Science to policy
Ways to support
Ways to support
NGRREC hosts the Swarovski Foundation Waterschool USA program, the first and only of its kind in North America, aimed at enhancing water literacy and fostering student empowerment within schools and their surrounding communities.
The primary goal of Waterschool is to educate people living in the Mississippi River watershed about the human connection to and reliance on healthy and functioning river ecosystems. We hope to not only educate students but also inspire them to positively impact their communities. The Swarovski Foundation Waterschool program supports a variety of community and school-based programs. The Waterschool USA education team visits classrooms to provide hands-on exploration of water, the Mississippi River watershed and the human impact.
Environmental Education Department
NGRREC/L&C
1 Confluence Way
East Alton, IL 62024
NGRRECEducation@lc.edu
Phone: (618) 468-2790
Swarovski Waterschool USA offers teaching training workshops at the National Great River Research and Education Center. Teachers attending these workshops will receive training, a free educator toolkit, professional development hours and opportunities for community engagement activities and field trips. The Swarovski Foundation Waterschool program supports a variety of community and school-based programs. Our Swarovski Waterschool USA educator can visit your classroom to provide hands-on exploration of water, the Mississippi River watershed and the human impact on our freshwater resources. If you are interested in becoming a Waterschool, please contact our Education Team at NGGRRECEducation@lc.edu to learn more!
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In an ongoing commitment to our students and teachers, we have created a program for Swarovski Waterschool teachers to access classroom sanitation supplies from Swarovski Waterschool USA. Teachers can request supplies for their classrooms, such as hand sanitizer, soap, disinfectant wipes, and other hygiene products. This is just one way the Waterschool US program supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure Access to Water and Sanitation for all.
Waterschool USA hosts immersive summer programs for students ranging in age from elementary to undergraduate at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Our film “Kids on the River” provides a great view of what the experience is like for students who attend Camp Waterschool.
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National Great Rivers and Waterschool USA partner with Lewis and Clark Community College’s College 4 Kids program to offer the perfect environment for elementary and middle school students to discover the water resources right in their community. We explore water using our local rivers and their watershed as inspiration. Through scientific investigations, arts and crafts, and outdoor adventures, campers will see our local rivers in a whole new way. The weeks include pond explorations and stream science and will culminate with a canoe trip led by experienced river guides. By reflecting on their personal experiences with the river, campers will appreciate how they can make positive differences in their watershed and community.
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Older students spend a week with National Great Rivers staff engaged in opportunities to connect with the Mississippi River, discover our local waterways and explore natural resource career pathways.
Using its own curriculum, the Swarovski Foundation Waterschool provides training and tools to empower young people and their communities around the work to become water ambassadors.
The Swarovski Foundation Waterschool program was established in Austria in 2000. What began as a local project has since evolved into a global initiative, situated in eight countries within the watershed of the Danube, Ganges, Yangtze, Nile, Amazon, Chao Phraya, Mississippi and Parramatta Rivers. The program has engaged and trained more than 15,000 teachers in 2,500 schools and reached more than 740,000 young people to date. It contributes to the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a special focus on Clean Water and Sanitation, Quality Education and Partnership for the Goals and supports the Swarovski Foundation’s mission to promote sustainable livelihoods through education to reduce inequality.
