Stewardship Action Water Program

The Stewardship Action Water Program will work with teachers and students to take an active approach to becoming aware and knowledgeable about the environmental resources being impacted on their school campus and in their community. Using a place-based education, students will have the opportunity to identify environmental issues and work as a team to improve those issues with stewardship action projects.

National Wildlife Federation Eco School USA

Schools will continue to work on additional audits in addition to the 7-step framework allowing them to apply for designation as a National Wildlife Federation Eco-School USA. These awards include Bronze, Silver, and the Green Flag award. For more information visit the Eco-Schools USA webpage.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School

The Regional Science Consortium will provide support to those schools who wish to pursue the designation of a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. Continuing their education efforts, these schools will set a goal of obtaining a nomination by a state education authority for the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School award. For more information visit the Green Strides webpage.

Access the teacher training PowerPoint HERE

Teacher Surveys

Please complete the Teacher Baseline Survey before starting the first audit.

Please complete the Teacher Post-Action Survey after completing your first 3 audits (watersheds, water conservation, & climate change).

Water

Water is a critical limited resource important to all members of the community. Students will investigate the use and quality of water in their National Wildlife Federation Eco Schools USA program (Conduct an Audit (nwf.org)). Students will initiate their study by conducting a watershed audit and a water conservation audit at their school including identifying the amount of water used, inefficient use of water, and implementing solutions to conserve water. Students will investigate water quality in their school (tap water from faucets) and in their watershed through routine testing of various water quality parameters including pollutants, nutrients, and other chemicals. Students will “Adopt a Tributary” to conduct water testing making the connection between urban/suburban land use, runoff, stormwater flowing to a larger body of water that serves as a drinking water source for their community.

Watersheds Audit

• Baseline Audit
  • Baseline Student Survey Data Submission Form
  • Baseline Soil Quality Testing Data Submission Form
  • Baseline Water Quality Testing Data Submission Form
• Post-Action Audit
  • Post-Action Student Survey Data Submission Form
  • Post-Action Soil Quality Testing Data Submission Form
  • Post-Action Water Quality Testing Data Submission Form
• Adopt a Tributary
  • Adopt a Tributary Water Quality Testing Data Submission Form
• Stewardship Action Project

Water Conservation Audit

• • Baseline Audit Student Survey Data Submission Form
  • Post-Action Audit Student Survey Data Submission Form
• Routine school tap water testing
  • Tap Water Quality Testing Data Submission Form
• Stewardship Action Project

Climate Change

In addition to the audits conducted on water, a Climate Change Audit will also be conducted with the objective of quantifying the schools carbon footprint and identifying measures to reduce this footprint. Water conservation, water quality monitoring, and addressing best management practices of stormwater will be part of this process, in addition to energy use, transportation, food waste, and other factors that contribute to climate change.

Climate Change Audit

1. 1. Baseline Student Survey Data Submission Form
   2. Post-Action Student Survey Data Submission Form
2. Stewardship Action Project

And so much more!

Additional audits will be chosen by students and teachers of each school from the 11 additional audits available on the Conduct and Audit NWF webpage.

These include:

• Biodiversity
• Consumption and Waste
• Energy
• Healthy Living
• Healthy Schools
• Learning About Forests
• Oceans
• Schoolyard Habits
• Sustainable Food
• Transportation
• Wetlands