OCWD Board of Directors
President
Cathy Green
First Vice President
Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E.
Second Vice President
Philip L. Anthony
Jordan Brandman
Shawn Dewane
Jan M. Flory, ESQ.
Dina L. Nguyen, ESQ.
Roman Reyna
Stephen R. Sheldon
Roger C. Yoh, P.E.
General Manager
Michael R. Markus
P.E., D.WRE.




Children's Water
Education Festival
Celebrates 20 Years
The Children's Water Education Festival (CWEF), the largest and premier educational event of its kind, will celebrate its 20th Anniversary this coming March 23 and 24 when it returns to the campus of the University of California, Irvine.

"The Festival has grown beyond our dreams from 1,000 its first year to more than 7,000 third, fourth and fifth grade students throughout Orange County expected to attend in 2016," says OCWD Director Philip Anthony.

Over the years, CWEF has educated more than 110,000 students, teaching them about water and the environment, and promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) instruction in a fun and interactive way.

PRESENTER CATEGORIES

  • Agriculture
  • Air quality (NEW)
  • Chemistry
  • Earth science (NEW)
  • Energy (NEW)
  • Engineering (NEW)
  • Groundwater/aquifers
  • Land animals
  • Oceans/marine life
  • Recycling
  • Stormwater/runoff/pollution
  • Water conservation
  • Water cycle
  • Water quality
  • Water supply
  • Watersheds
  • Wetlands
  • Other: Environment
  • Other: Science
  • Other: Water
Students learn about water resources, the environment, space, watersheds, wildlife and natural habitats, recycling, conservation, biology, chemistry, and engineering through structured, hands-on educational activities taught to California Science Standards. According to Festival Coordinator Crystal Nettles, "This immersion empowers youths to make small and large changes to help the planet, exposes them to an abundance of career paths, and provides a springboard into their pursuit of higher education."

Presenter, volunteer and sponsor registration is now open.
The Festival's growth depends largely on the number of presenters, sponsors and volunteers who register.

This year's Festival features the following new categories: air quality, earth science, energy, and engineering. You are encouraged to register your organization to present at the Festival, be a sponsor or to volunteer by visiting the Children's Water Education Festival site.

California is currently in its fourth year of a historic drought, and water issues continue to be at the forefront of the state’s priorities. Teaching stakeholders, especially youth, to conserve water is necessary to helping California sustain water supplies. Change is generational, and that is why for the last 20 years the Orange County Water District (OCWD), in conjunction with the Disneyland Resort and National Water Research Institute, has helped educate Orange County students through the Festival.