Published: Jun 28, 2013 | 21:09 PM

IRWD Wins CASA Award for Education Programs

The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) awarded IRWD the Public Outreach and Education Award for its innovative student water education programs.  The award was accepted on August 21 by IRWD Board Vice President Peer Swan at the 55^th annual CASA conference in Monterey, California.

IRWD’s commitment to community and student education is boundless. IRWD has conducted free water education programs for schools in our service area for more than 30 years. For the past three years, IRWD has partnered with the Discovery Science Center to provide programs for kindergarten through high school students in area public, private or home schools. More than 8,000 students participated in the program during the 2009-10 school year.

IRWD’s education programs meet all California curriculum content standards while bringing water education to life for our students. Kindergarten through sixth grade students participate in grade-specific assembly programs focusing on water science and conservation. All assemblies stress the importance of conserving limited resources and preventing water pollution. Student participation is encouraged with the use of individual student response keypads  and customized workbooks featuring IRWD’s beloved mascot, Aqua Duck.

Middle school students in sixth through eighth grade participate in a four-week class of hands-on water chemistry and environmental lessons culminating with a field trip and tour of the IRWD San Joaquin Marsh and the Michelson Water Recycling Plant.

Students participating in the high school program can earn community service credit by learning to teach younger students, their families and community members about water and resource-related topics through interactive games, hands-on demonstrations and short lectures. Students demonstrate their skills at community education events called Wild About the Wetlands, held at the IRWD Marsh Campus three times throughout the school year.

More information about IRWD’s student water education and community outreach programs is available by calling (949) 453-5500 and visiting www.irwd.com.