2021-2022 Program Registration Now Open!

GREEN is a free citizen science water quality monitoring program offered to all 6th – 12th grade students in the Flint River watershed. It is made possible through a number of partners including the Genesee County Drain Commission, General Motors, the MiSTEM Network, the GISD, MSUE, and UM Flint Discovering PLACE. 

There are two program tracks to choose from, GREEN and Bridges. Both provide:

  • A 3-5 hour asynchronous online training module describing program logistics that is required for participation in the program. 
  • LaMotte Chemistry Sampling kits (approx 1 set per 30 students)
  • An expert mentor to present to your class and assist with testing and analysis at a nearby stream or in the schoolyard
  • An invitation to attend the Student Summit in late May for students to present their findings and attend breakout sessions as in a professional conference 
  • Access to GREEN and Bridges teacher resources on the GREEN website
  • potential mini-grant funding for student projects

Bridges is a robust, interdisciplinary 12-week curriculum and coaching program in its third year that requires additional PD throughout the school year and includes a commitment to engage with community partners and lead students through a stewardship action project. Bridges provides additional chemistry kits (approx up to 5 sets per 30 students), pH testing probes, in-depth teacher support, and a veteran teacher network. Teachers may elect to participate in Bridges if you have previously participated in the pilot training program.

Whether you are interested in fall or spring testing please register as soon as possible for the 2021-2022 school year.

REGISTER HERE TODAY!

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Fall registration deadline: September 17, 2021
  • Fall supplies delivered: No later than Sept 24, 2021
  • Fall stream testing window (strict): October 1-15, 2021
  • Deadline to register for spring: December 17, 2021
  • Face to face water quality testing refresher and mentor meetup: March 2022 TBD
  • Spring supplies delivered at testing refresher or no later than April 8, 2022
  • Spring testing window: April 25-May 11, 2022 (Strict)
  • Student Summit (virtual and/or face-to-face TBD): late May 2022 TBD
  • Student Poster due: May 13, 2021 unless bringing to face to face Summit
  • All supplies and data due back to FRWC office: No later than June 10, 2022

Student Summit a Success!

550 students from 9 schools across the Flint River Watershed joined together virtually May 17th – 27th to share their Flint River GREEN water quality data and explore careers in environmental fields!  Special thanks to the GREEN committee, our guest speakers, our hard working teachers and students, and the I-69 region MiSTEM Network for helping to make this the best year yet!

Click here to view a poster reel of the projects and data that the students presented during their sessions. 

 

 

Out-of-School-Time Program

Posted on by
Youth from the GISD 21st Century Bridges program kayak on Thread Lake

Connecting Students to STEM and Stewardship through Water and Wonder!

The Flint River Watershed Coalition’s Youth Education Program is piloting a new afterschool program in collaboration with the Genesee Intermediate School District’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and Genesee County Parks’ For-Mar Nature Center and Arboretum. We are currently working with three sites serving middle and high school students to develop an out-of-school time (OST) watershed STEM curriculum grounded in water quality monitoring and related data-driven and youth-led community action projects.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

  • Kayaking
  • Hands-on STEM Activities
  • Outdoor Immersion Experiences
  • Youth-led Action Projects
  • Water Quality Monitoring

The organizations above in partnership with Discovering PLACE, Michigan State University Extension, and the MiSTEM Network have been in collaboration since 2019 to construct a framework for professional development that cross-trains staff and engages students in Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences in the OST environment. This mutually beneficial staff training has expanded capacity, increased the sustainability of multiple community partnerships, and serves as a resource for others seeking to utilize freshwater place-based enrichment to strengthen OST programming.

Funding for this project has been provided by the National Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is supported by the U.S. Department of Education.

The partnerships developed through this project will lead to sustainable OST programming options for schools, scouts, churches, neighborhood groups, and more!

Come back soon for updates or reach out to the Education Programs Manager for questions: email Autumn Mitchell or dial (810)-767-9491.

GREEN Program Training and Virtual Resources: Self-paced module

Posted on by

GREEN program training logistics will now be communicated via a series of videos. This is REQUIRED for new GREEN teachers. All 6th – 12th grade teachers working within the Flint River watershed are welcome to participate in this approximately 5 hour virtual series in order to participate in the Flint River GREEN program.

Guest Presenters:

  • Darren Bagley, MSU-Extension
  • Lee Ann Slosar, General Motors

REGISTER HERE for GREEN Program Training