GBWAP Goals
GBWAP is driven by three important goals:
a) Relevant and up-to-date curricular materials and activities that address the educational goals of the school districts and use Galveston Bay watershed habitats, interactions of species, and environmental concerns-all as an integrating context for learning.
b) New opportunities for prepared local experts to visit classrooms, participate in classroom field experiences, and provide insight on the local environment, management of the local environment, and career opportunities in the environmental sciences.
c) New opportunities for hands-on learning, participation in authentic field research projects, student-led environmental action projects, and year-long support with research, data collection, interpretation, and presentation, and execution of environmental enhancement projects in local waterways.
Goal #2. Improve the environmental citizenry of students and teachers by:
a) Training and supporting educators on strategies that enable young people to play a lead role in community action projects focused on creating sustainable solutions to environmental issues in their communities.
Goal #3. Create strong and effective partnerships in the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed by:
a) Helping and encouraging local resources (nature centers, local government agencies, businesses) to work effectively with local schools on Galveston Bay Watershed issues via a proven model and an on-going support system.
b) Helping schools to develop strategies and work effectively in their communities to promote environmental citizenry and make sustainable improvements to their local environment.
c) Creating campuses in the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed that are continual partners in the advocacy of Galveston Bay by way of student and community participation in bay-related activities, and an information outlet for students, parents, teachers, and community members by way of student symposia, campus “Galveston Bay Learning Centers”, and teacher workshops.