Water Education Leadership Institute
E3's mission is to develop effective decision making skills for students to use with important environmental and societal issues. Main areas are Water, Energy, and Climate Change education. To accomplish this, leadership institutes in the area of water quality and water management are being planned for Ontario teachers over the next 4 summers.
The intent of the Freshwater Futures Institute is to develop education leaders in communities to help with classroom activity resources. Over an extended period institute teachers will look at the issues around Ontario water quality and management, define needs to support students with the new Ontario curriculum and start meeting these needs. This summer’s institute will be followed with work on resources, field testing in classrooms and with other teacher/leaders, and making the resources available to classrooms across the province. Its purpose is for classroom students to reap benefits directly. Resources would be classroom ready activities and strategies for students to examine essential issues. The philosophy is a bias-balanced approach, looking at all sides of an issue without shrinking from any questions needing to be asked.
Issues will be included so the institute has a focus and is as complete as possible. Presentations will be made by experts in water management drawn from government, industry, the research community, municipalities and special interests. Each day a new theme will be addressed and on-site visits made to illustrate presentations.
Plans include the following:
- Location will be McMaster University where research focuses on restoring ecosystem functions as part of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan (RAP). John Hall, Coordinator of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is participating.
- The Rt. Hon. Herb Gray, Chair of the International Joint Commission will give the closing summary presentation.
- The Ministry of the Environment is participating with guidance and program.
- The Canada Centre for Inland Waters will be a major supporter of the program with their expertise and facilities.
- Industry leaders such as Zenon Environmental in Oakville will be asked for support with their expertise in Water treatment.
- The Environment Committee of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario will be asked to support the program.
- The Ontario Environment Network will give programming input, including possible speakers, as will Pollution Probe.
- Education programs, such as the Children's Groundwater Festival and active Stewardship Councils from Conservation Authorities will take part.
- The Institute will be accredited by the Ontario College of teacher's Professional Learning Program (PLP) to offer teachers the option of claiming hours of credit.
Institute associates will stay in residence, with some sessions at the university. Other sessions could be at field sites such as Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise and the Canada Centre for Inland Waters, as well as local industry in Hamilton and Niagara. Sessions will be actual hands-on field trips with testing activities or tours of sites with demonstrations only, or simply tours of facilities with explanations. The possibilities around Hamilton for Great Lakes and groundwater issues are great. Best results will be gained by giving teachers additional skills in teaching this topic and sharing resource ideas. Approximately 25 teachers will attend with the possibility of scholarships to cover some or all of the cost.
In a related project, E3 will develop a classroom resource poster on water issues in Canada to cover strands and expectations of the new Ontario curriculum for grades 7 - 10. Accompanying the poster will be a teacher’s guide and resource package for student handouts. This water education resource kit will support the environmental, economic, societal, and issues based aspects of the new Ontario curriculum and will be available to all schools. Workshops will be held to in-service teachers.
Bill.Thompson@EEE3.org
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