HGCI Course: Wai'anae Wetland & Watershed - Follow the Water

Hawai'i Green Collar Institute Wai'anae Wetland & Watershed - Follow the Water Course for Leeward O'ahu Teachers

January 30 & February 6, 2016

This new course will give grades 4-12 teachers the opportunity to learn first-hand from scientists, resource managers, and community practitioners working on issues related to watershed (ahupua'a) systems and place-based learning. This will give teachers the opportunity to learn first-hand from scientists, resource managers, and community practitioners working on issues related with watershed management in which students could be engaged to become 21st century problem solvers. This course will be composed of a diverse range of activities such as guest speakers and site visits on the topics of water quality monitoring, healthy coastline ecosystems, and overall ahupua'a (watershed health). Teachers will practice hands-on lesson plans that have a STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Art, Math) approach. Over three days, participants will learn about various aspects of the watershed system from Western and Indigenous Hawaiian perspectives by visiting and studying sites from the mountain to the sea, emphasizing the value of place-based and experiential learning. Mahalo nui loa to the Environmental Protection Agency and Hawai'i State Teachers Association for supporting this course.