3rd Graders from Vernon 'Graduate' From Water Education Curriculum

VERNON, CT — Students from Center Road, Lake Street and Maple Street elementary schools in Vernon were among nearly 600 Connecticut third-graders who "graduated" from the Water Drop Watcher program during the 2022-2023 school year.

Connecticut Water Company offers the program.

The Water Drop Watcher program meets state curriculum standards for water education and is taught by Connecticut Water employees, who visit classrooms as volunteer teachers. The program teaches about the water cycle, the scarcity of fresh water available for human consumption, and the need to protect and conserve water resources.

"It was an absolute thrill to be able to teach children about water," said Jessica Demar, a regulatory and environmental compliance coordinator. "The look on their faces is precious when then learn that only 1 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water that is available for drinking and that the water we have today is the same water the dinosaurs had when they roamed the planet. More importantly, it helps children understand the importance of water."

The program is offered free to schools that are served by Connecticut Water and features a variety of hands-on activities to engage children and help them to learn while having fun. Children are asked to sign a Water Drop Watcher pledge that encourages them to educate their families about water and the need to use it wisely.

The Water Drop Watchers program is in its sixth year and has reached more than 4,200 children, overall.

The program will be offered again next year by Connecticut Water volunteer teachers.

Information on the Water Drop Watchers program, including the lesson plans and worksheets, as well as other water related educational materials for children is available online at ctwater.com/conservation.