Watershed Challenge

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The Watershed Challenge was created in response to Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) moving to virtual instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic. Students were unable to participate in person or execute on-campus investigations, which would have led them to create positive action projects to help improve their watershed, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. The goal of the challenge was to get students outdoors to explore their environment, think critically, discover issues, and research, find and implement solutions. This allowed students to take positive action toward improving our watershed and ultimately helped students become more aware of their surroundings and their impact on those surroundings. The results were amazing. Four hundred and seventy-one students voluntarily participated in the challenge, representing all 12 HCPS middle schools. In a time when everything would have simply stopped, this challenge allowed us to pivot and engage students in environmental stewardship. It also provided students with opportunities to demonstrate the “four pillars” of the Henrico Learner Profile, which state that learning is student-owned; authentic and connected; happens anytime, anywhere; and is community-supported.