San Diego County’s award-winning Poo Points Program teaches young people how to talk to community members about the benefits of picking up dog waste on private property. When pet waste is not disposed of properly, harmful bacteria from dog waste can make its way to storm drains and into our waterways where it poses threats to wildlife, human health, and water quality. To request an in person Poo Points presentation for your classroom or youth group follow the instructions on this flyer.

Also, below is an overview video of the Poo Points Program. 

• Campus Cleanup: By hosting their own cleanup, students can work together to keep their campus clean, which in turn, keeps waste out of local waterways.
• Trash Can Waste Audit: Students can become leaders in pollution prevention by conducting a trash can waste audit. By seeing what items end up in the trash, they can identify ways to work with their peers to reduce the use of certain items, leading to an overall reduction in waste.
• Vermicompost Bin. Start students on the path to zero waste by helping them build their own vermicompost bin. Through this activity students will remove trash from their school’s grounds to help protect inland and coastal waterways, since objects that enter the storm drain flow untreated into San Diego County’s creeks, rivers, and ocean.
   

Take advantage of hands-on and virtual activities like the County of San Diego-sponsored mobile Splash Science Lab, Patch Program for various youth groups, and educational and colorful posters and workbooks. Teaching young people about the water cycle and pollution prevention inspires them to become water protection advocates. Visit the SDCWA webpage for a complete list of school and teacher resources to educate students and help teachers meet instructional requirements for STEM education.

The EPA’s student learning webpage has homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas, pollution prevention materials, and community service project opportunities to educate kids on water pollution, acid rain, and water quality. Empower your students to protect San Diego County’s waterways with these easy-to-use resources. Also check out these case studies of community service projects across the country for inspiration.

The USGS Water Science School (Spanish) teaches students of all ages about water quality, the water cycle, and water properties. Take advantage of interactive activity centers (Spanish, Chinese) and teacher’s resources such as water education posters, photo galleries, and more.