Chesapeake School System Stormwater Education Program

Students at Southwestern Elementary participate in the hands on experiment.

Public Works partners with Chesapeake Public Schools to offer grades 3 - 5 hands-on experiments that act as a teaching aid to the Standards of Learning. The program has grown from visiting a few hundred students each year to more than 1,700 in 2010 - 2011.      

Public Works is also available to speak withchildren's organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, etc.

If your group or school would like a visit from the "Soil Team" call the public works information specialist 757-382-6983 to coordinate. (The program is funded by Public Works/Stormwater Management.)

Fun Facts for the Kids

Watersheds: Chesapeake is made up of several different water sheds. A watershed is a piece of land that water flows across or under on its way to a stream, river or lake. Ever wonder which watershed your school is in? Check out this map to find out!

Soil: Did you know that soil is a very important part of our environment? It is a nonrenewable natral resource that we must all do our part to protext! Look at this diagram to learn the functions of soil!

  Healthy/Unhealthy Water: So how does stormwater pollution really affect our waterways? Polluted stormwater carries too much nitrogen, phsophorous and sediment. These three things, along with many other pollutants, make a real difference in the health of the waterway! Take a look at this diagram to see what the pollutants do.

Other Kid-Friendly Education Sources

The Environmental Protection Agency's website has a great page with games and kid-friendly information about stormwater, including an interactive picture that clearly displays major causes of stormwater pollution.