EDER 602 Grp 4 LT4

Summary

The Riverwatch program, a non-profit initiative in Alberta, engages students in hands-on environmental science education through river rafting experiences. The school program, focusing on science floats, aligns with the Alberta curriculum for grades 8 to 12, fostering active learning and promoting environmental stewardship. With over 150,000 participants, it offers specialized lab equipment, professional guidance, and an online database for data sharing. This evaluation aims to assess the program's effectiveness in inspiring students and teachers to protect water resources, considering cultural, social, and political contexts while adhering to ethical standards.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Riverwatch is a non-profit organization focused on engaging the community in protecting Alberta's watersheds through education and river experiences.
• 🏫 The Riverwatch school program takes students out of the classroom and onto the river for hands-on learning in ecology, geology, engineering, and environmental science.
• 📈 With over 150,000 participants, the program aligns with the Alberta program of studies for grades 8 to 12, emphasizing hands-on data collection and water quality monitoring.
• 🔬 Students engage in scientific methods to understand ecosystem dynamics and the effects of human impact on these ecosystems.
• 💼 The program offers specialized lab equipment, professional river guides, active learning through rafting, and access to an online database for sharing findings.
• 🎯 The long-term outcomes for Riverwatch include fostering environmental stewardship, retaining staff, growing community presence, and improving water quality for wildlife and recreation.
• 🤝 Key stakeholders include Riverwatch staff, funding partners, the volunteer board of directors, and secondary school teachers, students, and parents in Alberta.
• 🌐 A logic model was created for Riverwatch to clarify stakeholders and evaluation objectives, starting with the program goal of motivating participants to manage water quality.
• 📊 The evaluation plan considers different levels of stakeholder participation and their power to implement or affect the evaluation outcome.
• 🌳 The program's context includes organizational, social, and political factors, with support from various government levels but lacking indigenous perspectives.
• 📝 The evaluation will use a mixed methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the program's effectiveness.
• 📋 Ethical considerations for the evaluation include respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility, informed consent, privacy, and cultural sensitivity.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of the Riverwatch program?

The primary mission of the Riverwatch program is to engage the community in understanding, monitoring, and protecting Alberta's watersheds through urban river experiences and water education programs, inspiring Albertans to become active stewards of the province's rivers.

How does the Riverwatch program align with the Alberta Program of Studies for science students?

The Riverwatch program's school science floats are designed to align with both its mission and the Alberta Program of Studies for grades 8 to 12, allowing students to engage in hands-on data collection and water quality monitoring, which helps them understand ecosystem dynamics and the effects of human impact.

What are the three main elements of the Riverwatch program?

The three main elements of the Riverwatch program are school programs, eco-flats, and the Creek Watch River monitoring initiative.

How many participants has the Riverwatch program had to date?

To date, the Riverwatch program has had over 150,000 participants.

What are the four key benefits provided to schools by the Riverwatch program?

The four key benefits provided to schools by the Riverwatch program are access to specialized lab equipment, the expertise of professional river guides, the thrill of active learning through rafting adventures, and access to an online database where they can share their findings.

What is the main question that students aim to answer during the Riverwatch program?

The main question that students aim to answer during the Riverwatch program is 'How healthy is our River?', applying scientific methods to develop a shared understanding of ecosystem dynamics.

How does the Riverwatch program contribute to long-term environmental assessments?

RiverWatch students contribute to 50 days of field research each year, gathering vital physical, chemical, and biological data. This comprehensive collection, spanning years across numerous rivers, forms a robust assessment of river health and human impact in Alberta.

What is the logic model for Riverwatch, and what are the long-term outcomes it aims to achieve?

The logic model for Riverwatch begins with the program goal where participants are motivated to protect and manage water quality for the benefit of wildlife, safe drinking water, and recreation. The long-term outcomes for Riverwatch are that students demonstrate interest, motivation, and commitment to environmental stewardship, teachers become long-term partners, staff are retained for future seasons, community presence grows, and plants and animals benefit from improved water quality.

What are the four key stakeholder groups identified within the Riverwatch science float program?

The four key stakeholder groups identified within the Riverwatch science float program are Riverwatch staff (permanent and seasonal positions), funding partners (including government and private organizations), the volunteer Riverwatch Institute board of directors, and teachers, students, and parents from secondary school settings within Alberta.

How does the Riverwatch program address the cultural context of its programming?

The Riverwatch program believes in hands-on inquiry-based learning and equal access for all participants. However, it does not currently include indigenous views on water use, which could be beneficial as indigenous perspectives are an integral aspect of Alberta and Canada's identity. Including indigenous voices and ways of knowing in their programming could enhance the cultural context of the program.

What is the evaluation approach used for the Riverwatch program, and what are the five objectives guiding this evaluation?

The evaluation approach used for the Riverwatch program is objectives-based, using Stufflebeam's context input process product (CIP) model to guide the design. The five objectives guiding this evaluation are to document stakeholder perception and satisfaction, document changes in student understanding connected to ecology and curriculum coverage, examine teacher development related to the Riverwatch program, provide a comprehensive look at these objectives, and to determine if the program is meeting its goals.

What mixed methods approach does the Riverwatch program evaluation use, and what are the three primary purposes of the data collected?

The Riverwatch program evaluation uses a mixed methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data. The three primary purposes of the data collected are validation of intended program outcomes and curriculum, stakeholder satisfaction and perception, and examination of program outputs, specifically changes in students and teachers related to program engagement.

What ethical principles guide the Riverwatch program evaluation?

The ethical principles guiding the Riverwatch program evaluation include respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. These principles ensure that all participants, staff, teachers, and funders are treated with respect, that the evaluation is relevant and beneficial, that there is a reciprocal trust and benefit, and that the evaluators act responsibly throughout the process.