Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Environmental Stewards
4-H20 Education Program
4-H2O Education Program
What is the 4-H2O Youth Education Program?
Through our 4-H2O program for kids and their families, CSI aims to foster and support the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards through hands-on water science and engaging activities that allow children to “dip their toes” into the world of water.
The 4-H2O program started as a collaborative relationship with the Tompkins County 4-H youth education organization in 2006. In 2016, 4-H2O transitioned from a club format to a project based format allowing all children to participate regardless of their affiliation with 4-H. Each 4-H2O activity is presented in a way that makes scientific topics approachable and engaging for children and adults with any level of experience or interest. Since 2020, this program has been generously funded by the Park Foundation.
What age group can participate?
The target age for programming is 6-14 and kids from elementary through high school are welcome to participate. Youth under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
Looking for fun water science education activities? Read on for details on CSI's 2023 Journey of Water 4-H2O Series below!
Journey of Water: Summer 2023 Educational Event Series
Back by popular demand, CSI will be reviving 2022’s 4-H2O series The Journey Of Water once again in 2023! This series of events provides children and families with hands-on water science education, covering topics such as the water cycle, basic water chemistry, benthic macroinvertebrates (aka stream bugs!), water quality monitoring, and more! The events in this series also provide a unique opportunity to connect to the journey of water right here in the Cayuga Lake Watershed, from streams like Six Mile Creek, to the faucet in your home, and eventually to Cayuga Lake! Join us free of charge to learn about how water cycles through our local ecosystems and community.
To chronicle your journey alongside Cayuga Lake Watershed’s water, we will provide participants with a Journey of Water Passport. At each stop along the way (each event offered with the Journey of Water), CSI staff will stamp your passport. Children who complete their passport will receive their very own Journey of Water t-shirt! You can pick up your Journey of Water Passport at any of the events this summer.
Si quiere asistir a un programa con traducción al español, escríbenos a: aghaynes@communityscience.org.
Build Your Own Water Filter
Date: May 31, 2023 Time: 2:00 PM Location: CSI’s Water Testing Lab in Ithaca!
Date: July 26, 2023 Time: 12:00 PM Location: Seneca Falls Library
Reservations are required at least two days in advance as space is limited. Details and directions will be provided upon registration.
Community Science Institute will offer this program twice this summer – once at our certified water testing lab in Ithaca and once at Seneca Falls Library. Join us for this hands-on workshop to learn about ways that water can be polluted and cleaned. Kids will work in teams to build water filters out of natural materials. Then, they’ll test how well these filters work on water they “pollute” (i.e. using soil, road salt, etc.). Attendees will get a chance to run basic tests themselves before seeing how CSI’s professional scientists look for bacteria in water (spoilers: the test makes it GLOW). Kids will get a postcard by mail a few days after with results on how much bacteria remains after running water through their filter!
CSI staff will introduce and discuss key concepts such as the water cycle, pollution, basic water chemistry, and ways in which the natural environment filters water as it cycles through ecosystems. A wonderful water science education event!
River (or Lake) to Faucet
Where does the water in your faucet come from? In much of the City of Ithaca, drinking water comes from Six Mile Creek and then treated at the City of Ithaca Water Treatment Plant. The Bolton Point Drinking Water Facility provides water to some portions of the City of Ithaca and also to the Towns of Dryden, Ithaca and Lansing, and the Villages of Cayuga Heights and Lansing. Join the Community Science Institute for a tour of one of these two facilities with the City of Ithaca Water Treatment Plant Lab Director, Roxanna Johnston, or Bolton Point Production Manager, Glenn Ratajczak, for a presentation and guided tour of how water is treated and supplied to residents and businesses in Ithaca and beyond. The tour will build upon basic concepts of water quality introduced during the “Build Your Own Water Filter” activity and provide kids with an understanding and appreciation of where their water comes from and how it is managed.
Water Quality Cruise on Cayuga Lake
Date: June 25, 2023 Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Date: August 2, 2023 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Date: September 10, 2023 Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Reservations are required at least three days in advance. Cruises aboard the Floating Classroom will depart from the Ithaca Farmers Market dock at Steamboat Landing, 545 3rd Street in Ithaca, NY. Please arrive 15 minutes before the departure time for check in. If you need to cancel your reservation please do so at least one day in advance.
Sail Ho! Join the Community Science Institute on an exploration of Cayuga Lake aboard the Floating Classroom. For the 17th year running, CSI’s 4-H2O Program will be partnering with Discover Cayuga Lake’s Floating Classroom to collect and analyze water samples from Cayuga Lake. Participants will learn how to collect water samples using a Van Dorn sampler and will analyze them while aboard the Floating Classroom’s boat, the MV Teal. Data collected by participants will be included in CSI’s online water quality database, helping to better our collective understanding of the health of Cayuga Lake!
This is a great opportunity for all ages to participate in local water quality science! Space is limited, so sign up while there is still time!
Down the Drain and Into the Lake
Date: June 30, 2023 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Location: Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
Date: September 28, 2023 Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Location: Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
Reservations are required at least three days in advance and space is limited. Directions will be provided upon registration.
Where does water go when you flush the toilet or drain your bathtub? Join the Community Science Institute for a presentation and tour of the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAWWTF) with a facility operator. This program will build on basic concepts of water quality introduced during the “Build Your Own Water Filter” activity and provide kids with a sense of how water used by Ithaca residents is treated before it is discharged (back) into Cayuga Lake.
Stream Biomonitoring Fun!
Date: July 11, 2023 Time: 9:30 – 11:00 AM Location: Six Mile Creek at Plain Street
Date: August 10, 2023 Time: 6:00 – 7:30 PM Location: Upper Robert H. Treman State Park
Date: September 2, 2023 Time: 1:00 – 2:30 PM Location: Lower Buttermilk Falls State Park
Reservations are required at least two days in advance. Directions and details will be provided when you sign up.
Who lives under the rocks in streams and what can these organisms tell us about water quality? Join the Community Science Institute (CSI) for an evening or afternoon at one of our scenic local State Parks as we explore the aquatic life that can be found in the creek and collect a sample of organisms that will be used to evaluate water quality and ecosystem health. This event is meant for the whole family and is interactive. Participants will help us wade through the creek to find organisms under rocks for everyone to look at under magnification. Learn to identify what you find and what these organisms indicate about how healthy a stream is. Those who are interested in following the scientific protocols for collecting an official sample (that will be analyzed and the results of which will be included in CSI’s long-term datasets of water quality) can help collect the sample and complete a physical survey of the stream. Bring a picnic dinner or lunch along, if you’d like!
