Project Background
The Water Outreach Education - Facilitating Access to
Resources and Best Practices (BEP) Project is a collaborative
effort of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES) and other public and private clean and safe water
partners to:
- Identify Best Education Practices (BEPs).
- Promote the use of BEPs for water-management education.
- Improve access to education resources and strategies.
The project is conducted by staff of the University of Wisconsin,
Environmental Resources Center (ERC), under the guidance of
a project advisory team of natural resource management, outreach,
and education professionals from across the country. Project
funds were provided by the USDA/CSREES
National Program Office for Water Quality.
More on project background
Project Description
The Water Outreach Education project works in collaboration
with the federal agency clean and safe water partnership and
other networks to develop and promote best education practices
(BEPs) for water education and to improve access to education
resources and strategies. Our goal is to increase public understanding
and involvement in community decision-making about water issues
through improved education practices and improved access to
education resources. Project activities reflect advice provided
by federal agency clean and safe water partners and a national
network of water education organizations created and supported
by the work of several national organizations over the last
decade.
|
Navigation
About Us
Project
Background
Project
Description
1) Building the Case for
Value
- Best Education Practices: Study of Provider Needs
- Model Education Techniques
- Synthesis of Significant Research: The BEP Decision
Tree
- Literature Search for Audience-Specific BEPs
2) Organizing a System
for Access: BEP Pilot Web Site Development.
- Knowledge Management Theory and Application
- BEP Pilot Web Site Content and Design
- Symposium, June 2-4, 2004 - Best Education Practices
for Water Outreach Professionals
Project
Partners
Project
Updates
2004
Symposium Proceedings
2005
Symposium
|
Project Activities
To help natural resource professionals choose appropriate educational techniques and resources, familiar sources must provide access. But, sources must also provide evidence that education is valued. BEP Project activities involve:
1) Building the Case for Value
- Best Education Practices: Study of Provider Needs
- Model Education Techniques
- Synthesis of Significant Research: The BEP Decision Tree
- Literature Search for Audience-Specific BEPs
2) Organizing a System for
Access: BEP Pilot Web Site Development.
- Knowledge Management Theory and Application
- BEP Pilot Web Site Content and Design
- Symposium, June 2-4, 2004 - Best Education Practices for
Water Outreach Professionals
Project Partners
Project partners provided advice and resources,
helped shape project goals, and evaluated the Water Outreach Education
pilot web site and products. They also provided networking communications
and advice about the interests of the professionals they work with
in education.
Partners for the Water Outreach Education Project include the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service (CSREES), the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), two national nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
a state department of natural resources, and Cooperative Extension
in California , Nebraska , Ohio , and Wisconsin.EPA Office of Wetlands,
Oceans, and Watersheds, http://www.epa.gov/owow/
Project Updates
2005 Symposium: Best Education Practices for
Water Quality
USDA/CSREES National Water Quality Conference, Feb. 9, 2005,
1:30 - 5 PM
The purpose of the 2005 Symposium was to focus on successes and
recommendations for work with underserved audiences. These new,
audience-specific recommendations were added to those developed
by water outreach educators from around the United States who attended
a June 2004 Symposium held at the University of Wisconsin. Findings
contribute to our studies of target audience strategies and help
to identify future activities.
See
the 2005 Symposium descrit\ption and agenda.
Return to top
|
Best
Education 
What are BEPs?