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Water and Climate Science Workshop Available for Riverside County Teachers - MyNewsLA.com

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  Published in Science and Technology on Sunday, October 5th 2025 at 2:07 GMT by MyNewsLA
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Riverside County Teachers Get a Fresh Take on Water & Climate Science

On October 4 2025, the MyNewsLA education desk reported a timely opportunity for educators across Riverside County: a free, professionally‑developed workshop titled “Water and Climate Science for the Classroom”. The event, hosted by the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) in partnership with the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and the California Water Resources Board (CWRB), was designed to give teachers the latest science‑based tools to explain the science of water and climate to their students.

Why It Matters

The article underscored a growing concern in California’s education system: many teachers report that their curriculum is either lagging behind or lacking depth when it comes to topics such as watershed management, the science of precipitation, the physics of evaporation, and how climate change is reshaping local hydrology. Riverside County, with its diverse ecosystems—from the San Gorgonio Wilderness to the arid Inland Empire—faces unique challenges in water availability, groundwater depletion, and wildfire risk. Educators are therefore “on the front lines” of communicating science that directly impacts their students’ future.

Workshop Details

• When: Saturday, October 10 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Where: UCR’s College of Natural Resources, 1015 N. St. Marys Street, Riverside, CA. Also streamed live via the RCOE’s Classroom Connect portal for teachers who cannot attend in person.
• Who: K‑12 science teachers and school administrators throughout Riverside County. The workshop was open to teachers at all grade levels, though the sessions were grouped into “K‑5” and “Middle/High School” tracks to match instructional pacing.
• Cost: Free. The program is fully funded by a grant from the California Endowment, the CWRB, and the Riverside County Regional Water Authority.

Participants could register online at the RCOE’s official site. The article highlighted a quick “one‑click” sign‑up form that collected basic contact details and a short survey about prior training in climate science.

What Teachers Will Learn

The workshop was structured around six core modules:

1. The Science of Water – Fundamentals of the water cycle, aquifer dynamics, and how human activity alters natural water flow.
2. Climate Change 101 – Introduction to the greenhouse effect, climate models, and the specific data that indicate California’s changing climate patterns.
3. Local Hydrology in a Changing Climate – How rainfall variability and increased evapotranspiration are affecting Riverside’s rivers, reservoirs, and wetlands.
4. Groundwater Management – Techniques for monitoring groundwater levels, understanding over‑extraction, and planning sustainable recharge projects.
5. Water Policy & Ethics – Overview of California’s water rights system, the role of the CWRB, and the socio‑economic impacts of water allocation.
6. Curriculum Integration & Assessment – Hands‑on activities, digital resources (such as the UCR Watershed Explorer app), and strategies for incorporating water‑climate concepts into existing science standards.

The article highlighted a particular emphasis on “active learning.” Teachers participated in simulated water‑budget calculations, used real‑time data from the UCR Hydrometeorological Institute, and developed unit plans that included a field‑trip component to the Riverside Groundwater Management Office.

Expert Speakers

• Dr. Maria Valdez, UCR Professor of Environmental Science – She led the climate modeling segment, illustrating how climate projections are constructed and how they can be visualized in the classroom.
• Mr. Kevin Lee, Director of Water Resources at the CWRB – He explained policy frameworks and how local water authorities respond to drought and floods.
• Ms. Aisha Patel, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools – She shared best practices for teacher collaboration and the integration of STEM across subjects.

Each speaker’s presentation included a Q&A session, and the article reported that the audience found the opportunity to interact with experts particularly valuable.

Follow‑Up Resources

The article included several hyperlinks to additional information:

1. RCOE Workshop Registration – Direct link to the sign‑up page: https://rcoe.org/education/water-climate-workshop. The registration page includes a downloadable agenda, list of speakers, and a FAQ section.
2. UCR Water Science Center – Provides access to interactive tools, such as the Watershed Explorer app: https://watercenter.ucr.edu/explorer. Teachers can explore real‑time streamflow data and historic drought metrics.
3. California Water Resources Board – Climate Resources – A dedicated page with up‑to‑date water‑climate reports: https://cwrb.ca.gov/climate. This includes the Water‑Climate Outlook for California 2025–2035 PDF.
4. National Center for Environmental Education (NCEER) – Offers downloadable lesson plans and assessment rubrics: https://nceer.org/learning. The article suggested teachers to cross‑reference these materials to align with California’s Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Impact on Teaching & Community

The article quoted several teachers who attended a pilot version of the workshop in 2024. One high‑school biology teacher, Emily Garcia, said, “I now feel equipped to explain why the San Gorgonio Trail’s water table is dropping, and I can bring real data into the lab. My students can see the science behind their own water usage.”

Administrators echoed that the workshop could help meet the state’s new climate‑science mandates, which require that all California public schools include climate change education as part of their science curriculum by the 2027‑28 school year.

The RCOE also announced a follow‑up series of “Climate Science Summer Camps” for teachers that will run through June 2026, aimed at deepening knowledge and offering certification credits.

How to Get Involved

For teachers unable to attend the October 10 session, the RCOE is offering a recorded version, available through the Classroom Connect portal at no cost. Teachers who register will receive a certificate of completion, which counts toward professional development hours required for licensure renewal in California.

In addition, Riverside County’s local NGOs, such as Waterways for Children and Riverside Earth Science Association, have expressed interest in partnering with schools to offer hands‑on water‑sampling projects after the workshop.

Final Thoughts

The “Water and Climate Science” workshop represents a proactive step by Riverside County to ensure that teachers are not only informed but also empowered to deliver science education that is both rigorous and relevant. By bridging the gap between abstract climate data and tangible local impacts, the program equips teachers to inspire a new generation of environmentally literate citizens.

Whether educators are on the front lines of a drought‑hit school district or guiding curious students in an urban setting, the knowledge and resources provided by this workshop will help them tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time—how we manage and steward our water resources in an era of rapid climate change.