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What is a MWEE?
What is a MWEE?
Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, MWEEs, connect standards-based classroom learning with outdoor field experiences to create a deeper understanding of the environment. Through MWEEs, students of all ages develop a sense of environmental ethics and stewardship that will be essential to the long-term sustainability of our local watersheds and will serve as the foundation of a lifelong relationship with the environment. (BayBackpack, 2025).
MWEE Essential Elements and Supporting Teacher Practices (BayBackpack, 2025).
What is a Watershed?
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is a land area that drains into a common body of water. The water that rains onto your schoolyard drains into a nearby lake, stream, or river - this is the start of your “watershed address”. The water in that lake, stream, or river keeps flowing into the next water body, that’s your larger watershed address. That water continues to flow, and your watershed address gets larger - just like your street, city, state, and country address. Visit River Runner to map your watershed address. You don’t need a water body on your school grounds to engage your students in a MWEE. The MWEE is a WATERSHED experience, and we all live in a watershed!
Adams County Watersheds from DEP's county wide action plan snapshot.
Why is the MWEE Important?
Why is the MWEE Important?
Pennsylvania’s 3.4 Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (ELS) standards incorporate the essential elements of the MWEE model. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, signed by the Governors of all 6 watershed states (PA, MD, DE, NY, VA, WV, and DC), includes goals and outcomes related to the watershed's health. The agreement’s environmental literacy goal is rooted in K-12 education and specifies the need for one MWEE experience per grade band. Read the full Governor's agreement (PDF).
MWEE Training and Support
MWEE Training and Support
The Chesapeake Bay Program hosts BayBackpack.com, a resource hub for MWEE training, support, and inspiration. The North American Association of Environmental Educators hosts the MWEE 101 online training. Combine the online module with an in-person experience offered by local providers, including the DCNR's Bureau of State Parks or your local Intermediate Unit.
Review the PACE K-12 Investigations for opportunities to engage your students in a MWEE. Reach out to your PACE district representatives and Community Partners for planning and implementation support.
Funding and Awards to Support MWEEs
Funding and Awards to Support MWEEs
Adams County Fund for the Environment supports environmental education and local environmental projects with awards of up to $5,000 per year. Submit a letter of intent by February for an invitation to apply for the April award cycle, or by June for the September award cycle.
PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) annual grant competition opens in early fall, applications are due mid-November, and awards are announced in late April. Awards are for the following year (July 1-June 30). Mini-grants (up to $5,000) are ideal for local projects.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education Training program offers grant programs to support district capacity planning and MWEE implementation.
MWEE Awards - The PA Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE) presents annual awards for Excellence in MWEEs at the teachers, school, and partner levels. Applications are due in December.
Watch the NAAEE's MWEE Overview Videos
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