The Public Awareness and Water Conservation project, which began in 1996, is part of the Middle East Peace Process, and is one of several projects sponsored by the Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources. The project began under the guidance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), but the USGS assumed responsibility for the project in 1999. The USGS then initiated an activity known as WaterCare. WaterCare is designed to prepare a Student Resource Book, Teacher's Guide, and complementary Website, all of which are focused on water conservation issues that are regional in concept, scope, and content. The materials were prepared jointly by educational writers from each of the participating regional parties (Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians) and were written for middle school students between 12 and 15 years of age. Jordanian and Israeli designers prepared the graphics. The Student Resource Book is 115 pages in length and is published in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. The design of the book is expected to become a model for the Jordanian and Palestinian school systems in the region, and the content is precedent setting for all of the participants. There are, for example, no political boundaries shown on any of the maps or illustrations. A complementary trilingual website (www.watercare.org) also has been launched. The materials were presented in about 15 select pilot schools throughout the region in the 2002-2003 school year. The materials were very well received. After a multilateral workshop to evaluate the materials and teaching experiences, minor modifications were made to the Student Resource Book. A limited number of copies were reprinted and final versions in each language were distributed to pilot schools.