>> Being a kid is not easy.
Some people say we're slackers and pathetic.
That we don't care about anything.
Others say the world is a mess
and my generation isn't up to the challenge of cleaning it up.
Those people are wrong!
We only have one planet, it's not like earth 2, but see,
and if we trash it you don't get a second chance.
>> Still waiting for a few people for their eyes up here.
>> We spend a lot of time in class talking about stuff:
the ozone layer, saving the whales,
we're all concerned about the environment.
I mean like we've got to live here for a long time; right?
>> I think anybody feels good
about actually being able to do something.
I think that anytime you can give someone the tools
to make change they're willing to give it a try.
>> There's a lot to know about water.
We talked about water chemistry, water cycles,
and how watersheds work.
We learned there was a lot more to water
than we ever imagined.
Best of all, we learned we were going to get our feet wet.
>> This is the fun part.
>> Yeah, this is controlled chaos is what we call it.
It is exhilarating when the buses show up.
Kids are getting off the buses and they're excited
and that excitement rubs off on us.
>> I think it's very important
for kids to get hands-on in their environment because
unless they can actually get involved in living
within their environment, their watershed, their stream
there's no other way I think that they can really understand
the connectedness between their front yard
and a stream that may be miles away.
>> The field trip part of the curriculum
takes it a step further, of course, this is a progression.
We want to get the students involved actually in the stream.
We want them to be in touch with the animal life
and plant life that lives in a stream
and that is dependent on clean water.
>> I think students are engaged in a setting like this.
They're right on the water,
they're able to connect with that resource,
that's important for students to be able
to not only learn from books, but in an experiential way.
>> So we're going to learn a little about water quality here.
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>> Every unit that we have taught this year
in some way we've tried to make it a real life issue
using the environmental education as our thread
kind of that has gone throughout the year.
So everything the kids are doing today
has something to do with a prior learning experience
they've had in the classroom.
>> I think it's better working out here than in a classroom.
>> I think you learn a lot better when you're having fun.
(music)
>> It's amazing,
but a creek looks different when your feet are wet.
You notice more, see more, feel more.
>> What's happening is the kids are getting a chance to see
how much fun it is to be outside to learn,
learning can be fun and being outside is fun
and learn about aquatic education.
>> I think one of the biggest impacts
we're having is the seed that's being planted with the kids
involved with the program
because this is all going to be second nature to them
by the time they're adults and voting and making decisions
on what happens in their backyard and in their watershed.
And if we can make a difference through them,
the next generation, we might not be dealing
with as many of these problems in the future.
>> I'm not going to make a difference in the rain forest,
it's too far away.
I live in Kansas City, I work here,
my children are here, my family is here.
I can make a big difference right here in our water.
And it's huge, it's huge.
.