As the Santa Clarita Valley’s schools, parents and students gear up to go back to school, Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is getting ready for the new school year, too, planning for a variety of educational programs and a $15,500 scholarship program, all of which are designed to educate students about efficient use of our precious water resources.
Scheduling is under way now for elementary and junior high school in-class presentations and field trips, and the September deadline is fast approaching for entries in the 2010-2011 Water Challenge scholarship program.
The Water Challenge is open to students in grades nine through 12, and CLWA distributes $15,500 in scholarships among the top five winners, with the first-place entry receiving $7,000.
“We are always so impressed by the quality of the students’ presentations, and the creativity of the ideas they put forth to help promote water awareness,” said Dirk Marks, water resources manager for CLWA. “The Water Challenge is a win-win, because it helps students educate themselves, and it also gives them an opportunity to benefit their community.”
This past year, twins Alex and Todd Davis of Saugus High School won the Water Challenge with a campaign they created to be used at their workplace, Six Flags Magic Mountain. Their campaign, which they dubbed, “Every Drop Counts,” provided water conservation educational materials and tips for the theme park’s employees and guests.
Students who apply for the Water Challenge must submit an application by October 12, 2010, attend a mandatory orientation meeting on October 21, 2010, and complete their projects by January 20, 2011. Judging of semifinalists’ oral presentations is scheduled for late-January and the winners are expected to be announced in February. (More information on the Water Challenge is available by visiting www.clwa.org and clicking on the “education” link.)
In addition to the high school scholarship program, CLWA’s Education
Department administers several educational programs for younger students throughout the school year.
Started in 1993, CLWA’s Education Program provides hands-on field trips and in-class presentations for elementary and junior high school students at public and private schools in the Santa Clarita Valley. Through 2010, the program has educated more than 104,000 students about the importance of efficient water use.
The Education Department staff includes eight teachers and one office staffer, and the department makes professional, grade-appropriate and standards-based classroom presentations to kindergarten through second-grade and junior high classes. The presentations, which can be scheduled from 8:15 a.m. to noon, are designed to meet State of California Curriculum Standards.
Students in third through sixth grades have the opportunity to participate in grade-appropriate field trips to the CLWA headquarters, which includes the Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant and
CLWA’s conservatory garden. These trips also meet state curriculum standards, and offer students a chance to see firsthand how their local water supply goes from reservoir to the tap — and also to learn about good stewardship of our water resources.
“We’re very proud of these educational efforts,” Marks said. “CLWA’s Education Department is dedicated to helping students learn through age-appropriate programs, from kindergarten all the way through high school, and it’s rewarding for all of us to see students take a keen interest in being ‘water wise.’”
Field trips or classroom presentations can be scheduled for the upcoming school year by calling 661-297-1600, ext. 275, or by e-mailing cgordon@clwa.org.