The City of Franklin, Indiana

The City of Franklin offers and sponsors the "World Water Monitoring Challenge" education program to any school, youth group, or civic group within it's MS4 area.  It is dedicated to creating awareness about protecting water resources around the world.  Part of this effort includes educating citizens by having them test their local waterways to see if it is a healthy body of water for swimming, fishing, and drinking.  Many different groups including children at school, at home, or through their extracurricular activities may participate in monitoring their local water ways. 

 

As an international education and outreach program it builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.  

In 2011, approximately 340,000 people in 77 countries monitored their local waterways.  We challenge you to test the quality of your waterways, share your findings, and protect our most precious resource!

It can be introduced as a classroom project, or an individual project, the data then can be uploaded to the World Wide Monitoring website,(shared worldwide) which is then compiled into a yearly report.  This is a great activity for children to be involved with because they will be part of helping to keep the waterways clean, plus actually seeing their impact on the data reports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    As a joint venture, the City of Franklin and the Johnson County SWMD introduced this as part of our environmental education and pollution prevention program:

• Joint funding by both partners.
• Implemented on September 6-7, 2011 to 116 seventh grade students.
• included a field day of pollution prevention instruction & water monitoring activities.
• students identified types of pollutants, their cause and steps to prevent land, water and air pollution.
• Test kits were provided to test - Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) & turbidity.
• Sediment collections were examined by students for macroinvertebrates and other biota.

 

Pollution Education in the school system includes water educations programs.  It's a Win-win for your school!

Schools we work with can be eligible for IWEA's Adopt-a-School award.  Essentially classes that complete three (3) water-related activities during the year and nominated by the IWEA member will receive $50 in educational materials and a recognition plaque.

The MS4' current goal is to partner with educators to introduce the program into local Franklin Elementary School's 4th or 5th grade science classes, (including home schooler's), boys club/girls club, boy scout and girl scout activities.  At no cost to your school!

 

 

Lots of free educational material and literature on the World Water Monitoring Challenge website at www.monitorwater.org.

 

Contact Franklin's MS4 Utility for sponsorship today at 317-346-1212.