2021 Water Educator Network Symposium & Project WET Workshop

Basalt, CO – June 28 & 29, 2021

Note: A virtual session on June 21 is required for those attending the Project WET Workshop

Are you an educator who is working to raise awareness of Colorado’s water issues?  Join us for our annual Water Educator Network Symposium and Project WET Facilitator workshop in the beautiful Roaring Fork Valley.

We are excited to offer water educators two days of professional development with a great lineup of speakers (to be announced), a hands-on water science experience, and other educational activities appropriate for educators serving both youth and adult audiences.

Water Educator Network Symposium

Building Impactful Public Awareness Strategies
June 28, 2021
9:00am-3:45pm (note new timing)

We are pleased to announce an extended schedule, new training opportunity, and five fantastic speakers for this year’s annual Water Educator Network Symposium! See the draft agenda for details.

The Water Educator Network (WEN) supports and connects Colorado’s education and outreach professionals dedicated to advancing understanding about water through implementation of the Statewide Water Education Action Plan (SWEAP). This year’s Annual WEN Symposium will focus on implementing a multi-channeled public relations and media campaign for water awareness, informed by numerous case studies, and with an eye toward planning for a statewide “Water ‘22” campaign in 2022, one of the strategies for awareness building in SWEAP.

As we look out to the year 2022, and as much of the state continues to confront significant drought, we see many opportunities on the horizon to highlight the importance of water in our lives and in the history of Colorado. The year 2022 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact, the first update of the Colorado Water Plan, and many more historically significant dates. In this Symposium, we will consider: What lessons can we learn from previous and ongoing awareness campaigns and strategies at the local, basin/regional, and state scales? How can we build awareness across Colorado by engaging new audiences in new and different ways? What communication channels work best for unique audiences around the state? What was Water 2012, and how can we learn from, and build on that statewide campaign?

Please join us in person for a robust discussion of these exciting opportunities and examples from educators who continue to explore best practices for awareness-building. We hope to leave the Symposium energized to work together as educators on a grassroots level across Colorado to raise awareness around this vital resource.

View Draft Agenda

Project WET Facilitator Workshop

Train the Trainer and Peer-Learning Workshop

June 21, 2021 – Session 1 (via Zoom)
9am-12pm

June 29, 2021 – Session 2 (in-person, Basalt)
8:30am-2:30pm

Join us for an exciting, two-part hybrid workshop and become certified as a Project WET (Water Education Today) Facilitator!

This workshop will train new and existing Project WET Facilitators through a hybrid “train the trainer” model, with a virtual sessions on June 21 and a full-day training offered on June 29 in conjunction with the WEN Symposium. Successful participants will be certified as Project WET Facilitators and will leave equipped to train other educators in engaging, hands-on activities using curriculum recommended by the National Science Teachers Association and drawing connections to Colorado Academic Standards. Both sessions are required for certification. If you are unable to attend the June 21 virtual session, please email scott@wateredco.org to discuss potential alternatives.

We specifically invite and welcome existing Project WET Educators and Facilitators to join this workshop. This workshop is designed for you and enhanced by you. Significant time will be dedicated to discussion and sharing of best practices learned through experience. We look forward to learning from each others’ unique insights into using Project WET with your audiences!

As leaders in water education, Project WET Facilitators work closely with Water Education Colorado as the host institution for Project WET in Colorado. Facilitators share a common commitment to high-quality adult education, to regular reporting before and after conducting workshops, and a common goal of advancing water education throughout  Colorado.

Designed to challenge students and introduce new science, social studies, English, and math concepts, Project WET‘s Guide 2.0 is the perfect curriculum and activity guide for any educator. In the workshop, the facilitator will model up to six activities and participants will plan and teach a lesson to peers and receive feedback from workshop facilitators. Upon completion of this workshop, you will be certified as a Project WET Facilitator and will leave equipped to lead engaging, hands-on trainings for new Project WET Educators using the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0.

Note: You must have a Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 to participate in the June 29 workshop. Please either bring your own Guide 2.0 or purchase one during registration.

Event Details

Registration will be capped at 50 participants for the Symposium and 30 participants for the Project WET Workshop. You may register for one or both of the events. Both events will include lunch. The deadline to register or cancel a registration is June 20, 2021.

Location and Parking

The event will be held at the Roaring Fork Conservancy’s River Center at 22800 2 Rivers Rd, Basalt, CO 81621. The River Center has very limited parking, but is within walking distance of downtown. If you are able, we recommend parking downtown or spending the night in town and walking or riding a bike to the River Center. WE-cyle offers a bike sharing program with locations in Basalt.

Are you interested in carpooling? To arrange carpools, sign up as a driver or prospective passenger here. WEco will not monitor this site.

Hotels and Accommodations

Nearby Hotels include:
Basalt Mountain Inn (Basalt)
Aspenalt Lodge (Basalt)
Element Hotel (El Jebel)
Days Inn (Carbondale)
Comfort Inn (Carbondale)

Public Health and Accessibility

Events will be held outside to the greatest extent possible. Indoor and covered facilities at the River Center will allow us the flexibility to move inside or under cover in response to weather conditions while maintaining a high degree of ventilation. If you are not yet fully vaccinated, please wear a mask when indoors. We also ask that all participants be conscientious of the needs and comfort level of other attendees. Let’s work together to enjoy the experience of getting together in person and keep each other healthy!

As of May 27, the following public health guidance was available: On May 14, the Governor issued an Executive Order. The new mask Executive Order encourages any individual aged 11 and older, who is not fully vaccinated, to continue wearing a mask indoors where members of different households are present. Fully vaccinated individuals can go without masks in almost all settings (including settings such as the Symposium and Project WET Workshop). For additional information pertaining to the new guidance, please view the Frequently Asked Questions document here. On May 19, Eagle County lifted its public health orders.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact Scott Williamson by email scott@wateredco.org or call 720-398-6438. We kindly request two weeks notice of need for accommodations.

Event Pricing

The deadline to register or cancel registration is June 20, 2021. A limited number of full or partial scholarships may be available depending on sponsorship.  If you would like to inquire about a scholarship, please fill out this form. If you are interested in sponsoring these events, please email Sami@wateredco.org.

With support from the following sponsors:

Title Sponsor:

Presenting Sponsors:

Scholarship Sponsors: