Learn the framework for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) — an approach that helps students connect classroom learning with real-world watershed and environmental issues. This self-paced course is ideal for educators new to outdoor or place-based learning.

• Take the MWEE 101 Online Course: MWEE 101: An Introduction to the MWEE Framework (CBF Course)

• What You’ll Learn:

  • Core principles of MWEEs

  • How to design and implement your own MWEE

  • Strategies to integrate environmental topics into multiple subjects, including science, math, and social studies

  • Tips for outdoor classroom management and safety

Additional Resources:

• Download An Educator's Guide to the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience 

• What are Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs)?

• For more information on the Essential Elements and Supporting Practices, visit the Chesapeake Bay Program's online resource site.

• Chesapeake Classrooms offers hands-on, field-based professional learning for educators, modeling Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs).

  • Courses equip teachers with skills and confidence to design and implement their own MWEEs in an immersive, supportive outdoor setting.

  • Continuing education, contact hours, and some graduate credit may be available; orientation is required prior to each course.

• Sign up for CBF Education emails to be notified about future registration.

• Courses are offered at discounted rates; cancellations, deadlines, and full course details available on the Chesapeake Classrooms website

Water Education for Teachers
Project WET (Water Education Today) provides engaging, hands-on activities and lessons to help educators teach about water resources. In West Virginia, Project WET workshops are FREE and offered throughout the state by the WVDEP.

How to Sign Up:

• Visit the WV Project WET website: How Can I Sign Up for a Project WET Educator Workshop?  

  • Contact Information:
    Tomi Bergstrom
    Project WET Program & Western Basin Coordinator
    West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection -
    Watershed Improvement Branch
    601 57th Street SE, Charleston, WV 25304
    📞 (304) 926-0499 x43862
    📧 Tomi.M.Bergstrom@wv.gov

Workshops Include:

• Interactive water education activities

• Classroom-ready resources

• Cross-curricular lesson ideas connecting science, math, and art

Project WET Resources:

• West Virginia Project WET Brochure:

Provides a downloadable overview of the program.

• Project WET Foundation Website: 

Stay updated on events, promotions, and new water education resources.

• Project WET on YouTube – Environment Matters: 

Learn more about the program from WVDEP’s Environment Matters channel.

• Find Project WET Trainings Near You

• Discover Water

DiscoverWater.org is Project WET’s interactive online hub for free, standards-aligned water education resources. Designed with educators in mind, the platform offers ready-to-use lessons, videos, digital tools, and background information that help students explore water systems, water conservation, and watershed connections.

Why teachers love it:

• Free classroom activities and lesson plans

• Interactive media that supports in-class or outdoor learning

• Content aligned with Project WET principles and MWEE approaches

• Suitable for elementary through secondary learners

Best for: Elementary and middle school classrooms, with adaptable content for upper grades.

Engage, Educate, Inspire

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program designed for educators working with students from preschool through grade 12. In West Virginia, PLT offers workshops across various educational levels:

• Early Childhood: Activities for children ages 1–6, focusing on nature exploration.

• PreK–8: Over 96 interdisciplinary activities that build critical thinking skills.

• Secondary: Advanced modules for high school students, including forest ecology and sustainability.

• Pre-Service: Training for future educators to integrate environmental education into their curriculum.

Not able to attend an in-person workshop? Access professional development anytime through PLT's online courses. 

Contact Information:

Linda Carnell

West Virginia Division of Forestry- 

West Virginia PLT State Coordinator

One Depot Street, Romney, WV 26757

📞304-822-4512

📧 Linda.O.Carnell@wv.gov

National Trout in the Classroom Program 

Hands-on watershed education through real-world conservation science. Students  explore environmental stewardship by raising trout in their classroom and later releasing them into approved local streams. Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is an interactive, year-long program that connects students to aquatic ecosystems, water quality, and conservation ethics through direct experience. The program is supported by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR) in partnership with Trout Unlimited and funded by local and regional supporters.

What Students Learn:

• Trout life cycles and biology

• Water quality and stream health indicators

• Stream habitat requirements and ecosystem balance

• Conservation ethics and stewardship responsibilities

Who It’s For:

• Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School classrooms

• Educators interested in hands-on, inquiry-based, and outdoor-connected learning

Getting Started:

• Learn how to start a Trout in the Classroom program here

• WV DNR Trout in the Classroom (West Virginia–specific guidance):

Local Support – Eastern Panhandle & Northern WV:

• P. Pendleton Kennedy Chapter of Trout Unlimited: 

  • Based in Northern and Eastern West Virginia

  • Check out their Facebook page

For assistance or to learn more about local support in the Eastern Panhandle, click here to message the chapter president Jay Hanna through Trout Unlimited.

WV Save Our Streams (SOS) is a statewide program focused on helping communities understand, protect, and restore local streams by learning how to assess their ecological health. Through educator-friendly workshops and volunteer training, SOS introduces participants to stream monitoring using age-appropriate, inquiry-based methods that work well for all classrooms, from elementary to higher education.

What Students Learn

• How healthy streams support wildlife and communities

• The role of insects and other aquatic organisms in stream ecosystems

• Basic water quality concepts and habitat observations

• How scientists and volunteers assess stream health
  
  

How It Works

SOS workshops train participants in biosurvey-based stream monitoring, an approach that centers on observing and identifying benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Students also learn to observe physical and chemical stream conditions, helping them understand how land use and human activity affect waterways.

While SOS offers multiple survey levels, educators can adapt concepts for younger learners by focusing on:

• Macroinvertebrate discovery and identification

• Habitat observation and comparison

• Simple data collection and reflection
  
  

Classroom & Outdoor Applications

• Stream walks and habitat observations

• Macroinvertebrate sampling demonstrations (where safe and appropriate)

• Classroom investigations using collected data or example datasets

• Connecting stream health to local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay
  
  

Getting Involved & Resources

• Stream Monitoring Workshops:
  Learn what to expect, how to schedule, and how to prepare for SOS workshops

• Standard Operating Procedures:
  Overview of SOS methods for conducting stream biosurveys and assessments

• West Virginia Watersheds:

Explore West Virginia’s watersheds and learn how local streams, rivers, and communities are connected—this resource helps educators and students understand watershed boundaries, stewardship opportunities, and the role we all play in protecting water quality across the state.

Contact Information

Save Our Streams Program
Email: saveourstreams@wv.gov

Interim Contact for Stream Monitoring Workshops:
Callie Sams
Email: Callie.C.Sams@wv.gov

Environmental Science Competition for High School Students

The West Virginia Envirothon is a conservation education program and competition for students in grades 9 through 12. It focuses on five subject areas:

• Aquatics

• Forestry

• Soils

• Wildlife

• Current Environmental Issues

Participants learn about West Virginia's diverse ecosystems and how to conserve and protect them for future generations.