APW is so excited to be getting back into the field, with many of its 2023 Water Festivals taking place in February and March. This means there are many opportunities for the public to get involved and contribute to their communities at these fun-filled educational field days. Arizona Water Festivals help 4th graders across the state gain a deeper understanding of water in the Earth System and Arizona's water resources.
November 04, 2022
APW AmeriCorps Spotlight: Juliana Perez
My name is Juliana, and I am one of four AmeriCorps Water Educators in Tucson working with Arizona Project WET (APW). So much happened in our first few weeks on the job. We all jumped right into the action. As water educators, we are tasked with teaching students from 4th grade all the way through high school through APW’s different programs. During the first month, in addition to learning about water and how to lead the lessons through training and seminars, we also had firsthand teaching experiences.
As I have recently learned, the state of Arizona requires that 4th graders learn about groundwater, the water cycle, water conservation, and watersheds. What’s cool about our curriculum is that the setting and lesson can vary from class to class. We mainly teach our groundwater lesson by visiting the students in classrooms. All other lessons are usually done during a field trip to the Sweetwater Wetlands, where we rotate through each of the remaining lessons—watershed, water cycle, and water conservation.
We were able to accomplish something really neat recently by taking part in the Marana Water Festival. We gave the same four-lesson curriculum in a group-by-group rotation, but on a much larger scale. The festival took place in a park located in Marana, where more than 40 volunteers came to help. With this large of a space and so many volunteers, we were able to work with approximately 40 classes all in one day. Taking part in this festival was truly fun and an amazing experience. I look forward to all the water festivals, class visits, and other events to come.
We still have AmeriCorps positions available in all four of our counties—Maricopa, Pinal, Coconino, and Pima. If you or someone you know is interested in serving as a Water Educator in Arizona, visit linktr.ee/azprojectwet to learn more and apply!
Apply to be an AmeriCorps Water Educator
Recent News
January 13, 2023
USGS Coordination Grant Awarded for Measuring River Flooding Events
As Arizona’s federally authorized Water Resources Research Institute, the WRRC helps administer USGS-funded Coordination Grants under the Water Resources Research Act. Dr.
December 16, 2022
Water on Mars
To investigate connections between landforms on Mars to landforms on Earth, APW travels far into water education topics. Through a partnership with Flagstaff’s STEM City Full STEAM Ahead (FSA) program, APW is engaged in a year-long initiative with FUSD’s Shauna Cooper of Knoles Elementary to deepen science instruction in her fifth-grade classroom.
December 09, 2022
Rep. Jim Kolbe Remembered for His Service to Southeastern Arizona
On Saturday, December 3, former congressional representative for Southern Arizona, Jim Kolbe, died at age 80. He had served in Congress for 22 years, from 1984 to 2006, for 20 years as a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee.
December 02, 2022
Two New Publications from WRRC Staff
Two new publications have recently been released, featuring work from WRRC staff. Transboundary Aquifers – Challenges and the way forward, was published by the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
November 18, 2022
First Citizen Initiated AMA Approved by Voters
On November 8, 2022, residents in two southeastern Arizona groundwater basins voted on whether to put limits on groundwater use.