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Finding Our Way is a hands-on learning program that gets students involved in the environmental sciences of their surroundings and fosters lifelong interest in protecting our environment. Finding Our Way is a STEAM outreach program between Western Connecticut State University Department of Biological Sciences and local public school teachers. Programs are also offered in the summer depending on the availability of funding.
Make a difference and join FrogWatch!
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo invites residents to become Citizen-Scientist volunteers and participate in a “FrogWatch” census in area wetlands. In a collaboration between the Zoo, The Maritime Aquarium, and Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, volunteers will make regular visits to wetlands in their neighborhoods and keep a frog log to record the frog and toad calls they hear. Working with experts, volunteers will learn about local frog species, then visit wetlands once or twice a week for about 15 minutes each night this spring and summer. 
FrogWatch Training
During this training, participants will learn about citizen science, the important role amphibians play in the ecosystem, and how to identify ten species of frogs heard in Connecticut. After the training, participants will be sent a virtual assessment they need to complete in order to become a certified FrogWatch Volunteer.
All trainings are held from 7:00-8:30pm and are free with suggested donation.
Join us for the Danbury Regional Pollinator Pathway Meeting!
On January 16th, 2025 at 4pm, Science Building Room 125.
2024 Highlights
Demystifying Climate Change – Science At Night With NOAA’s Tom DiLiberto
Recent climate events have us all wondering what the future holds for our homes and communities. Please join us for an evening Climate 101 talk with expert, Tom DiLiberto, who will dispel myths, answer questions, and share best practices and solutions for a changing climate that can help build resilient communities.
Visit the event page for more information as well as the event recording.
Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium Winners
We are happy to announce the winners of the 2024 Aquatic Science Restoration Symposium at Danbury High School. The group project’s name was “Go Green or Go Home” and earned the title of best poster, idea, and proposed solution for the current issue of storm water management at Danbury H.S. One of the group members, Gabriella Judnarine, is also a former Spring Watershed Steward Ambassador (SWSA), and we are proud to have had the opportunity to mentor her in the watershed sciences. In her words, “the program was an amazing opportunity to understand the environment and real-life issues that are going on in our community. With the steps we took as a group, we hope to motivate others to join in on the movement to better our community and the change starts with us.”
Congratulations to Gabby and her group!
Chemistry Day at WCSU
Part of our program’s goal is to connect you with other departments. This year we had an opportunity to engage Danbury High School chemistry students in college level experiments and meet faculty members. Check out this video highlighting what they did!
2024 Finding Our Way WCSU-DPS Spring Opportunities!
Paid Opportunities for High School Students
Announcing the 2024 SWSA Spring Program. This program is open to all Danbury High School students, preferably in aquatic sciences or past SWSA students. If you are interested in working outside this spring, please apply!
Link to apply is below as well as four forms that need to be completed and sent to silvamar@wcsu.edu
Apply Here:
Forms for download:
- SWSA Medical Release form
- 2024 SWSA Student Application
- SWSA Photo Release
- SWSA Student Information Sheet
Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium!
In the spirit of last year’s winning project titled “Unlocking the potential of water quality through biodiversity and impervious surfaces”, we are happy to announce the 2024 Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium happening on May 22nd and 23rd (9am-12pm) at the Danbury High School.
*Prize money for best symposium group project*
Announcing the 2024 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Middle School Students!
A student competition focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
Application Entries Due: 22 April 2024
Reports Due: 3 June 2024
Winners Announced: 11 June 2024
Download the 2024 Stewardship Application, 2024 Stewardship Competition Details, and the provided Final Report Project Timeline 2024
Want to see how you will be graded? See the grading rubric here.
Email completed forms to: guimaraes007@wcsu.edu
Final Projects must include:
1. Stewardship Report 2. Project Timeline 3. Pictures of the project or other evidence
- Summary of announcement for parents in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Click here to download.
In 2022 we celebrate the B-WET program’s 20th anniversary
In the 20 years Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) has been working around the country, it has been a powerful catalyst for environmental literacy. The B-WET program and the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) framework support environmental education, foster student success and interest in learning, and empower students to implement environmental solutions in their own communities. Since 2002, the B-WET program has awarded over $110 million to support 874 projects. The program reaches thousands of educators and tens of thousands of students every year. Finding Our Way is just one of these fantastic projects that is funded by B-WET.
To learn more about what the B-WET program click on: B-WET Home
Student Opportunities
The Funny Thing About Climate Change Contest
Hundreds of cash awards available, ranging from $50 to $1,500!
Deadline: Monday, June 13, 2022
| The 2022 Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, and become advocates for positive change. The 2022 Ocean Awareness Contest theme: THE FUNNY THING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE challenges students to learn about climate change and its impact on the ocean, and to explore new ways, like humor, satire, or kitsch, to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis.
Details:
Visit the website for full details and Bow Seat’s Resource Studio, where you and your students can access curated resources such as articles, primary literature, etc. |
2022 Summer Watershed Stewardship Ambassador Program
This program is open to all Danbury High School Students preferably Sophomore and Junior aquatic science students. A paid ambassador program focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
Click below to apply!
For more information see the High School Summer Opportunities page!
Announcing the 2022 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Seventh Graders!
A student competition focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
2022 Stewardship Application
Lake Symposium 2021
For more information, please contact Dr. Theodora Pinou, professor of Biology, at Pinout@wcsu.edu
If you would like to attend the Lake Symposium there are 3 sessions.
If you missed any of the sessions CLICK HERE to watch the recording!
Congratulations to the 2021 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition Winner
2021 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition winner Jahmiya Beamon-Scott with her Westside Academy teacher Beth Manning
Link here to WCSU News
Link here to New Milford’s HamletHub
Lake Symposium 2020
For more information, please contact Dr. Theodora Pinou, professor of Biology, at Pinout@wcsu.edu
If you would like to attend the Lake Symposium there are 3 sessions.
If you missed any of the sessions CLICK HERE to watch the recording!
Announcing the First Place Winner for the
2020 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition
for Seventh Graders!
Eva George, Westside Middle School Academy, receives First Place WCSU NOAA B-WET Stewardship Award for 2020!
(Click here) To learn more about her project!
Western Connecticut State University Press Release ~ Local Middle Schooler wins NOAA B-Wet Stewardship Award
Danbury Middle Schooler Wins NOAA Science Award
Announcing the 2020 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Seventh Graders!
Looking for something to do while you are inside?
Apply for the Stewardship Competition! A student competition focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
(Click the above link for more details!)
2018-2019 Stewardship Award Winners Announced!
(Click above link for details)
Congratulations to the seventh-grade students from Danbury and surrounding area schools who are winners of the 2019 NOAA B-WET Stewardship Competition.
Front row, l-r: Joshua Hattar, Diego Soto, Sabrina Serpa-Smith, Marisol Tapia, Juliet Dahlstrom, Joshua Maruffi, Esther Ribiero, Sereen Ammezane and Jake Ledan. (Missing is Matthew Waldron.)
Back row, l-r: Program Assistant Carol Ball; Jonathan Neuhausel, Magnet School Coach, Westside Middle School Academy; Program Director Dr. Dora Pinou; and WCSU Professor of Biology Dr. Hannah Reynolds. (Missing is Carrie Rowe, Science Teacher, Rogers Park Middle School.)
2019 was a great year for many organizations!
Read about Finding Our Way, and other community organizations in an article from The Ridgefield Press. (Click Here)
Water Stewardship Advocates: Make a Video and compete for $500! Click the link here!
Here is an opportunity for your students to win $500 for creating a video that addresses key issues related to stewardship!
THREE FINDING OUR WAY ALUMNI EARN AWARDS
AT 2019 CONNECTICUT SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR
KHUSHI PARIKH, SRISHTI RAMAKRISHNAN, AND SHARVA KARTHIKEYAN ALL WINNERS!
(Click above link for details)
Khushi Parikh, a ninth-grader at Danbury High School, won multiple awards for her project, “Engineering a Polylectic Biomimetic Micro Aerial Vehicle to Pollinate Flowers.”
Watch our 2018 Summer Experience Video Here!
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