When the Catawba Riverkeeper’s floating classroom head out on Lake Norman, it’s not just a joy ride. It’s an educational experience that aims to teach students of all ages about our river system and how to protect it.
Capt. Ronnie Caldwell, the program’s coordinator, said it’s something the Catawba Riverkeeper has been working on for years. They got the boat, trained their educators on North Carolina educational standards, and developed a few hands-on environmental science classes for K-12 students.
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“The plan is ultimately to be able to take students out, let them do water testing, extensive water testing,” Caldwell said.
Over the spring and summer, Caldwell and educator Oggy Tabb have been taking school administrators out on sample tours to demonstrate the program.
Thursday, they took out Catawba County School Administrators, allowing them to try out the sample middle school program.
“That’s when we find the most often, that’s when it sticks,” said Chad Maynor, the incoming Caldwell County assistant superintendent.
For the Catawba Riverkeeper organization, the program also serves as a way to connect kids with the water that runs through their communities. The program teaches them about the river’s history, the story of the lakes, and where our drinking water comes from.
The hope is that the more they know and understand it, the more willing they will be to protect it.
“We get the kids out of the classroom, bring them out here to this classroom,” Caldwell said. “It’s a living water that we have here.”
The program plans to offer student field trips starting this fall, and Caldwell hopes that, based on reviews so far, they’ll be booked up when the school year starts.
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