Progress Report: Engaging students across Turtle Island
Fall 2025
These past few months have been an exciting and busy time for the School Water Program! As we look ahead to a brand new school year, we’re still thinking about all the fun and success the students we’ve worked with have had during the spring and summer. Thank you for supporting Water First, and for joining us throughout another successful school year!
#️⃣ School Water Program by the numbers
Visits
⛰️ Having a blast in B.C.
The School Water Team engaged with 29 schools in the second half of the year, including a memorable trip to Lillooet, BC where Keira from our Communications team got to join in the learning experience. Take a look at what she had to say:
“This was my first time seeing the school team in action, and I couldn’t believe all that they do. They ran workshops with nearly every class, exploring everything from how local wetlands work to how fish eggs are protected in spawning shoals.
The kids loved all the hands-on equipment, but the highlight for me was the field trip to a nearby lake. Everyone pulled on a pair of hip waders and used aquaviewers to peek beneath the surface. The excitement when one student spotted a fish, and the whole group debated what kind it was, was the best thing to watch. It was so fun seeing them dive into the experience.
What made it even more special was a local Elder joining us to share knowledge about local vegetation, its traditional uses, and some truly amazing facts. Watching the students connect the science our team was teaching to community knowledge and traditions was incredible.”
☀️ Summer success
Over 100 students have now earned high school credits through our Summer Credit Program! This summer, we visited Rama First Nation to deliver the program for the second time, and enjoyed a landmark fifth summer season in Beausoleil First Nation. Congratulations to all the students that participated, and thanks for having us once again.
💧 Hands-on, feet-wet learning
Water First’s learning philosophy prioritizes experiential, or land-based learning. From testing water quality to studying fish habitats, every lesson connects students to their environment, while fostering curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong dedication to protecting water.
This commitment means working with the community to include local Knowledge Holders, experts, and teachers in every workshop – because who knows the local environment better than the people that live there? It is this merging of western science and traditional, land-based knowledge sharing that makes the Water First programs truly unique.
And it’s a learning philosophy that works. This approach acknowledges that learning is grounded in community values, customs, beliefs, culture, and history. It takes into account that all students have a different relationship to the institution of education, and offers students the chance to explore and express their interests in learning in a meaningful, collaborative way.
👀 Looking ahead
As we look to the months ahead, the School Water Program shows no signs of slowing down. From coast to coast, programming is planned across the country, bringing hands-on water science education to even more communities.
Take a look at what Dillon Koopmans, Senior Manager of the School Water Program, has to say about the upcoming school year!
None of this would be possible without the generosity of donors like you.
Your support ensures that students across the country can connect with water science in meaningful, transformative ways, helping to inspire the next generation of water protectors. Thank you for making this work possible – we’re excited to share more of this journey with you in the year ahead.
