• When: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 10 a.m.–noon EDT (virtual) and Thursday, June 24, 2021, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (in person).
• Where: Online via Zoom video conferencing (June 23) and in person (June 24) at Headwaters Park, 1927 Wager Road, Erie, PA 16509 in the morning followed by the afternoon spent at the JoAnna Connell Elementary School, 1820 East 38^th St., Erie, PA 16510. Participants will have time for lunch and travel by personal vehicle to the elementary school.
• Audience: Formal educators (classroom teachers, administrators, etc.) and non-formal educators (naturalists, environmental educators, conservation districts, etc.).
• Act 48: Up to 10 hours.
• Cost: FREE. Registration is REQUIRED due to a limited number of seats online and in person.

Designed for both formal and non-formal educators, this free hybrid (virtual/in-person) MWEE Ambassador Training will help participants explore how the Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) framework can connect K-12 students to sustainable concepts and Erie County’s local water resources.

MWEEs are powerful learner-centered experiences in which students investigate local environmental issues, complete informed action projects, improve standards-based achievement, and grow environmental literacy.

Participants in this multi-day workshop are required to complete a 2-hour virtual prerequisite prior to June 23 and participate in the 2-hour virtual MWEE Ambassador Training on June 23 to become Certified MWEE Ambassadors. The second portion of the workshop, Water Education Skill-Building, will take place in person in Erie County on June 24.

Prerequisite: MWEE 101

(Virtual – at your own pace prior to June 23)

This virtual course must be completed prior to the June 23–24 Erie County MWEE Ambassador Training. The learner-centered MWEE framework promotes hands-on investigations of local environmental issues, leading to student driven actions. Student projects take many forms including environment restoration or protection, everyday choices, community engagement, and civic action.

Act 48: 2 hours

Day 1: MWEE Ambassador Training

(Virtual – Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 10 a.m.–Noon EDT)

This virtual session is REQUIRED to become a Certified MWEE Ambassador and will address designing MWEES with the Environmental Literacy Model (ELM) to help situate the MWEE within the scope and sequence of your curriculum.

Act 48: 2 hours

Day 2: Water Education Skill-Building

(In Person – Thursday, June 24, 2021, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.)

Where: Headwaters Park, 1927 Wager Road, Erie, PA 16509 (9 a.m.–12 p.m., June 24) in the morning followed by the (1–4 p.m.) afternoon spent at the JoAnna Connell Elementary School, 1820 East 38th St., Erie, PA 16510. Participants will travel to second location in their personal vehicle.

Participants will be engaged in several hands-on experiences in Erie County focusing on the connectedness of natural water to our daily lives. Group will be exploring how natural streams eventually connect to our drinking water supply and how the surrounding environment impacts the health of that water. Participants will be engaging in water experiments, testing, and activities that translate to use with their own students. This connects the resource to current curriculum and helps students experience and discover the interconnectedness of local waterways to their daily lives. Please bring your own lunch, mask, and transportation.

Act 48: 6 hours

COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
💧 All participants must wear face masks with a proper fit (over the nose, chin, and cheeks) throughout the entire duration of their visit on the Headwaters Park/JoAnna Connell Elementary School campuses. If there is a need to remove the mask for a short period of time, such as to drink from a water bottle, the participant must physically distance.
💧 All participants are asked to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing whenever possible.
💧 Participants are asked not to attend the program if feeling any combination of atypical symptoms, including but not limited to fatigue, coughing, sore throat, fever, chills, etc.
💧 Independent use of the campus is NOT permitted at this time.

Questions? Email gimyers@pa.gov.

This multi-day workshop is a collaboration among the County of Erie, Erie County Conservation District, and Department of Environmental Protection, and Stroud Water Research Center.