Godfrey, Ill. – Approximately 500 fifth grade students and teachers from around the region are participating in the 9th Annual Water Festival this month at Lewis and Clark Community College.
The event, co-hosted by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Lewis and Clark Community College and The Nature Institute, includes a teacher education workshop that concluded Monday, followed by a field day for students filled with water-themed fun this Friday, Sept. 16.
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From 9 a.m.-2 p.m., students will enjoy fishing and canoeing on the college’s Godfrey campus, and will attend educational demonstrations from exhibitors including the Mustard Seed Peace Project, Illinois American Water, the Sierra Club, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Great
Rivers Land Trust and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“We enjoy being able to share water education with students in a fun, outdoor learning environment,” said Marcia Lochmann, director of sustainability at Lewis and Clark.
The fest began Monday, Sept. 12, when a group of about 20 teachers convened at the Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station for a water-themed workshop presented by NGRREC, The Nature Institute and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The workshop provided CPDUs for teachers who attended.
“We provide teachers with a ready-made curriculum on water resources and conservation, which was recently developed by the Army Corps of Engineers that can be used immediately in their own classrooms,” said Ted Kratschmer, water resources and sustainability coordinator for NGRREC and L&C. “Water resources are incredibly important in our region, and we know that most teachers don’t have the time or resources to develop their own water-themed curriculum.”
The Water Festival is an NGRREC program made possible through generous contributions from sponsors, including Illinois American Water, Conoco Phillips, Olin Brass, Wal-Mart, Dynegy Midwest and BP Products of North America.
For more information, contact Kratschmer at (618) 468-2874.
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