Space is extremely limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged

SOLANO COUNTY, CA (MPG) – This summer the Solano Resource Conservation District will be hosting the inaugural Solano Water Institute for Teachers, an intensive three day educator workshop featuring Solano County’s water resources and open spaces. The free workshop will be held August 4-6 and will include visits to various Solano County parks and open spaces as well as a boat tour of Lake Berryessa, one of the county’s primary sources of drinking and irrigation water. The goal of the Water Institute is to provide K-12 educators with new knowledge, skills, and tools to help them effectively teach watershed science and land preservation from a perspective that is locally relevant to their students.

Participants will begin on Wednesday, August 4 at Rush Ranch Open Space near Suisun City to learn about the importance and challenges of managing the Suisun Marsh as well as local open spaces from both Suisun Resource Conservation District’s Executive Director Steve Chappell and Solano Land Trust’s Executive Director Nicole Braddock. Additional opportunities like the Solano County Office of Education’s Explorer Quest program launching this month will also be integrated into the first training day.

Registrants will spend the morning of Thursday, August 5 boating on Lake Berryessa and hearing from Solano County Water Agency’s Senior Engineer Alex Rabidoux regarding the complexity of Solano County’s drinking water resources. Solano County Parks Supervisor Chris Drake will close out Wednesday with a tour of Lake Solano Nature Center and an overview of learning opportunities in Solano County’s Parks.

Friday’s training at the City of Fairfield’s Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center will feature the award winning environmental education curriculum Project WET, an innovative, locally relevant water education resource for K-12 teachers. Project WET curriculum aligns with the state mandated Next Generation Science Standards and the Environmental Education Principles and Concepts outlined by the California Environmental Education Initiative, and is a valuable teaching tool for both classroom teachers and informal educators.

“The place-based learning experiences offered as part of the Solano Water Institute will help educators teach environmental science that is relevant to where their students live, hopefully inspiring youth to explore more on their own as well as feel more empowered to protect their local natural resources,” explained Marianne Butler, education director for Solano Resource Conservation District.

Participants will receive a $200 stipend upon completion of the program and certified teachers can claim up to 21 hours of continuing education credit. Teachers will also be given time to work on integrating what they’ve learned into their yearly lesson plan. Registration is available on solanorcd.org under Educator Workshop. Space is extremely limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged. A waiting list will be enacted in the order of submitted registration.

The Solano Water Institute for Teachers is funded by the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, the California Department of Water Resources, the Water Education Foundation, and the School Water Education Program including the cities of Vacaville, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vallejo and Benicia, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, and Solano Irrigation District. The workshop is hosted by Solano RCD with support from Brian Brown, Project WET Coordinator for California. For more information, please visit solanorcd.org or email [email protected].