Water Outreach Education – Resources and Best Practices
A resource for natural resource professionals
Water Outreach Education – Facilitating Access to Resources and Best Practices (BEPs) content on the Convenor website arose from a collaborative effort to:
- identify Best Education Practices (BEPs);
- promote use of BEPs for water-management education; and
- improve access to education resources and strategies
. . . and was developed in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and public and private Clean and Safe Water organizations. Elaine L. Andrews, Principal Investigator.
The National Extension Water Outreach Education initiative focuses on two themes:
- The Water Outreach Education project referenced on this page, and
- The Changing Public Behavior project
Water Outreach Education content builds on original research and related University of Wisconsin initiatives. Refer to:
- Community-based education about the environment
- Drinking Water and Human Health
- Youth Water Education
The 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. Interactive tools help natural resource professionals and environmental educators realize their natural resource management goals by exploring research-based advice, skills and resources.
Tools include:
- Best Education Practices explanation — what are BEPs; essential BEPs; FAQs about BEPs
- Best Education Practices research — target audience BEPs; outreach strategies: theory and practice
- How to use Best Education Practices — accomplish what?; plan; choose BEPs
Background information:
Andrews, E. 2009. Changing public behavior with help from target audience research. Proceedings for the Southern Region Technology Transfer and Extension in Natural Resources conference (pp 17-27), August 2006, Hot Springs, AK [PDF]. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station General Technical Report SRS–116. Retrieved June 2017 at, https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs116.pdf
Stevens, M. & E. Andrews. 2006. Outreach that makes a difference! Target audiences for water education – A research meta-analysis [PDF]. Retrieved June 2017 from https://fyi.uwex.edu/wateroutreach/files/2015/12/Target-Audience-meta-analysis-March08_all_Sept12_2015.pdf . Content from that website has since been redirected to the Convenor website. An audience research summary is also available.
Andrews, E. & K. Reilly. 2005. Water Outreach Education Tools for NPS Programming: The Best in Education Practices, Target Audience Research, Programs, and Materials. Proceedings of the 4th National Conference, Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Pollution Education Programs (pp 61-68) [PDF]. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022; 847/835-6837.
Stevens, M., K. Reilly, & E. Andrews. 2002. Water Outreach Education Facilitating Access to Resources and Best Practices: Study of Provider Needs [PDF]. University of Wisconsin, Environmental Resources Center, https://fyi.uwex.edu/wateroutreach/files/2016/03/SPNFinalReport.pdf. Content from that website has since been redirected to the Convenor website.