Fish artwork along the San Antonio River Walk - Museum Reach

Educator's Toolkit

Teaching Stewardship

Teaching stewardship requires local relevancy, and the San Antonio River is a critical local resource that needs everyone to Be River Proud. It is critical for river and watershed health and sustainability to teach children and the community about the issue surrounding litter in the San Antonio River Basin. San Antonio River Authority Educators know that inspiring youth to make a change in their community that will benefit all people, plants, and animals who rely on the river is a crucial piece of that learning outcome. Service-learning is a best practice in education that helps move the needle.

What is Service-Learning?

“Service-learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs” (Knapp & Fisher, 2010). In other words, students who participate in service-learning projects learn while helping their community.

Be River Proud Classroom Program

We invite all education professionals and their students to support a healthy San Antonio River by participating in the San Antonio River Authority’s Be River Proud Classroom Program. Educators and their classrooms are awarded a Be River Proud Classroom badge for both doorway and email signatures upon participation!

Lesson Plan Presentation Video

The following presentation video provides the information and understanding necessary for educators to work with their students to create actions on their campus that lead to healthy creeks and rivers. The lesson throughout the presentation provides the toolkit for a service-learning project on a school campus or even community area. The video and accompanying downloadable materials teach about the impacts of litter on creeks and rivers, how litter is carried to waterways, and what can be done on a personal level to prevent it.

Watch the lesson, download the resources, and earn awards!

Show us your participation in a Be River Proud Classroom campus cleanup project and become eligible for year-end recognition and awards. Begin by filling out this form. We’ll be in touch!