ECO Video Series

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth many, many more. Videos provide an opportunity to supplement traditional indoor classwork with experiences that students may not be able to have in-person due to the constraints of distance, time, or funding. The Educational, Collaborative Online (ECO) video series produced by Fairfax County freshwater ecologists in the Watershed Education and Outreach (WEO) section has become an invaluable and inclusive tool that connects students and teachers to their local environment, regardless of access to in-person, outdoor education experiences. During over a year of virtual schooling, when educators have had to greatly modify their traditional in-classroom programs, these videos have become our most requested item by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). With a school population of more than 188,000 students, videos provide an opportunity for ecologists to reach more students virtually than previously possible in person. Prerecorded videos allow students and teachers to work at their own pace, enhancing accessibility to these products, while other videos allow for real-time, interactive labs and other guided virtual programming. The connection between the local school system and local scientists created through these videos ultimately engages and inspires the next generation of scientists.