Education

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission has provided conservation education to Oklahomans since 1975. We educate Oklahomans of all ages about natural resources with an emphasis on soil and water. We also support the education programs of conservation districts, including outdoor classrooms, natural resource days, educator workshops, and demonstration field days. Read more below about our various education programs. 

Blue Thumb Program

The Blue Thumb Program is an educational arm of the Conservation Commission's Water Quality Division. It includes a program for training volunteers how to monitor the water quality of their local streams. It also works to educate the public about protecting streams through hands-on education and presentations. Blue Thumb is the state lead for Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), which makes supplemental curricula and training available to educators and provides workshops for all ages. Learn more. 

Conservation District Programs

Conservation Districts are your local contact for conservation education. Services vary among districts: Some districts provide technical assistance and some will provide educational materials, classroom presentations, and annual natural resource days for schools. Districts also have soil survey books and a variety of brochures relating to soil and water conservation. The Commission and district personnel can assist with the development of outdoor classroom sites at individual schools. Assistance may include providing technical assistance, construction of ponds and wetlands, plant identification and awarding of mini-grants. Commission personnel can also assist with the development of sites, curriculum development and teacher training. Find your conservation district.
 

Soil Health Education Program

The Soil Health Education Program is another arm of the Conservation Commission's Water Quality Division. It is a statewide initiative to train conservation district employees, directors, and our agency partners in the importance of soil health so that they may share the knowledge with their local communities. The training program delves into soil health principles by teaching easy to use techniques for understanding, assessing, and restoring soil health through multiple hands-on learning opportunities. Our interactive trainings are also open to the public.  Learn more. 

Project WET, and WOW!

Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an interdisciplinary water education program intended to supplement a school's existing curriculum. Using water as a theme, Project WET provides hands-on activities to enhance the teaching of science, math, social studies, language arts, and many other required subjects. Project WET is primarily designed for classroom teachers of grades K-12, but natural resource professionals, youth leaders, nature center instructors, and other educators who work with students in these age groups will also find Project WET particularly useful. You can get the Project WET curriculum guide by participating in a workshop conducted by a trained facilitator. Learn more. 

WOW! (Wonders of Wetlands) is a A comprehensive guide for anyone teaching about wetlands, this 330-page publication features 70 pages of background material in six chapters followed by more than 40 cross-referenced activities. Select a wetland artifact from a grab bag and learn the many functions of wetlands. You can get the WOW! the Wonders of Wetlands curriculum guide by participating in a workshop conducted by a trained facilitator. For more information on WOW contact Candice Miller at 405-521-6788 or candice.miller.conservation.ok.gov.

Environmental Education Coordination

The Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act of 1992 assigned the Commission with the responsibility to coordinate environmental education throughout the state. Under this mandate, the Oklahoma Environmental Education Coordinating Committee (OKEECC) was formed. The committee is comprised of educators from a variety of public sector agencies and institutions. The committee strives to cooperate, coordinate, and network to help member agencies deliver educational programs to the public. One purpose of the committee is to eliminate duplication of efforts and create a strong model for cooperation among government agencies. The Conservation Commission chairs the committee. Learn more.