DRBA Receives Grant So Students Can Learn from the Dan River
June 17, 2020
This upcoming school year, every sixth grade student in Pittsylvania County, VA will receive environmental education focused on the Dan River, thanks to a grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE).
“VEE is pleased to partner with the Dan River Basin Association to help these students learn about the environmental wonders of their own backyard and community,” said Joseph H. Maroon, Executive Director of the Endowment. “It is our hope that wherever they end up as adults, they will take with them a conservation ethic forged in their Pittsylvania experience and education.”
The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) was awarded the two-year grant to provide environmental programming to the same 600 students through the 6th and 7th grades. The project, called “Students Taking on Environmental Matters” or the STEM Project, is in partnership with the Pittsylvania County Public Schools at the STEM Academy in Chatham, VA.
Krista Hodges, DRBA’s Education Manager, says, “A student’s time in school provides a unique opportunity to build the skills necessary to understand and utilize scientific evidence so the students will be better informed to make decisions regarding environmental issues. What is learned in the classroom will then be combined with outdoor field experiences to connect students to their watershed so they can become involved in their own community.”
The middle school students will focus on community conservation, environmental literacy, and water quality protection. The first year, the students will conduct water quality monitoring investigations on the Dan River while focusing in the classroom on human impact to the environment. This investigative type of learning helps students to learn about their own community and decide for themselves ways they can take action through civic responsibility.
“This is a great opportunity for our sixth graders to build life skills, reinforce their SOLs, and enjoy hands-on activities. This two-year consecutive program allows for investigation and knowledge-building of the natural processes affecting our local watersheds,” stated Jill Collins, STEM Academy teacher.
The second year of the grant dives deeper into understanding the freshwater environment and ecosystems. This will include identifying freshwater organisms and discussing the effects of pollution on the organisms and food webs. At the end of the second year, the seventh grade students will create an environmental awareness project such as an art display or public service announcement to share with the community and the younger sixth grade students.
“The project will allow the teachers to fully integrate environmental, watershed-based learning into their curriculum while aligning with state standards,” said Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of DRBA. “The impact of this generous grant from VEE will carry on after the grant period because the supplies and resources are reusable.”
To learn more about DRBA's impact and programs that protect and conserve our natural resources, visit danriver.org.
The mission of the Dan River Basin Association is to promote and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River basin through education, recreation, and stewardship. DRBA works to fulfill that mission by building river accesses and trails, educating people of all ages about protecting our natural resources, and protecting our water resources through water quality monitoring, cleanups and master planning. The Dan River basin is 3,300 square miles including sixteen counties throughout Virginia and North Carolina.
To learn more about DRBA's environmental education programs contact Krista Hodges at khodges@danriver.org.
