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<br />Livin' La Agua Pura <br />- Educating the <br />Latino Community <br />About Clean Water <br />(continued) <br /> <br />0016G5 <br />''Additionally, quality of life issues and personal or community barriers may limit their <br />involvement in local water quality protection activities." This segment of the population is <br />generally ignored when it comes to getting communities involved in watershed protection because <br />of the language barrier. <br /> <br />In Santa Barbara, the area of the highest Latino population density is also where the creeks are the <br />dirtiest from upstream sources. These polluted creeks drain into the Pacific Ocean off Santa <br />Barbara, forcing beach closures that affect everyone. ERC is working in a variety of watersheds, <br />including Mission Creek, Arroyo Burro, San Antonio Creek, and the Santa Maria River. "Like <br />everyone else, many members of the Latino community go to the beach. Kids play in the creek. <br />Latinos are definitely interested in the problem. However, because of language and cultural issues, <br />community members are often not engaged in water protection activities," explained Mike <br />Marzolla, 4-H Youth Development Advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension <br />in Santa Barbara County. "Usually, people in charge of outreach are not Latino and do not speak <br />the language. Therefore, they do not know how to reach the Latino community." <br /> <br />The ERe's Agua Pura workshop, officially known as the Watershed Education Leadership <br />Institute, was a partnership effort involving the ERC, the California Aquatic Science Education <br />Consortium, the University of California Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development <br />Program, the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network, and the Adopt-A-Watershed <br />Program. The institute was funded by a USDA Cooperative State Research Education and <br />Extension Service (CSREES) grant, and its purpose was to improve understanding of how <br />community educators and youth leaders can involve Latino youth in watershed protection and to <br />begin to understand how resources need to be adapted to their needs and interests. <br /> <br />Watershed Education Leadership Institute <br /> <br />The June 1999 leadership institute focused on gathering the people who work with Latino youth <br />on a regular basis, including teachers, scout leaders, park rangers, museum employees, and other <br />youth leaders. Some participants, including those from the Urban Creek Foundation and the local <br />Water District, attended because they recognized an opportunity to expand their outreach <br />programs. The first day of the three-day institute was spent familiarizing youth leaders with local <br />watershed issues, including water quality problems, ongoing water quality studies, and water <br />quality monitoring efforts. Youth leaders then participated in hands-on activities, including <br />mapping a watershed, assessing erosion and other impacts along a creek bed, and sampling for <br />water quality and macroinvertebate populations in a local stream. <br /> <br />The second day of the institute focused on teaching the youth leaders how to better understand <br />the young people they work with and how to be more effective leaders. Discussions included the <br />factors that affect adolescent behavior, the use of poetry and art to educate youth, and identifica- <br />tion of outreach methods available to involve the Latino community in water education programs. <br /> <br />The third day of the institute focused on linking youth with education opportunities. Topics <br />addressed included the availability of watershed education resources and ways for youth leaders to <br />conduct a community education planning activity. A series of discussions followed, which included <br />characterizing the Latino community and assessing how curricula and activities could be modified <br />to suit the needs of Latino youth. Through this idea exchange, the youth leaders determined that <br />the following actions are needed to better reach out and involve Latino youth in water programs. <br /> <br />Reaching the Community <br /> <br />First, the leaders noted from experience that the Latino community is very centered around the <br />family. Latino youth do not tend to participate in many activities without other family members. <br />Therefore, watershed activities must be family-oriented and designed so that parents and other <br />family members can also participate. Moreover, youth leaders must communicate with parents <br />about the activities. "It helps to have individuals, preferably Latino, go door to door and talk with <br />the parents, explaining the after school activity and welcoming them to participate," noted <br />Thompson. <br /> <br />MARCH 2000, ISSUE #60 <br /> <br />NONPOINT SOURCE NEWS-NOTES <br /> <br />23 <br />