Sutter, Glenn, El Dorado, Placer or San Joaquin counties to register for this workshop on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at the American River Water Education Center at Folsom Dam. Participants will learn more about the program, key dates in the student contest and meet staff involved in the program. There will be Bureau of Reclamation speakers, a tour, lunch and a field element – Substitute reimbursement is available. RSVP here by Sept 13, 2018.
Understanding Climate Change in California Workshops
These specialized Project WET workshops provide an opportunity for new and veteran Project WET educators to interact with California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Climate Change Scientists for a day learning about the basics of weather and climate science, how DWR and other California organizations at all levels are applying this science to safeguard California water resources – and how Project WET activities can help you integrate climate science concepts and skills back in the classroom – Join us this Fall in San Diego or Arcata - or Lemoore in Kings County in early 2019!
Classroom Aquarium Education Program
The Classroom Aquarium Education Project is offered statewide in partnership with regional community organizations. While the program has several names around the state – Salmon and Trout Education Program, Trout in the Classroom, Salmonids in the Classroom or Steelhead in the Classroom – the core learning elements and student experiences are similar. The prerequisite training workshops are held at locations throughout the state. Completion of a training workshop is required to receive eggs. Teacher training workshops are offered at least once a year in each region.
California Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI)
The EEI Curriculum is 85 K-12 grade units that teaches standards through an environmental lens, including understanding resources, conservation, where our food, energy, and water come from, and complicated decision-making processes related to climate change, green chemistry and use of our public lands. California examples make learning relevant and stimulate student involvement with the world around them. Click here to see a list of correlating Project WET activities to use with individual EEI units!
California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN)
The California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN) is now offering an environmental education calendar. Educators can find content specific resources, valuable ways to increase their own knowledge and a variety of workshop experiences and participatory stewardship opportunities offered by California agencies and their partnership network.
Forestry Institute for Teachers
These one-week institutes bring together natural resource specialists and K-12 teachers for one week gaining a deeper understanding of the intricate interrelationship of forest ecosystems and human use of natural resources. You’ll walk away with a wealth of knowledge, environmental education curriculum – including Project Learning Tree and Project WET – and an opportunity to receive a $200 stipend! Registration includes all housing, meals and materials you receive throughout the week.
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
California Project WET Supplemental Materials Page
Remember to check this Water Education Foundation webpage to find California specific supplements and other materials for use with Project WET activities, including a California ‘Back to the Future’ scenario and data sets and supplements for other activities tied to flooding. I have also updated the standardized students directions for ‘Color Me a Watershed’, the standardized California hydrographs for ‘Blue River’ to compare the stream flow of major Central Valley rivers and included example California watershed maps to allow students to apply the skills learned in ‘Seeing Watersheds.’
USACE: A History of Flooding and Flood Protection
The climate and geography of the Central Valley have combined to produce an area where regular flooding is natural. In the early 1800’s, settlers and Indians described the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers as “miles wide” during flooding. This chapter describes the historical setting and development of flood protection in the Central Valley, including the development of the current flood management system.
Historic California Floods in Photos
From the Great Flood of 1862 to soaking rains in Northern California during winter 2017, take a look back at some of the state’s major flood events. This collection of images from a century and a half of California history illustrates the potential for dangerous, even deadly, flooding in the state, starting with the Great Flood. The 1861-1862 storms produced the largest incidences of flooding in the recorded histories of three states, including California. Note: This gallery will be updated as more images become available.
DWR – Flood Management Website
The California Department of Water Resources has updated their website across the board and streamlined the ability to find information on all aspects of California water management. Check – out the Flood Management page for all manner of information related to this Gazette article topic, including current California flood projects, a variety of community resources related to floods, a page on risk assessment and mapping– which helps explain the differences in the maps you can view in action by clicking them off and on as layers on their Best Available Maps page!
Most people know that levees are structures built near rivers and sometimes lakes to protect certain areas from flooding. But what does it mean to live near a levee? What do you need to know to remain as safe as possible in the event of a flood? Great little pdf booklet I found through the DWR Flood Management pages created to help people learn about levees, their associated risk and – help people living in flood zones act now to better protect themselves against future flood threats.
FEMA | National Flood Insurance Program
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) aims to reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures. It does so by providing affordable insurance to property owners and by encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations. These efforts help mitigate the effects of flooding on new and improved structures. The website also provides suggested actions people can take to reduce the cost of insurance and to prepare for a flood.
Flooding is the nation’s number one natural disaster. While floods occur in every area of the country, many property owners remain unprepared.This California Department of Insurance website explains the definition of flood as used by insurers and how flood insurance coverage works. In researching the insurance end of flooding, I found a website where you can see how average annual home insurance cost in California stacks up against the rest of the states and what natural disasters are driving part of the cost in each state – surprisingly, we in California are not even in the top 10!
MyHazards is a tool for the general public to discover hazards in their area (earthquake, flood, fire, and tsunami) and learn steps to reduce personal risk. Using the MyHazards tool, users may enter an address, city, zip code, or may select a location from a map. The map targets the location, and allows users to zoom and scroll to their desired view. The screen then presents information on the risks identified within the search radius, and recommended actions.
School Planning and Preparedness
Getting California schools and our next generation of emergency managers educated on the risks and prepared for the next natural disaster is one of our goals. Schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of Emergency Operations Plan. Below are some resources that will assist school administrations to develop their emergency plans.
California Flood Preparedness Website
The risk of catastrophic floods exists every year, and heavy downpours often lead to dangerous flooding conditions. Because flooding can occur anywhere throughout the state, it is important for Californians to assess their flood risk, prepare and practice response plans, and learn from past floods. We assist with flood activities, and through collaboration with federal agencies are improving our understanding of atmospheric rivers and their effects on flooding and water supply.
Ready is a national public service campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to get the public involved and ultimately to increase the level of basic preparedness across the nation. Ready and its Spanish language version Listo ask individuals to do three key things: (1) build an emergency supply kit, (2) make a family emergency plan and (3) be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses.
Article: ‘California needs more homes, but in the right places‘
California needs to vastly increase its supply of homes, but it is becoming ever more risky to build them in the wildland-urban interface, or in low-lying coastal areas, or on floodplains, or next to freeways. So where can people live?
Article: ‘Floodplains…Should Be Nature’s Pantry’
Across the world and throughout history, people have settled next to rivers to take advantage of their water for transportation, fish and wildlife productivity, and the naturally fertile soils of adjacent floodplains. Floodplains should be thought of as nature’s pantry; they are among the most productive ecosystems in nature and provide the supply of nutrients and food resources necessary to keep rivers, and the many species dependent on them, healthy. Changing with the seasons, floodplains serve as “cooking pots” for the complex food chains that rivers support.
Central Valley Fish and Floodplains
CalTrout’s work in the Central Valley is addressing California’s defining environmental challenge: How do we reconcile ecosystem function with human needs in the face of a changing climate? Operating at the nexus of water supply, flood protection, agriculture, and fish and wildlife conservation, the Managed Agricultural Habitat project is laying the scientific and political groundwork for precedent-setting water solutions with multiple benefits for both fish and people. The work demonstrates that California can have both its fish and its farms.
Article: ‘A Landmark California Plan Puts Floodplains Back in Business’
On August 25, 2017 in California it became official policy to reconnect the state’s major rivers with their floodplains. The action by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, an obscure panel appointed by the governor, clears the way for the state to embrace projects that allow floods to recharge groundwater. This could include projects like breaching levees, building setback levees and creating flood bypass structures so rivers can inundate historic floodplains for the first time in a century.
Conservation and Mitigation Banking
A conservation or mitigation bank is privately or publicly owned land managed for its natural resource values. In exchange for permanently protecting, managing, and monitoring the land, the bank sponsor is allowed to sell or transfer habitat credits to permitees who need to satisfy legal requirements and compensate for the environmental impacts of developmental projects. Here is a map of mitigation banks in California and to two organizations who develop and manage mitigation banks – Westervelt Ecological Services and Wildlands.
Article: ‘California Megaflood: Lessons from a Forgotten Catastrophe’
A 43-day storm that began in December 1861 put central and southern California underwater for up to six months, and it could happen again. This disaster turned enormous regions of the state into inland seas for months, and took thousands of human lives. The costs were devastating: one quarter of California’s economy was destroyed, forcing the state into bankruptcy. Today, the same regions that were submerged in 1861-62 are home to California’s fastest-growing cities. Although this flood is all but forgotten, important lessons from this catastrophe can be learned. Here is a YouTube video about the flood of 1861-62.
Multi-Benefit Flood Protection Project
Multi-benefit projects are designed to reduce flood risk and enhance fish and wildlife habitat by allowing rivers and floodplains to function more naturally. Millions of Central Valley residents live and work in high-risk flood zones. Multi-benefit projects use time-tested, common sense approaches combined with the latest science to lower flood risk, enhance habitat, and increase resilience to climate change.
California Data Exchange Center
The California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) installs, maintains, and operates an extensive hydrologic data collection network including automatic snow reporting gages for the Cooperative Snow Surveys Program and precipitation and river stage sensors for flood forecasting. CDEC provides a centralized location to store and process real-time hydrologic information gathered by various cooperators throughout the State. CDEC then disseminates this information to the cooperators, public and private agencies, and news media.
USGS: Post-Fire Debris-Flow Hazards
Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. The USGS conducts post-fire debris-flow hazard assessments for select fires in the Western U.S.Click this link to see predictions made for the Carr Fire based on estimates of probability, volume, and combined hazard are based upon a design storm with a peak 15-minute rainfall intensity of 24 millimeters per hour (mm/h). The site includes maps for California fires over several years.
USGS Water Data for the Nation: Mapper
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has collected water-resources data at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The types of data collected are varied, but generally fit into the broad categories of surface water and groundwater. Surface-water data, such as gage height (stage) and streamflow (discharge), are collected at major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. This web site serves current and historical data.
AUTUMN EVENTS
September 1 – 30, 2018: National Preparedness Month
This September, National Preparedness Month (NPM) will focus on planning, with an overarching theme “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” We should all take action to prepare! We are all able to help first responders in our community by training how to respond during an emergency and what to do when disaster strikes — where we live, work, and visit. Learn how your students can participate!
September 15, 2018: California Coastal Cleanup Day
California Coastal Cleanup Day welcomes more than 60,000 volunteers who will pick up hundreds of thousands of pounds of recyclables and trash from beaches, lakes, and waterways each year. The day brings awareness to the marine litter problem and is a great opportunity for direct community involvement. Help us by joining in the fight to preserve wildlife by taking trash out of the environment. Volunteer alongside your families, friends, coworkers, scout troops, school groups, and service clubs. Plan to spend a day outside celebrating California!
September 15, 2018: Delta Waterway Cleanup
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! The next Delta Waterway Cleanup will be on September 15th as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day. The Delta Conservancy is coordinating this event in partnership with the Delta Protection and California Coastal Commissions. We will be hosting cleanup sites this year at Lower Morrison Creek/Bufferlands and Sherman Island. For more information on the cleanups or volunteering, contact Aaron Haiman at (916) 376-4023.
September 15, 2018: Great Sierra River Cleanup
The Great Sierra River Cleanup is the premier volunteer event focused on removing trash and restoring the health of waterways throughout the Sierra Nevada Region. It’s an opportunity to learn about California’s water source and it’s a time to come together with your families, your neighbors, your community, and your friends to accomplish something vital and worthy on behalf of our great Sierra rivers. This cleanup is an annual event coordinated by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and held in conjunction with California Coastal Cleanup Day to encourage good stewardship from the Sierra to the sea.
September 18, 2018: World Water Monitoring Day
World Water Monitoring Day is a global initiative designed to inspire people around the world to test their local water quality and encourage action to protect water. Want to get involved? The EarthEcho Water Challenge is an international program that runs annually from March 22 (the United Nations World Water Day) through December and equips anyone to protect the water resources we depend on every day. World Water Monitoring Day is a great place to start!
September 21 - 22, 2018: Oroville Salmon Festival
Come see thousands of returning Chinook salmon! Each year the Oroville Salmon Festival celebrates the return of the salmon to the Feather River. Join the celebration by viewing the salmon run at the fish hatchery, running in the 3k Salmon Dash, wandering through the street fair, and tasting salmon dishes prepared in various styles. This family-friendly event always takes place on the fourth Saturday in September.
September 22, 2018: National Public Lands Day
From our neighborhood parks to our nation’s iconic national parks and forests, public lands of all sizes and varieties are the places where we live, learn, play, exercise, and relax. National Public Lands Day is a fee-free day for all federal public lands and many state parks. Bring your family, friends, students, or coworkers to spend the day outdoors giving back to your community by pulling invasive species, maintaining trails, picking up trash, and more. Your work will help ensure our public lands continue to be beautiful places for all to enjoy!
September 22, 2018: Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entrance to a local National Park! Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
September 27 – 29, 2018: Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
Join us in beautiful Palm Springs for the 2018 California Agriculture in the Classroom Conference! Open to educators (formal and informal) who want to LearnAboutAg! Come find new and exciting ways to bring food, fiber, forests, flowers, and fuel into your learning environment. Registration is now open – and a limited number of scholarships are available!
September 28 – 30, 2018: Monterey Bay Birding Festival
Welcome to one of the most spectacular birding and wildlife venues in North America! From soaring golden eagles, effortlessly gliding California condors, cheeky bushtits, gorgeous Townsend’s warblers, scampering snowy plovers, to thousands of sooty shearwaters streaming along the ocean’s surface, few places can match the diversity of species as the Monterey Bay region. September marks the peak of fall migration, with wintering shorebirds arriving en masse.
October 14 – 20, 2018: Earth Science Week 2018
“Earth as Inspiration” is the Earth Science Week 2018 theme. This year’s theme will engage young people and others in exploring the relationship between the arts and the Earth systems. The theme will promote public understanding and stewardship of the planet, especially in terms of the ways art relates to geoscience principles and issues as diverse as energy, climate change, the environment, natural disasters, technology, industry, agriculture, recreation, and the economy.
October 19 - 21, 2018: AEOE Northern California Conference
Join us this year at Shady Creek Outdoor School, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills just outside of Nevada City, situated amongst Jeffrey Pine and Coast Live Oak along the banks of an awe inspiring riparian habitat in California’s Gold Country. More details about the conference can be found at: https://aeoe.org/events/
October 20 - 26, 2018: California Flood Preparedness Week
During the rainy season, the risk of catastrophic floods exists, even in a drought. To ensure you and your family are ready for natural disasters, including floods, develop a family emergency plan, have a household inventory with copies of critical documents, and maintain emergency supply kits. Local preparedness events will be held throughout the state during California Flood Preparedness Week.
October 26 - 28, 2018: AEOE Southern California Conference
Join us this year at YMCA Camp Surf and fun in the sun at one of southern California’s premier summer camp and outdoor education destinations. Camp on the beach or stay in cabins. This will be a weekend filled with fun and informative workshops, campfires and of course amazing people. Camp Surf is located right on the beach in south San Diego County. More details about the conference can be found at: https://aeoe.org/events/
October 28 – 29, 2018: California STEAM Symposium
Join us in Long Beach this year for the California STEAM Symposium. The California STEAM Symposium features world-class speakers, more than 200 presentations, opportunities to explore the latest in educational technology, hear from leaders in STEAM learning and industry, and meet with fellow educators. If you are interested in practical strategies and new ideas, classroom resources and curriculum, networking and inspiration to reinvigorate your practice, the California STEAM Symposium is for you.
November 11, 2018: National Parks Free Entrance Day
National parks are America’s best idea, and there are more than 400 parks available to everyone, every day. The fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or an old favorite, especially one of the national parks that normally charge an entrance fee. The others are free all the time. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2018: California Science Education Conference
Join us in Pasadena this year for your best source of information on implementing CA NGSS in your classroom. The California Science Teachers Association (CSTA) hosts this conference to focus on what California science educators need to know to hone their craft, stay updated on standards, and apply best practices gleaned from experts throughout the state. Expect to gain practical skills to incorporate California Next Generation Science Standards into your curriculum.
December 22 & 23, 2018: California King Tides Project
The term “king tide” is used to describe an especially high tide event, when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between sun and moon. When king tides occur during floods or storms, water levels can rise higher and have the potential to cause great damage to the coastline and coastal property. Anyone with a camera can participate in the California King Tides Project by taking and uploading photos of king tides. King Tides images offer a living record of the changes to our coast and a glimpse of what our daily tides may look like in the future as a result of sea level rise.
SCHOOL, CLASSROOM & TEACHER GRANTS
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education – Deadline: September 28, 2018
Raise up to $5,000 for your school in minutes! It’s that easy when you take advantage of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program. This year LCEF is seeking ways to provide the tools to help educators and parent groups through educational challenges by providing the greatest impact. Projects should fall into one of the following categories: technology upgrades, tools for STEM programs, facility renovations and safety improvements. The fall 2018 grant cycle is now open!
Target Field Trip Grants – Deadline: September 30, 2018
Some of the best learning opportunities happen outside the classroom, but it’s become increasingly difficult for schools to fund learning opportunities outside the classroom. To help schools out, we launched Field Trip Grants in 2007. Since then, we’ve made it possible for millions of students to go on a field trip. Target stores award Field Trip Grants to K-12 schools nationwide. Each grant is valued up to $700.
Project Learning Tree Greenworks - Deadline: September 30, 2018
Project Learning Tree offers GreenWorks! grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. The funds can be used by students to implement recycling programs at their school, conserve water and energy, establish school gardens and outdoor classrooms, improve a forest, restore a natural habitat, and more. To be eligible to apply for a grant, applicants must have attended a PLT workshop.
Literacy for Life Grants - Deadline: October 1, 2018
Literacy for Life grants are designed to help initiate new projects or expand existing ones that promote agricultural literacy. Grants of up to $500 are provided to California K-12 educators to support the integration of agriculture into regular classroom instruction. Explore the list of project ideas and read how previous recipients have used this funding to improve agricultural learning opportunities on their campuses.
Toshiba America Foundation (K-5) Grant – Deadline: October 1, 2018
What do you need to make learning math and science fun for your students? K-5 grade teachers are invited to apply on-line for a $1,000 Toshiba America Foundation grant to help bring an innovative hands-on project into their own classroom. With a Toshiba America Foundation grant, elementary teachers can bring their best new teaching ideas to life.
Toshiba America Foundation (6-12) Grant – Deadline: November 1, 2018
Wanted: Classroom Innovators! Toshiba America Foundation accepts applications from teachers who are passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students. Grade 6-12 Grant requests for $5,000 or less are accepted on a rolling basis, throughout the calendar year. Grant requests for $5,000 or more are accepted and reviewed – November 1is the next deadline for these requests.
WHALE TAIL® Grants - Deadline: November 2018
The WHALE TAIL® grants support programs that teach California’s children and the general public to value and take action to improve the health of the state’s marine and coastal resources. This grants program focuses on reaching communities that are currently poorly served in terms of marine and coastal education.The application packet for the 2018/19 funding cycle will be available after September 12, 2018.
Walmart Community Grant Program - Deadline: December 31, 2018
Through the Community Grant Program, our associates are proud to support the needs of their communities by providing grants to local organizations. Central to our commitment to operating globally and giving back locally are the grants we award to organizations of all sizes in communities around the globe. Whether it’s a small grant to a local school or a large grant across several states, we engage in opportunities that align with the Walmart Foundation’s key areas of focus: Opportunity, Sustainability and Community.
STUDENT CONTESTS
Campus Rain Works Challenge – Registration Deadline: September 30, 2018
The Campus RainWorks Challenge is open to institutions of higher education across the United States and its territories. Student teams design an innovative green infrastructure project for their campus that effectively manages stormwater pollution while benefitting the campus community and the environment. For the 2018 challenge the first place team in each design category will receive a student prize of $2,000 to be divided evenly among the team and a faculty prize of $3,000. Complete entries must be received by Friday, December 14, 2018.
Earth Science Week Photography Contest – Deadline: October 19, 2018
Your photograph should focus on the topic “Inspired by Earth.” Humans, individually and in groups, use the planet’s natural systems for creative expression in many ways. With a camera, you can capture evidence of ways people are inspired by Earth in their art, be it through dance, sculpture, or some other art form. In a photo, show how Earth serves as inspiration for your art where you are! The photography contest is open to interested persons of any age.
Earth Science Week Visual Arts Contest - Deadline: October 19, 2018
Your artwork should focus on the topic “Earth and Art.” Think of ways we use stuff from the Earth in our art. Where do your paints and pencils come from? Think of how we show the Earth in our art. Do you like to draw landscapes, planets, or volcanoes? Think of all important ways we connect Earth and art, and use your work to show your connection. The visual arts contest is open to any interested person in grades K-5.
Earth Science Week Essay Contest - Deadline: October 19, 2018
Your essay should focus on the topic “Finding ‘Art’ in Earth” Much of what makes up art, from the materials used to create it to the natural inspiration for it, comes from the Earth. Focusing on one type of artistic expression, such as painting or music or fine food, explain how geoscience contributes to this art. The essay contest is open to any interested person in grades 6-9.
Earth Science Week Video Contest - Deadline: October 19, 2018
Your video should focus on the theme “Earth Expressions.” Submit a brief, 30-90 second, original video that tells viewers about artistic expression that stems from the natural world where you are, and how art can be an excellent way to learn about the Earth. Your video entry might take almost any form. A public service announcement? An animated cartoon? Some other format? You decide. Be creative! The contest is open to individuals or teams of interested persons of any age in any part of the world
Get to Know Contest - Contest Ends: November 1, 2018
The motto of the Get to Know Program is “ Connect. Create. Celebrate.” Our mission is to foster connections to nature through the creative arts and to celebrate the fantastic work being done by youth in response to the environment and the need to understand and value nature. The contest runs from May 1st to November 1st and invites participants to get outside and create original works of art, writing, photography, videography and music inspired by nature. Get started today!
Imagine This…Story Writing Contest - Deadline: November 1, 2018
The Imagine this… Story Writing Contest is open to all California third through eighth-grade students. The contest aligns with Common Core State Standards, as students write creative narratives based on facts about California agriculture. The winning stories from each grade are illustrated by high school art students and published in our annual story book,Imagine this… Stories Inspired by Agriculture. Click here if you have questions or call 800-700-AITC (2482).
River of Words Contest - Deadline: December 1, 2018
The free River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest is open to enrolled K-12 grade students. Students may enter on their own, through school or a youth organization. Poems are accepted in English, Spanish and American Sign Language (please submit on DVD.). All art or poetry must be original work and students can enter as many times as they like. For more information please contact Maureen Esty, River of Words Coordinator at 925-631-4289.
Caring for Our Watersheds Contest - Deadline: February 1, 2019
The Caring for Our Watersheds writing contest challenges students to research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution. The California contest is currently open to all 9th-12th grade students who live in the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed in Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, Colusa, Yuba, Sutter, Glenn, El Dorado, Placer, and San Joaquin counties. Interested? Contact Beth Del Real at (530) 795-1544.
Kids to Parks Day Contest – Deadline: February 14, 2019
National Park Trust (NPT) invites students across the country to participate in the Kids to Parks Day Contest, a nationwide grassroots movement to celebrate America’s Parks and public lands. Opening August 1, 2018, this national contest is open to all Title I schools in the United States. Classes can receive funding for a KTP event at a park or public land/waterway in their community. Students must research and write the proposal themselves, although we encourage teachers to provide support and feedback! NPT will award park grants up to $1,000 to winning entries.
CREDITS
California Project WET Gazette is published by the Water Education Foundation, which serves as the state coordinator and host institution for Project WET USA, a program of the Project WET Foundation.
Editor: Brian Brown, California Project WET Coordinator
Water Education Foundation
1401 21st Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95811
916.444.6240
Internet: www.watereducation.org
email: projectwet@watereducation.org
