Barbara Payne - PowerPoint Presentation from the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation Districts Inaugural Texas Panhandle Water Conservation Symposium

1. Barbara Payne
SaveWaterTexas.com

2. SOME BACKGROUND…
• Clients: All major water agencies in
Harris, Ft. Bend, and Montgomery Counties
• Some of the largest school districts in TX
• Decided not to “reinvent the wheel”
• Teaching water conservation principles
before wasteful habits engrained
• Young students still “take things home”
to parents.

3. Use Water Wisely
Creating a Successful
Education Program
• Research and understand your
target market
• Identify state requirements
• Discover pathway to the classroom
• Establish rapport with key contacts

4. Use Water Wisely
Creating a Successful
Education Program
• What do you want to “teach”?
• Who do you want to teach?
• Is anyone else already doing this?
• Assemble the best team possible
• Involve educators

5. Finding the
Right Niche
Goal:
Teach Water
Conservation

Obvious choice
was elementary
level science
 ‘Tell me and I forget.
5th Grade was Show me and I remember.
where the topic
“fit” Involve me and I understand.’

6. “TRICKLE DOWN” APPROACH
WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOP…
• Invited Superintendents of 7 local ISDs to meet with
key local and State Water Leaders
• Agenda included updates on Rising Cost of Water,
Conversion to Surface Water, and an invitation to
participate in an “On
Campus” and “In the
Classroom” approach
to Water Conservation
Education.

7. “TRICKLE DOWN” APPROACH
ON CAMPUS = FACILITIES MANAGERS
• Agreement by Superintendents; they provided the
link to the Facilities Managers for each ISD
• We scheduled aseries of Workshops for these
managers
• Classroom instruction
(TWDB & Leak Expert)
• On site demonstrations;
videotaped for distribution
to school facility mangers

8. “In the
Classroom”
Superintendents
identified Team
Leaders for
Elementary
School Science

Solicited Teacher
suggestions
about “missing” Taking the Show on the Road
water curriculum • Restrictions about student travel

Adopted unique • Traveling “Billboard” for Conservation
approach

9. JOURNEY TO PANSOPHIGUS…
A Fifth Grade Student Novel
• Dramatic original illustrations by a
young local artist.
• Created a Reader’s Guide that includes
reading comprehension and science questions.
• Matching graphics for the
Mobile Teaching Lab tied
everything together.

10. MOBILE TEACHING LAB…
Teaching Teachers to Use the
Lab and Classroom Materials
• Hands-on Educator workshops provided
experience with teaching materials

11. WATER IS LIFE EXPANDS
By Popular Request…
• Teachers asked that we develop a younger
introduction to the Journey “characters”
and WATER IS LIFE was born – Grade 2
• Mobile Lab is still booked every school
day and for special community events.
• Wear and tear…retrofitted with new exhibits
AND an exterior facelift.
Water Environment Association of
Texas; Texas Section of the
American Water Works Association

12. Change in
Direction
Discovered VOID
in 4th Grade
Social Studies

Local Educator
invited us to
come up with
“Water”
Programs to fit Learning from the past…
Social Studies  Social Studies “VOIDS” at grades 2, 4 &7
TEKS
  Not teaching SS in 4th grade classrooms
Adopted unique  Windmills and Barbed Wire Settled Texas!
approach

13. A water conservation education program
Aligned with the 2nd, 4th and 7th grade
Social Studies TEKS

21. The SaveWaterTexas.com Assembly Team
4th Grade
Assembly

23. “Cookie” and her downsized Chuck Wagon

24. !