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PHX Water Smart Teaching Workshops
Join the City of Phoenix Water Conservation Office for educational water workshops for educators, by educators!
Stay tuned for next year's round of workshops - coming soon!
What is Water Smart Teaching?
Water Smart Teaching is a fun and interactive program for high school teachers to learn about water conservation in Phoenix! You'll get easy-to-use lessons and activities to teach your students how to save water and protect our environment.
Why Should You Sign Up?
There are so many reasons to join us at the Water Smart Teaching workshops!
- Water Knowledge: You will gain knowledge of water conservation and resources to bring back to your high school classroom, no matter which subject(s) you teach. However, this is not the only perk!
- Earn CEUs: You can earn two CEU (Continuing Education Unit) hours per session you attend, for a total of eight CEUs if you attend all four sessions.
- Certificate & Water Treatment Plant Tour Drawing: If you attend at least three out of four optional sessions, you will earn a certificate and be entered in a drawing to win a water treatment plant tour for your classroom(s), including a Q&A session with Water Services staff before the tour.
- Networking: Each session, attendees will get chances to work in groups with other educators and water professionals. There, they can work through activities together, network, share ideas and resources for their classrooms, and make friends!
- Teacher Cohort: Once you have completed the courses, you can join a new cohort of interdisciplinary teachers that will meet occasionally throughout the year to continue to discuss water conservation and resources and share ideas. This group will provide a place where educators can share their triumphs and struggles in the classroom with water-related topics. The participants can also lean on each other and a helpful PHX Water team member for resources and ideas. Finally, they can help strengthen the Water Conservation Office’s goal of supporting youth education.
What to Expect
In each session, we will discuss one main topic. Then, we will try an activity and lesson plan that you can take back to your own classroom. In the last session, you will work with other teachers to develop your own lesson plan using what you have learned throughout all the sessions you attended.
Each of the four sessions offers a unique opportunity to learn and collaborate. Join us for some or all sessions to learn more about water conservation and resources for your high school classroom!
Session 1: Phoenix Water and Water in the West
- Discover the history of water in the West and tackle a real-world challenge in a decision-making simulation!
Session 2: Water Conservation in Phoenix
- Explore Phoenix’s water-saving strategies and try a resource management activity for your classroom!
Session 3: What You Can Do!
- Calculate water footprints and create fun conservation plans with your students!
Session 4: Water in the Classroom
- Integrate water topics into your curriculum with connections to science standards and test out a drought simulation game!
Conservation Education Alliance
Our new Conservation Education Alliance launches this March, and we’d love to have you join us! The cohort is part of the Water Smart Teaching Program. Throughout the year, cohort members will come together for multiple events designed to bring in fresh ideas, expand their understanding of water conservation topics, and celebrate the meaningful work they’re doing in their communities.
All sessions are free, and lunch is included!
This opportunity is open to both formal and informal educators who are passionate about water conservation and eager to connect with others who share that commitment.
What will you learn or gain from participating?
- Fresh ideas for teaching about water
- Deeper understanding of water conservation and resources topics
- Access to resources and activities
- A supportive community of like‑minded educators
Come join a water conservation-focused community this March. Let’s start a conversation about conservation! Sign up for the first meeting of the Conservation Education Alliance here.
Learn more about the City of Phoenix Water Services Department: Save Water | City of Phoenix
For further questions, please email: conservation@phoenix.gov