Mass Audubon will partner with Fall River Public Schools in Fall River, Massachusetts on in-school programming that will take place in special education classrooms in two middle schools: Morton Middle School (1135 North Main Street, Fall River, MA) and Henry Lord Community School (151 Amity Street, Fall River, MA). Mass Audubon's in-school Waterways education program engages students from low-income, underserved populations to become empowered to resolve issues impacting their local watershed to help ensure it remains healthy for human and wildlife communities that live there and to build the foundation of a more environmentally literate citizenry.

Groundwork Rhode Island (GWRI) will launch a stormwater-focused workforce development program that extends the reach and timeframe of our adult job training program by identifying low-barrier tasks that can support stormwater management and water quality goals across Providence, RI and employ job training program graduates to perform these tasks in collaboration with the Providence Department of Public Works (DPW) and other partners. In late fall 2024, GWRI will run a 5-week job training program for approximately 10 participants. Students in the job training program face barriers to employment (such as having past conviction records), are low-income, and are either currently unemployed or underemployed. During the training all 10 students will receive the Center for Watershed Protection’s nationally accredited Clean Water Certificate training, a 35-hour training that focuses on green infrastructure construction, inspections, and maintenance. After the 5 weeks, GWRI will support training graduates to find employment outside our organization.

The Blackstone River Watershed Association’s mission is to engage, educate and advocate for improved water quality in the Blackstone River watershed. It has been doing so since 1969. While numerous and varied educational activities took place from BRWA’s inception, it was in 1984 that a Watershed Education Program was officially instituted. It was around 2010 that the BRWA’s Watershed & Us education program was officially named and by 2013 had provided multiple watershed education presentations using an Enviroscape model. Almost 180 students in Grafton, Millbury and Uxbridge engaged in discussions of the water cycle, the environmental and human consequences of water pollution, and conservation practices. It is the goal of the BRWA to secure funding for the Watershed & Us education program that provides sustainability and allows for further growth and outreach.

This project is focused on community engagement and educational events in the Blackstone River region. Specific deliverables include: increased community engagement, a Mishoon Burn event, school bus funding for trips to Sycamore Landing, and a Spring 2025 cultural/ environmental event.

The Below and Above Collective (BAC), in partnership with UPP Arts, implemented a project to construct a floating wetland structure in Polo Lake, a nutrient-impaired waterbody designated by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) within Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island. This initiative aimed to address the critical need for nature-based solutions to improve water quality by working with natural processes and raising awareness about the impact of stormwater runoff on urban waterways.

The main goals of the project were to educate the public about biodiversity and its role in improving water quality, create habitats for aquatic and semi-aquatic species, and demonstrate how art can engage the community in addressing freshwater pollution.