By the end of the 2015/2016 school year, approximately 1000 students will have participated in this Program.

 

And is the Program accomplishing what is was set out to do? Since launching the pilots last year, the feedback from teachers and students has been extremely positive. A survey conducted by the teachers in 2015-2016 had 89% of students indicating they felt they knew more about their local water system and how it works than they did before going through OneWater. As well, 82% of the students said they were better informed about what should and should not be put down the toilets or drains after their classroom visit by the OCWA Operator. "Since participating in OneWater, I have a larger appreciation for my water to be clean and useable," wrote one student from St. Philip Catholic School in Petrolia, Ontario, after participating in the OneWater pilot with their grade 8 classroom.

 

For OCWA Operators, the Program provides an opportunity to get into their local communities and share their extensive water knowledge with - as one operator put it - "the future water keepers." For OCWA Operations Manager, Brad Hoover, who works at the Wasaga Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant, and has now gone into one of his local classrooms several times to talk about water treatment and to conduct activities, the education Program provides him the ability to combine his passion of water and the environment with his love for training. "It was great being able to inform the next generation. Information is power and I believe we can make a lasting impact on how students view water and wastewater."

 

As the OCWA OneWater Education Program continues to expand to client communities across Ontario, OCWA has created a companion module that focuses on the impact of Climate Change on the Great Lakes. "The Changing Great Lakes" empowers youth to take the lead in adaptation strategies that need to be implemented for the safety, security and sustainability of the Great Lakes and their surrounding communities. 

 

As for OneWater, OCWA hopes to continue working in partnership with its client communities to bring this Program to as many students as possible in the coming years.

 

"OCWA's OneWater Education Program is a flagship initiative for our Agency," says Robin Kind, Executive Sponsor, Corporate Social Responsibility, OCWA. "We see water literacy as an important way to support the health and sustainability of our communities. By providing good water use habits to students, we are in effect, changing overall community behaviour. Teenagers are extremely influential members of their household and if we can reach them at this stage, we are ultimately helping contribute to a cleaner, safer environment for the future."

 

For further information on the OCWA OneWater Education Program or The Changing Great Lakes, please contact Amy Lane, Marketing and Community Outreach Specialist, Ontario Clean Water Agency at alane@ocwa.com.