The Prairie Waters Education and Research Center serves as a statewide resource for water education, research, and management. It focuses on four main areas: educational activities for K-12 students, workshops for teachers, professional workshops, and housing the VCSU Macroinvertebrate lab for student research. The Center brings school groups for hands-on water education and oversees the River Watch program, which gives high school students experience monitoring water quality in their local areas. It also provides workshops for teachers and professionals on topics like water quality monitoring. The Center is housed at the Kathryn School and is funded through VCSU, state agencies, and grants.