Water and Energy Education Newsletter
Mendocino County Edition
Hello Mendocino County Teachers,

Our education program at Sonoma Water invites you to participate in several FREE education programs available to K-12 teachers in Mendocino County. For the last several years, we have partnered with Sonoma Clean Power to bring the topics of energy, climate change, and energy conservation into classrooms beyond the Russian River watershed to include all of Mendocino County. We offer guest speakers, a musical assembly, free school supplies (including the map you see to the right), and more. Lessons can be presented either in-person or virtually. Read on to learn how we support teachers and their students in learning about the fundamentals of our water and energy systems.

Best wishes and we hope to see you in 2022,

The Water and Energy Education Team at Sonoma Water
Stewardship grants for students and teachers
Stewardship grants for students and teachers

Up to $1,000 per project


In our first year offering this program, we put out a call to action and teachers responded! We have mailed checks to support 7 classroom projects that include water catchment systems, worm composting, school waste reduction campaigns, water-filling stations, and school gardens.

Funds remain for a few more project applications, we can't wait to see what you and your students come up with.

Second round of applications due January 26, 2022
Available to all schools in Mendocino County
Grades TK-6


Virtual or in-person

This musical duo raises awareness of the importance of conserving and protecting our environment through music, humor, and movement. Don't be surprised to see your students up and dancing as they learn the many ways to make a positive difference.
Available to all schools in Mendocino County
Sign up for one of our free
classroom lessons
An educator will come to your in-person or virtual classroom. Learn more
about each lesson by exploring the links below.
Grade 4

Where Does our Electricity Come From?

Virtual or in-person

During a one-hour lesson, students take a deep dive into solar power and explore questions about it's pros and cons while experimenting with solar panels and small fans. A 5-part asynchronous lesson series provides background information about the connections between electricity and climate change.
Available to all schools in Mendocino County
Grades 6-8

Electricity and Climate Change

Virtual or in-person

During this lesson, students are introduced to climate change and explore renewable energy as one promising solution. Students work in teams on a STEM challenge to design and create blades capable of spinning a small wind turbine. 
Available to all schools in Mendocino County
Grades 6-12


Virtual or in-person

Drought awareness is interwoven throughout all of our programs as our region continues to experience the effects of drought. Rainfall and reservoir storage levels remain at or below average. It is critical that we work together to protect and conserve our water resources, there's never enough to waste.
Middle and high school teachers can register for a new lesson dedicated to the fundamentals of drought. Students are asked to think critically about the effects of drought on the natural environment, their personal water use, and the best ways to conserve water. 

Learning objectives:
  • To become aware of current local drought conditions
  • To explore environmental impacts of drought using models, pictures, and hands-on examples
  • To feel empowered to conserve water and design solutions to help limit the impacts of drought
Available to schools located in:
Ukiah, Calpella, Mendocino, Potter Valley, and Redwood Valley
Grades 9-12


In this hands-on, one-hour presentation, students learn about the local impacts of climate change and how Sonoma Clean Power is helping California reach its carbon neutral goals. Students explore different ways to take climate action.
Available to all schools in Mendocino County
Order a classroom set of FREE school supplies delivered to your classroom
Available to all schools in Mendocino County except Ukiah
Interested in learning more about our FREE programs? Visit our website for more details or email us at: WaterEd@scwa.ca.gov