WVDEP, City of Charleston promoting water education

CHARLESTON, WV – Kanawha County fifth-grade students will explore issues such as pollution in our oceans and the differences between tap and bottled water during the inaugural Wild and Wonderful Water Science Fair Monday, February 17, at the Advanced Technology Center Toyota Hall in South Charleston.

Organized by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Program and the City of Charleston’s Stormwater Program, the fair begins at 9 a.m. and presentations run until approximately 1:30 p.m. A reception, during which projects will be on display, is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. The reception is open to the public.

A panel of four judges will evaluate 15 water science projects and select first-, second- and third-place winners. Each project was developed as a classroom effort but will be presented to judges by a team of two students representing their respective class. In addition to $250, the winning class will receive a trophy and individual medals. The second-place winner will receive $150 and third-place $100.

The goals of the Wild and Wonderful Water Science Fair include providing an opportunity for teachers to incorporate the West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives for science into classroom projects; to help students learn more and build confidence about science-related careers; and to demonstrate the importance of water to the world.

Additional sponsors for the fair include: DuPont; West Virginia American Water; Antero Resources; Waste Management; and City National Bank.

Science fair partners include: West Virginia State University; the National Park Service; the West Virginia Youth Environmental Program; and the West Virginia divisions of Forestry and Natural Resources.