by Shawn Hulsizer
Phone: 720-252-6882

Water Education through the high school Ambassador program

Douglas County, CO, December 3, 2008 -Representatives from the Douglas County Water Resource Authority (DCWRA), Douglas County government, the Douglas County School District and the Water Awareness and Responsibility Program (WARP, Inc.) met last week to kick off the inaugural year of the DCWRA Ambassador Program. This innovative water education and conservation program was built specifically for Douglas County and will serve as a much-needed bridge between water education and community water conservation. The program is funded by DCWRA and will be implemented by WARP, Inc.

According to Mark Shively, DCWRA Executive Director, “This first year, we are able to include Castle View, Chaparral, Rock Canyon and Thunder Ridge high schools in the Ambassador Program. Our goal is to include more schools next year, and eventually serve every high school in our region. Education must be relevant to issues our kids will face in the future. In our region, what could be more relevant than water?”

Jim Christensen, Douglas County Schools Superintendent said, “We need a body of evidence to work from for water education. We usually work from national textbooks, but water sustainability is a local issue and this program provides the perfect solution to educate our youth about how Douglas County water affects their lives and the world around them.”

In the DCWRA Ambassador Program, motivated high school students become water Ambassadors and will ultimately impart what they’ve learned to elementary students in their feeder areas. Once a high school student becomes an Ambassador, they will lead fourth-grade students in a series of activities including assemblies, classroom presentations, and hands-on water-specific experiments and exercises.

Representatives from WARP Inc. will coach participating high school students through a series of “train-the-trainer” sessions. “Our goal is to build future leaders who have a solid understanding of how important water and conservation are to the communities in which they live,” said Stacie Sneider, WARP Director. WARP Inc. does this by employing the latest technology to teach these concepts in fun and engaging ways. In addition, students will learn about public speaking and be given the tools and support to present what they’ve learned to the elementary students. “We all know, elementary kids think teens are rock stars. Imagine how much fun it will be for the young kids to learn about water and conservation from the teenagers”, said Sneider.

Per Lisle Gates, Castle View High School Principle, “We are delighted to be part of this program. It is innovative and aligns with the ultimate vision for our school. Our environmental science students will surly resonate with the material and at the same time gain valuable life skills.”

Contact: Shawn Hulsizer or Phone: 720-252-6882

The DCWRA Ambassador Program comes at a fortuitous time. Roughly 81% of residents surveyed in 2008 indicated that an adequate water supply that meets the long-term needs of county residents is of the highest priority. According to Jack Hilbert, Douglas County Commissioner, “Through this program, our future leaders and policy makers will be encouraged and empowered to conserve water. This model is a life building skill for our high school students in addition to providing an invaluable trickle-down of knowledge that will increase environmental awareness about water issues and conservation. ”

###