GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Thanks to a new partnership between Grand Rapids Public Schools and the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, more students will have the opportunity for hands-on learning about the environment outdoors.
After being tested at a few select GRPS schools last year, the Supt. Teresa Weatherall Neal announced Monday the Teach for the Watershed Program will be expanded district-wide.
"I knew that it was extremely important for our students to learn about the environment, learn about the waters," she told FOX 17 News. "The students love it. They love to learn. We're going to bring it all the way down to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten so that we can do it across the district."
The district also points to the partnership as a way to prepare students for the "Blue Economy" jobs of the future and their "role as the next generation of watershed leaders," Weatherall Neal said.
Students will be able to participate in water quality testing, as well as other environmental studies. Some lessons will take place at Blandford Nature Center, while others will happen on school property.
