BWISE

Bay Watershed In Science Education

What is bwise?

The goal of BWISE is to build HCPS teacher capacity to facilitate immersive and authentic Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) and provide students with a complete MWEE.

bwise NEWS!!!

Henrico 6th Grade Students MWEE

Thanks to the BWISE Grant from NOAA and partnerships with Maymont, Henricopolis, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Keep Henrico Beautiful, VCU, and VPM; Henrico Country 6th Grade Students are able to have meaningful watershed educational experiences this spring on their own school campuses or virtually from their homes. Check out the amazing three year journey on Youtube and see what is happening with BWISE.

Free Admission to Maymont's Robins Nature Center

Thanks to the NOAA B-WET Grant, Maymont is providing free admission for all 6th grade students and their families. Please go here for more information. We hope you take advantage of this great opportunity!

6th Grade Students Helped Our Watershed

During the Spring 2020 closure, over 470 students accepted the HCPS Watershed Challenge and got outside! Students evaluated and made a positive action to improve their watershed. Visit VPM Science Matters to read more about the Watershed Challenge.

HCPS Watershed Challenge

Please check out and attempt the Watershed Challenge, located at the menu on the top of this page. HCPS students and teachers can help improve our James River and Chesapeake Bay Watershed right from their homes!

6th Grade Students from Across Henrico County Visit Maymont

Thanks to a grant from NOAA and partnerships with Maymont, Henricopolis, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Keep Henrico Beautiful, and VCU; Henrico Country 6th Grade Students are able to have meaningful watershed experiences this fall at Maymont for the second year in a row. Visit YouTube to view what is happening with BWISE.

Henrico County 6th Graders Learn about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

The BWISE partnership was highlighted by the VPM's Science Matters Initiative. Visit Science Matters for the article that includes student videos and information about BWISE.

bwise & deeper learning/steam

The MWEE exemplifies an authentic STEAM learning experience where students identify a problem, apply skills and knowledge across contents and utilize the design cycle as they present solutions in the form of an action project.

Henrico County's Four Pillars of Learning. 1 Learning is anytime, anywhere. 2 Learning is authentic and connected. 3 Learning is student owned. 4 Learning is community supported

MWEEs through BWISE fit well within the Deeper Learning Model

Pillar I: Students participate in field experiences that tie into classroom learning and can be taken home and applied to their community.
Pillar II: Students conduct research, collect and analyze data about their watershed, and design an action plan based on their findings
Pillar III: Issue Identification and Action Projects are determined through student voice and choice
Pillar IV: Teachers and students partner with Maymont, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Henricopolis Soil & Water Conservation District, Keep Henrico Beautiful and have the potential to share their results and action project beyond the walls of their classroom

BWISE Partners

NOAA

Maymont

Henrico County Public Schools

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Henricopolis

VCU School of Education

Keep Henrico Beautiful