Day Programs in Seattle and at Brightwater
We partner with teachers to connect classroom learning to real-world environmental examples in students’ own communities. We offer water-themed day-long programs at King County’s Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Plant in Woodinville, as well as field studies of neighborhood creeks, streams and stormwater infrastructure in Seattle.
Our programs connect school science curriculum to watersheds and other built and natural systems in or near the communities where students live. They have been designed in partnership with local school districts to support Next Generation Science Standards and specific science units.
Our School Day Programs:
- Are designed to support schools and teacher.
- Reinforce and build upon the student learning that occurs in both formal and informal settings
- Broaden the idea of environment to include urban systems
- Emphasize human impacts on ecosystems
- Strive to be learner-centered, culturally-responsive, and adaptable to the participants and the needs of their community
We strive to make sure all students are valued, respected, and included in our programs. Based on our experience as well as on research in the field, we know that incorporating both student experiences and locally-based topics increases student engagement and learning.
To help us meet the needs of all students, we aim to respond to the different issues, interests, and concerns that come up during a program, including by:
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- Shifting course to focus more on a related topic or issue brought up by the students.
- Pausing the program to address comments or behavior that are racist, sexist, ableist or otherwise negatively impact others.
- Allowing alternative ways to fill in a worksheet including drawing or writing in a student’s native language.
- Changing activities to adapt to the energy levels or physical needs of the students.
Learn more about our approach to culturally responsive teaching here.
Programs at Brightwater
Our four-hour programs at the King County Brightwater Center in Woodinville bring classroom learning to life, engaging students in experiential and project-based fieldwork that appeals to diverse learning styles. Programs are provided at no cost to schools and free transportation is available for those with 25% or greater free and reduced lunch rates.
Freshwater Ecosystems Field Study for 3rd–5th Grades
In this field program, students investigate the role of freshwater ecosystems in their communities. They develop an understanding of who and what lives in and around our ponds, how people use, impact, and change them, and how the ponds help us manage stormwater. This program incorporates Next Generation Science Standards.*
As part of their day, students will use science practices to:
- Investigate a pond and the ecosystem around it through exploration and direct observation.
- Investigate the tiny organisms that are an essential part of a pond ecosystem, including collecting samples from the pond and using microscopes and other lab tools to analyze them up close.
- Use models to understand how the ponds were designed to provide habitat and manage stormwater.
- Analyze their data to explain their findings.
- Argue from evidence for changes they would make to help people and/or animals in an ecosystem.
As a result of the program, students will be able to:
- Identify practices that scientists use to understand the world.
- Identify the natural services that ecosystems provide to a community.
- Make connections between the ecosystems at Brightwater and ecosystems in their own communities.
- Understand that humans have both positive and negative effects on ecosystems.
*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
Humans and the Water Cycle Program for 5th–8th Grades
What happens when we “borrow” water from the water cycle? What happens to this borrowed water after we use it in our homes, schools and businesses? In this unit, students will learn how the choices they make on a daily basis impact the water cycle. We’ll explore the state-of-the art Brightwater Cleanwater Treatment Facility and see how engineers have designed a system to clean our water and protect human and environmental health. The Humans and the Water Cycle program is designed for classes that are studying human impacts on the water cycle, wastewater, water use, urban infrastructure, and STEM careers. This program involves a tour of the Brightwater Treatment Plant and is only for students aged 9 and up. Hard hats and vests will be provided for students. Closed-toe shoes are required for this program.
As part of their day, students will:
- Explore a state-of-the-art waste water treatment facility through the context of the engineering design process.
- Engage in argument about their personal choices as they relate to water.
- Explore different water careers and how they connect to human and environmental health.
- Discuss the different water issues facing communities around the globe.
As a result of the program, students will be able to:
- Explain the role that wastewater treatment plays in protecting human health.
- Explain how their personal choices impact both built and natural water systems.
- Identify how their learning connects to their personal experiences, prior content knowledge, and community.
- Describe the engineering design process and identify how they have used this process in their daily lives.
Engineering Landforms Field Study for Grades 4th–5th
In this field program, students actively engage in the engineering design process to tackle stormwater engineering problems. This program incorporates Next Generation Science Standards* and supports the content in the FOSS Landforms Unit, the STC Land and Water Unit, and the Community Waters Unit. Topics including erosion, deposition, stormwater, and environmental engineering.
During the day, students will use an Engineering Design Process to:
- Define a stormwater problem using a model in the lab.
- Investigate the design of Brightwater’s streams, hills, and wetlands to gather data that will help them develop a solution for their stormwater problem.
- Apply their knowledge back in the lab to design solutions, test them in their models, and optimize their designs.
As a result of this program, students will be able to:
- Explain how an Engineering Design Process can help them develop solutions to problems.
- Make connections between a stormwater model and stormwater in the real world.
- Recognize ways that engineers build features to slow down water and reduce erosion.
- Design and defend a solution to an engineering problem using their observations and data.
- Understand the effects of human decisions on the land, both positive and negative.
- Identify the ways they could positively affect stormwater systems in their own communities.
Please note: This program DOES NOT include a treatment plant tour.
*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
IslandWood is proud to partner with King County to provide exceptional learning experiences at the Brightwater Education Center, a state-of-the-art facility attached to King County’s newest and most innovative wastewater treatment plant in Woodinville.
For information about renting the Brightwater Center meeting rooms, or to set up a tour of King County’s state-of-the-art treatment plant, please visit the county’s Brightwater Center Webpage.
Programs are provided at no cost to schools and free transportation is available for those with 25% or greater free and reduced lunch rates. They are designed to last for four hours and can accommodate a maximum of 60 students.
All Brightwater programs are currently full. To join our waitlist, click the link below. If you’d like to be added to our contact list, please contact Derek Jones at derekj@islandwood.org.
For questions regarding registration, please contact KayLani Siplin at kaylanis@islandwood.org.
For questions related to already scheduled programs, you can reach out to Derek Jones at derekj@islandwood.org or 206.263.8866.
Community Waters Field Study
This outdoor field study applies Next Generation Science Standards engineering practices to a local stormwater site in Seattle. Students investigate how engineers have attempted to solve stormwater problems by using models, they test how those solutions are working, and they consider the needs of stakeholders. This program is available in three outdoor locations around the city and is made possible thanks to the support of Seattle Public Utilities.
This program connects to Seattle Public School’s Community Waters Science Unit and gives students the opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real-world environmental issue in their community. It incorporates Next Generation Science Standards and supports the 3-5 Engineering Design performance expectations.
Eligibility: Open to 4th and 5th grade classes in Seattle. Priority registration will go to those teaching the Community Waters Science Unit in 4th grade in Seattle Public Schools.
Time & Duration: 3.5 hours including lunch break, 9:30 am – 1:00pm
Days and Dates Offered: Tuesdays and Thursdays, September-December and March-June
Locations: A stormwater infrastructure site as close to your school as possible. Locations for 2019-20 include:
- North: Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel
- West: High Point Community Development
- South: Mapes Creek at Beer Sheva Park
Cost: Free! This program is fully funded for schools in Seattle by Seattle Public Utilities.
Transportation assistance available.
Questions? Please contact Celina Steiger at celinas@islandwood.org.
STORIES
“This was a truly wonderful science experience for my students revealing both natural habitats within an urban setting as well as our responsibility to ensure they remain. My students saw their own potential impact upon their world and better recognize how humanity and nature intersect.”
-Brent Hinson, Teacher at Lowell Elementary
OUR IMPACT
LEARNING THAT LASTS
3 out of 4 teachers saw students making connections to the program months after participation
CONNECTING CLASSROOM TO COMMUNITY
80% of teachers report that students made connections between the program and their home community
CONNECT WITH US
