For the after school program, River Watchers meet one day a week with their River Watch Coordinator and the other River Watchers from their school.
They go out to a local creek or park to practice water-quality testing, perform environmental restoration projects with community partners, and participate in several outdoor experiences, often for the first time and in places that are new to them. These types of activities not only provide a valuable service to the community but also give our students a sense of responsibility for the environmental quality of their communities.
River Watchers also have opportunities to participate in campouts, outdoor recreation adventures, and community outreach activities.
Through our program, students become local environmental heroes, gain leadership and collaborative skills in interdisciplinary settings, and have positive transformative experiences that they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
When River Watchers feel like part of the group, they adopt the high expectations of the group for themselves and tend stay in school until graduation. The graduation rate of River Watch Seniors since our inception in 1992 has been nearly 100%.