Pennsylvania Gateway to Green

Growing Environmental Literacy

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences

The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE, pronounced “MeeWee”) framework is promoted across the Commonwealth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy Network, and other organizations as the education approach of learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed action and civic engagement.

MWEE Q & A

A truly effective MWEE is place-based. It catapults students into environmental discovery, inquiry, and action in the story of their local community and watershed.

How Do I Learn More About the MWEE Model for Watershed Education?

Become a MWEE Ambassador! To become a MWEE Ambassador in Pennsylvania, you must complete the MWEE 101 Online Course and a 6-hour workshop led by a Pa. MWEE Facilitator.

How Do I Learn to Implement MWEEs in My Classroom or Support Schools in MWEEs From My Environmental Education Organization?

Continue your MWEE training by attending additional/advanced workshops to learn how to organize and design activities and curricula following the MWEE framework. Advanced workshops offered across the state include:

  • A week-long summer professional development.
  • An Act 45 course for school administrators.
  • In-depth workshops focusing on student voice, civic and environmental action projects, using the Environmental Literacy Model to plan your MWEE, and advanced knowledge and skills in watershed education.

What Steps Are Required to Reach the Different Pa. MWEE Designations?

As your experience with MWEEs grows, there are specific steps to reaching new roles — from Ambassador to Trainer.

  • Ambassador: You must complete MWEE 101 and six to 15 hours of instructional time with field experiences. This may include Act 48 hours and continuing education units (CEUs).
  • Educator: You must be a Pa. MWEE Certified Ambassador, complete 18 hours of instructional time with field experiences, and develop an Environmental Literacy Model. This may include Act 48 hours and CEUs.
  • Facilitator: You must be a Pa. MWEE Certified Ambassador or Educator, complete 12 hours of instructional time with field experiences, have one year of experience facilitating MWEEs, co-plan and lead a first workshop with a Certified Trainer, and participate in Cross-Sector Partner Convenings. This may include Act 48 hours and CEUs.
  • Trainer: You must be a Pa. MWEE Certified Facilitator, have served as an MWEE Facilitator for at least three years, and participate in Cross-Sector Partner Convenings. This requires a letter of intent to the PA ELit Network Steering Committee for review.
Flow chart of Pennsylvania Certified MWEE Designations and Roles
Click on the image to enlarge.

How Are Exceptional MWEE Efforts Recognized and Celebrated?

First awarded in 2020, Pennsylvania presents the Pennsylvania MWEE Partner and School of Excellence Awards at the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Education (PAEE) annual conference. Learn more about the awards’ criteria and apply at PAEE’s website.

Watershed Education Resources

Chesapeake Bay Program partners have created the MWEE Guide, case study videos, and many other resources available on the Bay Backpack website.

Bay Backpack logo
Chesapeake Bay Program logo

Pennsylvania MWEE Facilitator Resources

Pennsylvania MWEE Certified Facilitators lead different MWEE and Pennsylvania Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (EL&S) Standards-related professional development opportunities across the state. These resources help facilitators plan, lead, and track MWEE and EL&S workshops, events, and outreach.

The following files can be downloaded from Google Drive. If you have trouble accessing them, please email webmaster@stroudcenter.org.

  • MWEE Ambassador Workshop Agenda Template
  • MWEE Ambassador Workshop Slideshow Template
  • MWEE Workshop Sign-In Sheet
  • Pennsylvania Watershed Issue Identification Cards
  • MWEE Think Cloud

Watershed Education Partners

Bay Backpack provides educators with the tools they need to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences, or MWEEs, for their students. Explore Bay Backpack for teaching resources, action projects, field experiences, and funding opportunities related to the Chesapeake Bay.

For more than 40 years, Chesapeake Bay Foundation has provided meaningful watershed experiences to more than one million students and thousands of educators. We offer field programs for elementary through high school students, a student leadership program, and professional development programs. Join us out in the field!

Situated on the east bank of the Schuylkill River between historic Boat House Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Fairmount Water Works opened its doors in 1815 as the sole water pumping station for the City of Philadelphia and was decommissioned almost a century later, in 1909. In 2003, it was converted to a museum and environmental center and has become the region’s premier urban environmental education destination.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) offers hundreds of programs throughout the year focused on water. They also offer inquiry-based field learning experiences for your students — all which address the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s academic standards.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection‘s (PA DEP) mission is to protect the Commonwealth’s air, land, and water from pollution and to provide for the health and safety of all citizens through a cleaner environment. PA DEP’s Environmental Education and Information Center assists teachers and nonformal educators by conducting workshops and by providing resources to support environmental education. The PA DEP Environmental Education Grant Program provides funding to develop new or expand current environmental education programming.

The Pennsylvania Sea Grant team of scientists, educators, and communicators builds bridges between science and people to promote the importance of maintaining sustainable coastal and river ecosystems for the health of local communities and families and to ensure a thriving economy.

Penn State Extension is a modern educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities. Partnering with and funded by federal, state, and county governments, they have a long tradition of bringing unbiased support and education to the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Trout In the Classroom is an interdisciplinary environmental education program in which students (grades 3-12) learn about current and past impacts, management, and protection and enhancement opportunities of Pennsylvania’s watersheds and coldwater resources, while raising trout in the classroom.

Stroud Water Research Center’s Education Department interprets the research of their scientists. Programs are multidisciplinary and oriented to a wide audience. They hope that through exposure to our programs and information, people will be motivated to become responsible stewards of freshwater resources.

The Stroud Center’s WikiWatershed Toolkit is a web toolkit to support citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students to collaboratively advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water. The Toolkit includes Model My Watershed, Runoff Simulation, Monitor My Watershed, EnviroDIY, Leaf Pack Network, Macroinvertebrates.org, and the Water Quality Mobile App.