Information and Education Programs

1. Information and Education Programs USU Water Quality Extension Nancy Mesner and Tiffany Kinder

2. Two types of outreach campaigns • Extension – getting your message out • Empowerment – involving citizens in decisions

3. Choosing effective techniques • Identify needs and management goals • Identify target audience • Identify your message • Know your audience • Design a strategy

4. Step 1: Identify needs • What do you want to have happen? • What changes do you want to see?

5. Step 2: Identify target audience • Who should you reach to obtain your management goals? • Non-traditional customers

6. Step 3: Identify your message • What do you want to tell people? • Envision your audience after they read/receive your message.

7. Step 4: Know your audience • Send the right message

8. Know your audience

9. Know your audience

10. Design a strategy • How do we package the message? • How do we deliver the message?

12. Words Matter • Avoid jargon and technical words

14. Elizabeth Who???

15. Words Matter Instead of using… Try substituting… Nonpoint source pollution Polluted runoff Open space Natural area Sprawl Over development Storm water Polluted runoff Undeveloped land Natural area Watershed protection Land and water conservation, upstream, downstream Riparian area Along the river, along the shore http://waterwordsthatwork.com

16. Words Matter

17. Using photos • Faces

18. Using photos • Fixes

19. Using photos • Families

20. Using photos • Foes

21. Changing behavior • Identify barriers and benefits • Develop a strategy that addressed barriers and benefits • Pilot the strategy • Evaluate

22. Water is Life: Quality Matters Overcoming roadblocks to the use of aquatic science curricula in secondary education Nancy Mesner, Dept of Watershed Sciences, USU, Logan, UT Andree’ Walker, Utah Society of Environmental Educators, SLC, UT

23. NR-WQ-03 Utah Stream Team Utah Stream Team: a monitoring program with a detailed manual But… only teachers already interested in stream monitoring used our materials. Therefore, we began a strategic approach to evaluate barriers, redesign materials and evaluate effectiveness

24. Focus Groups formed: • Utah Office of Education Science Curriculum Coordinator • Teachers and curriculum specialists • Water quality partners in agencies and NGOs Evaluated Utah Stream Manual Science content accurate? - YES Material age appropriate? - YES Useable for teachers? - No

25. Barriers to teacher adoption of our monitoring activities: Teachers need materials aligned to core curriculum standards; Teachers need specific lesson plans; Teachers have little knowledge in water quality sciences; Because of limited funding…. Teachers may not be able to afford additional supplies; Teachers may have limited number of field trips each year.

26. Expanded focus groups helped develop and evaluate draft lesson plans • Content • Core curriculum connections • Format All lessons were tested in the classroom and field

27. 11 lesson plans based on stream and wetland monitoring and discovery Curriculum designed to meet Utah’s 9th Grade Earth Systems Sciences core standards.

28. 11 lesson plans Easy to follow, similar format for each

29. Easy to follow format gives quick access to: • Time of activity, classroom and outdoor settings; • Correlations to core curriculum; • Brief description of activity; • List of materials needed • Simple class and field instructions

30. Activities also include: field sheets, data sheets, keys, additional handouts

31. Suggestions on how to summarize, graph and apply the data.

32. Discussion questions to help teacher’s understanding of watershed and water quality issues

33. Seven teachers and over 800 students participated in evaluation • Pre and Post Tests developed with state assessor coordinator – focused on 5 lesson plans • Participating teachers gave a pre-test, conducted activities, then gave second test within 2 weeks. • Teachers filled out survey on their background, on how material was taught and information about the school

34. Teacher Training Since 2004, ~ 200 teachers have attended workshops each year: • Stream Side Science • Macroinvertebrate Identification • Mapping watershed impacts using GIS/GPS tools

35. Students • Follow up survey in 2008 of 77 teachers found that 60% continue to use curriculum each year. • These teachers alone are reaching over 8000 students/year. This translates into increased student knowledge, interest and engagement in streams and water quality

38. learn more at: www.extension.usu.edu/waterquality Special thanks to: Susan Anderson NicolGagstetter John Geiger Mellisa Harvey Kyle Koyle KalyanaramanKrishnapillai Krista Kuester Adam Sigler Robes Parrish Valerie Were

39. > 500 copies of curriculum have been distributed • Curriculum available by request and on web • Graduate level Web CT course offered at MSU • Increased focus on interdisciplinary opportunities • Supplements developed for specific watersheds Other support provided: * Monitoring equipment available at all county Extension offices, state partner’s offices * Mini grants available to purchase equipment or for travel to site or training

40. Lesson Plan: Who lives in the water? Focuses on aquatic macro-invertebrates: Habitats, diversity, links to water quality Pre test mean= 3.5 Post test mean = 5.2 Pre test mean Post test mean