Maine Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an interdisciplinary water science and education program for formal and non-formal educators of K-12 students.

I feel even more motivated to carry on the water education program we started this year."
Workshop attendee, 5/18/07

How does Project WET work?

Project WET is a network of state coordinators who provide educators with the materials and skills they need to teach about water through professional development workshops. Project WET has been used successfully by more than 30,000 teachers during the past 15 years and recently expanded to the international stage, having been adopted by teachers in more than 28 countries. Portland Water District, whose water education programs reach more than 2,000 students each year, is the primary sponsor of Project WET in Maine. Other sponsors include the University of Maine’s Mitchell Center, and Poland Springs Bottling Company. More information can be found at Portland Water District's Web site.

Trained educators use the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide, a collection of over 90 interdisciplinary activities that deal with water-related topics, to educate students about water. The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide is available to teachers and facilitators throughout the country who attend Project WET training workshops.

Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide lessons incorporate a variety of formats, such as large and small group learning, whole-body activities, laboratory investigations, discussion of local and global topics, and community service projects. The guide also features cross-reference and planning charts, a glossary, and background material on activity development and field-testing.

Project WET Plus

In response to requests from coordinators, teachers, and students, Project WET has developed several programs, publications, and instruction kits that complement the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. They include:

• Healthy Water, Healthy People
• Native Waters
• Kids in Discovery Series
• WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands
• Discover a Watershed Series
• Conserve Water
• Ground Water

Project WET supports the No Child Left Behind Act; curricula materials cover diverse topics and disciplines and are designed with a commitment to state, provincial and national education standards. Materials designed to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills are developed, field tested and reviewed by hundreds of educators and resource managers nationwide. Project WET provides high-quality professional development for teachers and non-formal educators through workshops designed around scientifically sound subject matter, practices that have been proven to be effective and a long-term network of support.

The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.

The goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote the awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the development and dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and through the establishment of state and internationally sponsored Project WET programs.

Project WET Core Beliefs:

• Water moves through living and nonliving systems and binds them together in a complex web of life.
• Water of sufficient quality and quantity is important for all water users (energy producers, farmers and ranchers, fish and wildlife, manufacturers, recreationists, rural and urban dwellers).
• Sustainable water management is crucial for providing tomorrow's children with social and economic stability in a healthy environment.
• Awareness of, and respect for, water resources can encourage a personal, lifelong commitment of responsibility and positive community participation.