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<br />Part two will focus on recommendations for future water ~ducation work. General recommendations are <br />given first followed by more specific recommendations. The formation of a Colorado water education <br />foundation will provide ongoing opportunities for collaboration and meetings of water education <br />providers/stakeholders, ongoing communication through a listserve, and seed money for carefully selected <br />pilot projects. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The structure and functions for the foundation should be Qarefully defined and refined in the next six months <br />with ongoing communication via meetings and email witl\ water education stakeholders. After the <br />foundation is established, it can support the production ofiwater education materials, review of programs, <br />and dissemination of materials. It's critical that there is a f\.1ll time coordinator for the foundation. Funding <br />needs to be stable and not totally dependent on grants and donations. It's crucial that all water education <br />providers and stakeholders for water education are informed regularly about water education work and have <br />opportunities for input. <br /> <br />Specific Recommendations <br /> <br />. Have comprehensive database of water education programs. This will also help <br /> <br />. identify gaps and overlaps in water education. <br /> <br />. Identify effective adult water education programs in Colorado and other states. <br /> <br />. Provide coordinated adult water education programs and resources for Colorado (should <br /> <br />. include history and law aspects) <br /> <br />· Continue listserve for ongoing communication with wllter education providers. Send appropriate water e <br />information items to other listserves such as science and the MAST Center at the University of Northern <br />Colorado. <br /> <br />. meetings each year for water education providers to share ideas. For people who cannot attend due to <br />long travel distances provide a teleconferencing option. <br /> <br />. Hold special meetings or workshops for providers on ~pecific topics such as sharing best ideas for water <br />festivals or presentation strategies for different audienfes. <br /> <br />. Work with NSF funded Digital Water Education Libr~y Project to highlight Colorado water education <br />projects and access national projects <br /> <br />. Set up or work with another group to have a web site Web site should have links to many other water <br />education sites. As the foundation becomes establishe(i, it should have it's own web site. Prior to <br />developing a web site, have a temporary site with a neptra1 group that all stakeholders would accept (e.g. <br />MAST web site at the University of North em Coloradp) <br />, <br />. Set up a grant proposal process for pilot projects with ~pecific criteria delineated at the outset This should <br />allow for new programs to be evaluated or to refine p~ograms that have been available for awhile. <br />Criteria for Kindergarten - grade 12 should include alignment with Colorado model content standards <br />and having a variety of student assessments. There should be a selection committee that consists of <br />people who are not water education providers. This needs to be an unbiased process for credibility. <br /> <br />. An outside evaluator who does not have a stake in any of the projects should evaluate all funded projects. <br />Projects should not be piloted until the evaluation pro~ess is in place. <br /> <br />. Communicate with and meet as appropriate with educ~tion grOUpS such as the Colorado Science tit <br />Education Network and the social studies coordinator!group. <br />