Significant water quality challenges threaten the health of freshwaters globally. As such, it is imperative that individuals understand the fundamental concepts of watershed science and how to be part of the solution. There is limited peer-reviewed literature describing outcomes of watershed education programs. Thus, we conducted a summative evaluation of a placed-based watershed education program in Vermont and New York, USA. Results of a teacher-directed survey suggested that participation aided students' ability to assess stream health and interpret water quality data. Sixty-four percent of classes (n = 28) carried out environmental stewardship projects following participation. Additionally, teachers changed personal stewardship actions, built community networks, and more effectively engaged students in meaningful field-based science education. Recommendations to promote youth watershed literacy and stewardship engagement include using classroom-based watershed lessons paired with field-based water sampling, cultivating content knowledge learning through peer mentorship, and curating learning by promoting implementation of stewardship activities.
Eaton et al. (Wed,) studied this question.