About the Watershed Classroom
Our mission is to support the implementation of exceptionally engaging curriculum about the Petaluma River and Watershed with the goals of inspiring youth, improving local education, and celebrating our local environment.
We support teachers that develop and implement projects focused on the Petaluma River and/or Watershed. A $500 stipend is provided to fund the additional time needed to lesson plan for the implementation of the project. The first year in the Watershed Classroom program, we provide as much support and mentoring as is necessary to build a successful curriculum. We offer free field trips to the Steamer Landing and the David Yearsley River Heritage Center; provide water testing training and kits for class use; and purchase any additional materials needed.
The second year we continue to support our teachers, and provide a $250 stipend with the understanding that the outside planning time will be considerably less than the first year. With the curriculum strongly developed and implemented, third year teachers will receive a $250 stipend as they work to fully integrate their project into the curriculum. After participating for three years, teachers are encouraged to mentor educators new to the program.
We have had the opportunity to support educators in nearly every school in Petaluma, across all grade levels, with projects in Science, English Language, Social Studies and History. The collaboration between seasoned Watershed Classroom teachers and those just starting their projects, facilitates a smooth development and integration of new curriculum.
All Watershed Classroom projects are archived and can be used as references and tools for other educators.
Benefits of Participating
What We Do
Friends of the Petaluma River (FOPR) introduced the Watershed Classroom in 2013 to educate local youth about the Petaluma Watershed, build capacity to increase experiential learning opportunities in Petaluma, and inspire youth to protect and conserve their local watershed.
Friends of the Petaluma River believes that educators are our community’s most important resource. By teaching Petaluma’s youth, our teachers are guiding future generations of Petalumans whose decisions will determine the health and vitality of our watershed. That is why the Watershed Classroom focuses on providing our educators with the tools they need to implement their exceptional outdoor curriculum.
Educators in the program benefit from:
$500 stipend
1/2 to be given at the beginning of the semester and 1/2 with the completion of the project at the end of the semester
borrowing privileges for classroom supplies
classroom funding
free field trips
access to state of the art educational tools
recognition for curriculum design
annual professional development training, with stipend
and so much more!
Local teachers are invited to apply here or email our Program Director to discuss working with the Watershed Classroom.
