Sometimes funding a Meaningful Watershed Education Experience can be outside of your classroom budget. If you are looking for a way to finance field trips for your students or buy supplies to install an outdoor classroom on your school grounds, the list below will link you to relevant grant programs in your state.

BayBackpack highlights funding opportunities for environmental education in  Maryland, Pennslyvania, Virginia, District of Columbia and Nationwide: HERE

Lesson plans and other teaching resources are available on the site.

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences Are:

Investigative or Project-Oriented

Students investigate questions, problems, and issues related to the watershed. Activities include streambank or oyster restoration projects and planting underwater grasses; water quality monitoring; on-site studies of Bay plants and animals; or social studies that deepen a student's understanding of historical, cultural, or economic interests. Projects may also involve interaction with natural resource personnel.

Integrated within the Instructional Program.

A MWEE is not a single field trip; rather, the experience reflects an integrated approach to learning. MWEEs align with jurisdictional learning standards and occur where and when they fit into the existing curriculum. They also are effective tools for teaching many subjects - including science, math, history, reading, and art.

Involve Preparation, Action, and Reflection.

A MWEE is organized into three phases. First, students research and discuss a watershed issue or problem in preparation for the field component. Second, students take action by observing, measuring, or collecting data during their outdoor experience. Third, students return to the classroom, reflect upon and analyze their project, and reach conclusions.

Reveal the Watershed as a System.

MWEEs have an intentional connection to the watershed as a whole. Experiences focus not only on the Bay, rivers, and streams, but also on terrestrial issues such as erosion control, buffer creation, groundwater protection, and pollution prevention.

Students and Teachers Sustain MWEEs throughout the School Year.

In-class preparation and reflection activities are vital to solidify the watershed concept. Thus, an outdoor experience, or extended outdoor project, should be expanded by classroom activities throughout the school year.

For More about Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences read our factsheet.