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Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience is a collaboration between Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County Park Authority. The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action. The MWEE program includes engaged learning in both an outdoor and indoor classroom. The program is designed to increase environmental literacy by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences. In these experiences, the core ideas and practices of multiple disciplines are applied to make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, sustainable and equitable communities.

The Fairfax County Park Authority offers MWEE programs to 4^th, 5^th and 7^th grade students. Please see more information regarding our MWEE programs and contacts below.

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is supported by the Watch the Green Grow program and is a 1.5-hour program that meets the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement education requirements for elementary school students.  

No buses needed, we come to you! 
The program supports multiple Virginia Standards of Learning for grades 4-5. 
The program includes schoolyard project-based learning. 
The program includes a consultation with a park naturalist to assist with an action project.

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience is best suited for three student groups or classes that rotate through three stations. The stations are designed to cover Science Standards of Learning.
Station Topics:
- Watershed Walk (1 naturalist): includes a schoolyard walk to identify evidence of erosion, stormwater runoff and discussions about human land use and non-point source pollution. 
- Native, Non-Native and Invasive Species (1 naturalist):  includes discussions about native and invasive species as well as a game that illustrates how easily invasive species can spread. The station highlights various factors that contribute to or prevent plant biodiversity. 
- Schoolyard Biodiversity Data Collection (2 naturalists): Students collect data for the presence or absence of particular plant species on school grounds for later analysis in the classroom.  This data collection meets requirements of the EcoSchools USA pathway for Species Diversity.

Connie Chubb, Watch the Green Grow Coordinator Resource Management Division

703-324-8702
constance.chubb@fairfaxcounty.gov

If accommodations and/or alternative formats are needed, please contact Inclusion and ADA Support at 703-324-8727. TTY Va Relay 711

Thanks to the Fairfax County Park Foundation and Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), this MWEE program is being offered FREE to Fairfax County Public Elementary Schools during the 2024-25 school year. Spaces are limited.

Cost per student: Free
Length of time: 1.5 hours
When: September 2024 - June 2025
Where: Fairfax County Public elementary schools
Who: Grades 4 and 5

In 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was signed. One of its goals is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to act responsibly to protect and restore their local watershed. One way to do this is through participation in Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE).

All Fairfax County Public School Students (FCPS) in Grade 7 are expected to participate in MWEE. A standardized curriculum is provided for schools in the form of Project-Based Learning. Some schools may choose to conduct their MWEE on-site or nearby if the location meets certain conditions that are suitable. For schools who choose to conduct their MWEE off-site, FCPS partners with the Fairfax County Park Authority and George Mason University to help organize and run each MWEE at various Fairfax parks.

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience for Grade 7 is designed for groups or classes to rotate through six stations. The stations are designed to cover Science Standards of Learning.
The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience Stations Include:
- Station 1: Land Use
- Station 2: Water Quality
- Station 3: Watershed Organisms
- Station 4: Macroinvertebrates
- Station 5: Invasive Species (a teacher-led station)
- Station 6: Human Impact (a teacher-led station)

Buses with students arrive by 10 a.m. Students will already be split into red and blue groups, and within those groups be assigned to their starting station (Station 1 through Station 6).
As students get off buses, interpreters hold station signs to identify their color and station number. Students will line up behind the correct interpreter for their first station.
Before interpreters walk students to their first station, the site manager delivers a brief introduction to all staff and students and explains procedures:
- Students will be at each station for approximately 25 minutes.
- Students must remain at their station, with supervising adults, until it is time to transition.
- When the air horn goes off, students should move to their next station. Chaperones will stay with their same group of students. Students will not necessarily move to the next number (for example, they may go from station 2 to station 4).
- Be cautious of safety hazards (such as tree roots, Canadian geese, etc.).
- Stations 5 and Station 6 are led by the school and combine both the red and blue groups.
- If at any time the air horn is blown 3 times, students and adults should report immediately back to the arrival site.
Interpreters walk students to their first station.
After students have completed all stations, they will return to the designated meeting place before getting back on buses (approximately 1 p.m.).
Length of time: 3-4 hours
When: September 2024 - June 2025
Where: Various Fairfax County Parks Including - South Run Rec Center, Lake Fairfax, Cub Run Rec Center, Lake Accotink, Burke Lake and Scotts Run Nature Preserve

Fairfax County Park Authority Contact:

Maureen “Momo” Kraus, Managed Parks Senior Interpreter
Resource Management Division

703-324-6196
Maureen.kraus2@fairfaxcounty.gov

If accommodations and/or alternative formats are needed, please contact Inclusion and ADA Support at 703-324-8727. TTY Va Relay 711

Additional Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience Contacts:

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
- Liz Keyes: FCPS Middle School Science Specialist
- Michelle Gilligan: FCPS Acting High School Science Specialist
- Ann Wong: FCPS K-12 Science Coordinator
George Mason University (GMU)
- Cindy Smith: Recruiter and Leader for Interpreters
- Matt Helfinstein: Site Manager
Fairfax County Park Authority
- Tammy Schwab, Education and Outreach RMD Manager-Tammy.schwab@fairfaxcounty.gov
- Maureen “Momo Kraus”, Lead RMD MWEE Coordinator-maureen.kraus2@fairfaxcounty.gov
  - Site Coordinators
    - Cub Run-Justin Yanez-justin.yanez@fairfaxcounty.gov
    - Lake Fairfax
      - Casey Tinius- casey.tinius@fairfaxcounty.gov
      - Anna Lindquist-anna.lindquist@fairfaxcounty.gov
      - South Run-Melodie Stehling-Melodie.Stehling@fairfaxcounty.gov

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