Project W.E.T. (Water Education for Teachers) had a great year thanks to our dedicated group of Project W.E.T. facilitators who lead workshops throughout all regions of the state. In 2009, more than 300 teachers, college students and many other educators from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and other non-profit groups attended a Project W.E.T. workshop and received specialized training and learned activities to use with students and adults in the classroom. These activities illustrate basic physics, chemistry and biological concepts, as well as provide critical-thinking opportunities about environmental and health-related issues.

Project W.E.T. is supported by several groups in southwest Missouri that are all involved with water issues. Missouri State University, the City of Springfield, Greene County, the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the James River Basin Partnership all support Missouri Project W.E.T., and the state office is located on the campus of Missouri State University.

January 2010 started with a new facilitator training, held in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Project W.I.L.D. (Wildlife in the Learning Design) and Project Learning Tree (providing training about forests and plants). Previous facilitator training opportunities included a weekend trip to Johnson Shut-Ins State Park in July. Participants enjoyed a Friday evening speaker who explained the igneous geology of the area and participants were treated to a tour of the re-opened park to survey the catastrophic damage done by the Taum Sauk Reservoir breach in December 2005 as well as the restoration efforts under way. In November 2009, the three partner projects W.E.T., W.I.L.D. and Learning Tree met at Lake of the Ozarks for a weekend. Participants were able to take this course at Missouri State University for undergraduate or graduate level credit and complete training in all three emphasis areas.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about the program or would like more information about upcoming workshops.

For more information contact:

Erica Cox – Department of Biology
State Coordinator, Project W.E.T.
Aquatic Education Specialist
417-836-4337
EricaCox@missouristate.edu
www.projectwet.missouristate.edu