Watershed Pen Pals:
From Creeks To Coast
Watershed Pen Pals: From Creeks to Coast is a collective of St. Clair County schools, fourth and fifth grade educators, and community partners working with Friends of the St. Clair River to foster connections between young people and their communities to develop meaningful watershed experiences.
Join our brand new, curriculum-based program that brings together Blue Water Area schools, students, and the community across rural and urban landscapes to build STEM skills using watersheds as out-of-school classrooms. St. Clair River Watershed Pen Pals provides teachers with sustained professional development to direct Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences (MWEEs) in their classrooms. Training in the program includes watershed and environmental education, place-based learning, and community partner connections.
Teacher-guided MWEEs will give students peer-to-peer collaboration across our local watersheds, empower students to create meaningful change through environmental action projects, and share their experiences through a culminating, community-wide Student Summit. Teachers and students will be paired up with another classroom that will serve as their Watershed Pen Pal. Outdoor field experiences will expose teachers and students to hands-on learning to nurture a sense of stewardship for the St. Clair River’s watersheds. Teachers are supported throughout the school year with educational resources, help from field experts, and virtual learning community meetings.
Outdoor field experiences will expose teachers and students to hands-on learning to nurture a sense of stewardship for the St. Clair River’s watersheds. Applications are now open. Click here for the registration form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Friends of the St. Clair River Watershed Educator, Taylor Habedank Fuller at [email protected].
What’s Included:
- 4 days of professional development in Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences, with a $400 participation stipend and up to an additional $200 participation stipend for educators who participate in 1-hr virtual monthly check in meetings
- $50 for completion of 3-hr online course
- Estimated 28-36 SCECH’s
- Free backpack of watershed exploration supplies
- Class-to-class communication using a modern twist on pen pals
- Classroom visits and virtual check-ins from field experts
- Community partner connections to augment learning
- $300 mini-grant to support a classroom environmental action project
- Invitation to a culminating Student Summit
Timeline for 2025-26 Watershed Pen Pals:
- Applications open:
March 21st, 2025 - Applications due:
April 11th, 2025 - Applicants notified of acceptance:
Early May, 2025 - Professional Development Days:
June 23rd-25th and August 12th, 2025 - Environmental action projects:
Throughout 2025-26 school year - Classroom support and virtual check-ins from field experts:
Ongoing through 2025-26 school year
St. Clair County Schools Districts overlayed with the St. Clair River's watersheds. This map is the foundation for the Watershed Pen Pals Program. Click map to download, or request a copy of the map.
"We are huge fans of our collaboration with the Friends of the St. Clair River. Our Middle School Innovation Academy students are engaged in authentic learning that values their voices and increases their agency. Thank you so much for being such a valued partner on so many initiatives!"
– Brenda Tenniswood, Superintendent, St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)
Watershed Pen Pals News & Resources
Media
The NOAA Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training Program announces 2024 awards to the new Great Lakes B-WET grantees. The Great Lakes B-WET program awarded $652,117 to seven environmental education projects throughout the Great Lakes basin.
Place-Based Education In Action
We are committed to offering sustained learning opportunities that foster life-long environmental stewardship in formal education settings. To support that learning, we facilitate Place-Based Education (PBE) programs alongside local K-12 educators. In semester-long programs, students apply content area knowledge and skills while building community partner relationships and solving authentic environmental problems.
Click on a project to learn more!
Protecting Cuttle Creek
St. Clair County RESA Middle School Innovation Academy - Fall 2023
During the Fall 2023 semester, seventh grade student teams tackled the challenge we gave them of "How do we protect Cuttle Creek?” View their proposals on the St. Clair County RESA Middle School Innovation Academy website.
"Thank you so much for letting Belle River students go on the sturgeon cruise today. I appreciate how you are creating awareness of the sturgeon and opening experiences for our youth. Today's trip will be something they remember for years to come."
– Don Mackewich, 5th Grade Teacher, Belle River Elementary
Contact Info
Outdoor field experiences will expose teachers and students to hands-on learning to nurture a sense of stewardship for the St. Clair River’s watersheds. Applications are now open. If you have any questions, please reach out to Friends of the St. Clair River Watershed Educator, Taylor Habedank Fuller at [email protected].
"Thank you again for the amazing day! Our favorite part was the relationships the students were building. I am feeling invigorated!"
– Rachel Verschaeve, Supervisor of Innovation and Design Thinking, St Clair County RESA
Project Partners
Watershed Pen Pals: From Creeks to Coast is funded by the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program. This funding is part of NOAA B-WET's initiative designed to provide professional development for teachers and promote Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action. The primary delivery of B-WET is through competitive grants.