WETF Final ReportJuly2008

• Project Type: General OWC
• Project Name: Water Education Task Force
• Title: Water Education Task Force Final Report
• Date: 10/1/2008
• County: Statewide
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Final Report

Executive Summary
The Colorado Water Conservation Board charged the Water Education Task Force (WETF) with
an initiative to better understand the current status of water education in Colorado. This report
and its companion document "Water Education Survey and Focus Group Report: 2008 Results"
represent the results of this effort.
The primary purpose of WETF was to assess current water education efforts in place
throughout Colorado. This initiative is funded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board in
partnership with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and the Colorado
Watershed Network.
Recommendations
WETF participants are recommending that the State of Colorado lead efforts for its agencies,
municipalities, non-governmental organizations, residents and visitors to achieve higher levels
of water stewardship by committing to a series of specific actions. These actions are phrased
as the following recommendations*:
• Supporting a statewide public education initiative to increase the public's understanding
and stewardship of Colorado's water resources. Colorado's state funded water
education programs are to focus beyond information transferthrough printed or other
media informational campaigns and incorporate further elements which develop
appreciation, understanding, and ultimately action on behalf of Colorado's water
resources.
• Developing and supporting consistent and audience-appropriate messages to raise
awareness about the importance of water in our state; including a public relations
campaign.
• Establishing long-term, adequate funding for intra-and inter-state collaboration
opportunities among Colorado's water educators that build upon existing networks
(including but not limited to clearinghouse/database of water education opportunities,
interactive communication/discussion board, listserv, networking opportunities, grant
opportunities, training opportunities on evaluation tools and best practices for water
education providers, etc.).
• Maximizing learning opportunities by cross-collaborating with those working to educate
about other natural resource issues (e.g., climate change, energy, wildlife, etc.).
• Coordinating education efforts across Departments and Divisions (i.e., coordinating
efforts across the Departments of Education, Natural Resources, Health and
Environment, Agriculture, Governor's Energy Office and others, as well as, coordination
within each Department).
• Ensuring that water resource content and stewardship skills are of continued importance
to the Colorado Department of Education and integrated into the K-12 Model Content
Standards. Characterize the needs of K-12 educators to include water education in
classrooms.
• Establishing long-term, adequate funding to support or establish effective water resource
education that emphasizes moving learners from awareness to action.
• Implementing an assessment strategy with well-defined objectives and benchmarks to
measure the effectiveness of Colorado's water education programs.
• Specify how the above recommendations are going to be accomplished by creating a
detailed action plan.
(*Recommendations are not listed in any specific order.)
WETF 2008 Final Report pg. 3