Directions | Program Overview (PDF)
Apply for a VWEP Trip | Forms for Teachers and Parents
VA Standards of Learning (PDF)
"We thought this was the most amazing, educational, fun field trip ever. It was a perfect culmination to our SOL units on Life Processes and Living Systems.... Our students learned a lot and have a new respect for VA's waters." Guy K. Stump, ES Teacher
VWEP gives participants an exciting new perspective on their own local tributary and its connection to the Bay. While paddling freshwater, non-tidal rivers and streams, students and educators examine the relationship between human activities and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Hands-on activities encourage sensitivity and knowledge of local ecosystems, giving relevance and greater understanding to classroom curricula. Our program staff provide opportunities for careful observations, data collection, analysis, and synthesis of information gathered during the field study experience. They encourage participants to explore the complexity of the watershed, and to see themselves as part of the solution.
Program Capacity:
Max. 23 for moving-water sites or 26 for flat-water sites (includes chaperones), grades 6 and up.