For immediate release: August 4, 2008

Media Contact:    Stephanie Kaleva

Educational Program Recognized for Promoting Water Stewardship Through Science-Based Curriculum

Bozeman, Mont., 04 Aug., 2008 - The Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) membership has selected the Project WET Foundation as a recipient of one of its prestigious 2008 Education and Public Service Awards. These awards are given to recognize educational institutions, individuals, groups or agencies that have made significant contributions to increase public awareness of water resources development, use or management. UCOWR, comprised of international experts in water research and management from leading universities and organizations, presented the award at the annual conference in July. 

Project WET President and CEO Dennis Nelson said, “We are honored to receive this award because the members of UCOWR include some of the most respected scientists and researchers in the world.”  

For 24 years, the Project WET Foundation has developed, published and provided original educational materials to more than 500,000 teachers in over 30 countries. The interactive, science-based curriculum offers opportunities for educators and students to experience hands-on water resource activities. The model, “train-the-trainer,” prepares more than 100 state- and country-level coordinators and 5,000 community-level facilitators to ultimately reach millions of students with valuable lessons in science and sustainable water resource management.

Project WET’s global network of 30 countries conducts more than 2,000 training workshops annually, reaching more than 30,000 school and community educators. Accurate, current scientific information is a vital component of the program’s effectiveness.  

John Etgen, senior vice president of the Project WET Foundation, said, “Project WET is known for its educational side, but we also are very dedicated to technical and scientific accuracy. To be recognized for the quality of our content by such a prestigious organization is very important to Project WET, including state and country coordinators, facilitators and teachers. 

Today’s children will be tomorrow’s leaders and policy-makers, influencing water usage and management across the globe. A good scientific foundation and fact-based information prepare them to make informed decisions for future generations. 

“We reach thousands of teachers, millions of students,” said Etgen. “For example, in sub-Sahara Africa, we’ll reach 800,000 students and 15,000 teachers at 1,000 schools this year alone. In Latin America and the Caribbean, through our UNESCO-International Hydrologic Program partnership, we have the potential to reach large numbers of educators and students throughout the region within the next 10 years.”

The 2008 UCOWR Conference, International Water Resources: Challenges for the 21st Century, addressed a variety of topics on water, such as water and human health in the developing world and water security and sustainability. It included two papers presented by the Project WET Foundation: “Best Practices for International Water Education: Case Studies from the Field,” and “Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) highlights from Arizona and Idaho,” presented by Kerry Schwartz and Julie Scanlin, both Project WET coordinators and employees of state water resources research centers.

About Project WET

Since 1984, Project WET, an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has dedicated itself to the mission of reaching children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education.  Project WET achieves its mission of worldwide water education by:

• publishing water resource materials in several languages.
  
• providing training workshops on diverse water topics (i.e., watersheds, water quality, water conservation).
  
• organizing community water events, such as Make a Splash with Project WET water festivals and the Global Water Education Village™.
  
• building a worldwide network of educators, water resource professionals and scientists.

On the web at www.projectwet.org.

About Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR)

UCOWR membership consists of over 90 universities and organizations throughout the world, which are involved in education, research, public service, international activities and information support for policy development related to water resources. Its annual conference provides a forum to explore key and timely topics of interest to water resources researchers and educators, and, in addition, UCOWR publishes the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, presenting both scholarly work and current water resources news. Online at www.ucowr.siu.edu.