Weather Applications to Teach Environmental Resilience (WATER) https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2018/weather-applications-to-teach-environmental-resilience-water-1 https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Weather Applications to Teach Environmental Resilience (WATER)

Additional Information
Used for	Requested funds will help cover expenses for the WATER project's four-day summer camp, which gives students hands-on experience with Geographic Information Systems technology. During the camp, students will learn story mapping and interact with professionals who use mapping technology on the job. Students will work in teams to create and share story maps with community emergency response teams to help strengthen community resilience in relation to extreme weather events.
Benefits	The WATER project will benefit the world by equipping students to use technology to better understand and visualize geography and weather patterns. Students will learn to use GIS technology to help develop risk management strategies for responding to flooding events, which communities can use locally and globally. The project will increase environmental awareness among the next generation of leaders.
Proposal Description	Project Details: Over the past 17 years, Houston/Harris County has experienced several extreme weather events, such as Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The area remains vulnerable given its proximity to the Texas Gulf Coast. With the constant threat of severe weather events, the Education Foundation of Harris County requests funding for the Weather Applications to Teach Environmental Resilience (WATER) project. The goals of the project are to teach students how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping technology to raise awareness of environmental issues related to extreme weather events. Project objectives are to: 1) increase students’ knowledge of local geography and weather patterns/systems through hands-on problem-based learning; 2) increase student skills in using GIS software and other tools to identify and document flood prone areas and economic impacts in underserved areas; and 3) promote community resilience by sharing information with the public, with an emphasis on underserved populations. To meet these objectives, the WATER project consists of four components: -- Pre-summer camp workshop for teachers – teachers will learn how to create story maps by combining maps with narrative text, images and multimedia content to illustrate an event. As part of the teacher workshop, story maps will emphasize Hurricane Harvey and other weather events. -- GIS Summer Camp for students – four-day camp to give students hands-on experience with GIS technology and story mapping in relation to extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Harvey. During the camp, students will interact with professionals who work with mapping technology and learn about potential GIS-based careers. Camp activities will primarily occur in computer labs at Harris County Department of Education, but will also include field experiences to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Houston/Galveston office and the Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center. -- Post-summer camp online activities and learning community – students will participate in follow-up activities to reiterate the principles learned in the camp and assist students in creating their GIS story maps. Post-camp activities will include threaded and synchronous discussions as well as video chats to keep students engaged and on track to design and complete their projects. Students will meet as a team during the rest of the summer and in the fall to finalize their projects. Students’ story maps will focus on Hurricane Harvey and how the storm affected their neighborhoods. -- Community Presentations – students will first present their story maps at the Houston Area GIS Day, an annual citywide event that attracts students from the greater Houston area. Students will also identify the Community Emergency Response Teams located near their school or home and present their story maps to the emergency response teams. The presentations will engage the community in how GIS can assist in identifying and responding to emergency situations and help build community resilience in the area. The project will serve an estimated 100 students in 9th-12th grades, with 50 students participating in the GIS Summer Camp and an additional 50 students participating in online activities. Recruitment will focus on students at the Houston GIS Day, which has a high participation rate of economically disadvantaged students. Project collaborators include Esri, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control District and University of Houston Downtown. Expected Outcomes and Measurements: As a result of WATER project activities, expected outcomes are: 1) 95% of students will increase their knowledge of Houston/Harris County geography and weather systems; 2) 95% of students will increase their skills in how to use GIS and other data to develop risk management strategies for responding to flooding events; 3) 90% of students will demonstrate proficiency in using GIS to create story maps; identify factors, including environmental factors, that contribute to flooding; and identify categories of entities affected (e.g., families, elderly, homes, businesses, etc.); 4) 75% of the Community Emergency Response Teams to which students make presentations will report improved capacity for resilience to the risk of flooding; and 5) 95% of students will increase their awareness of environmental and GIS-based careers. To measure outcomes, an experienced evaluator (minimum master’s degree) will design and disseminate pre- and post-surveys and pre- and post-tests to all participants. Using Excel and SPSS, analyses will include descriptives such as frequencies and percents to measure the level of participation, achievement and satisfaction. Requested Funds will help cover the following expenses: Supplies – GIS tools and computer resources = $500 Bus transportation to local sites during summer camp - $950/bus x two site visits = $1,900 Master teachers to assist students during summer camp – 4 teachers x $300/day x 4 days = $4,800