Since its inception, the Mohawk River Champion school education program has sought to educate students in sewer district municipalities the important impact their own actions, and those of their families, could have on the health of the Mohawk River.
In 2019, Operation Ripple Effect worked directly with educators to help arm them with the tools and supplies they needed to share important lessons directly with students on how to ensure the preservation of our environment. Teachers at the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES were provided a digital program kit to help them incorporate these lessons into their curricula by sharing videos, printable materials and worksheets. Program lessons include teaching students how to prevent sanitary sewer system blockages and overflows, along with what materials can and cannot go down the drain. They also have opportunities to learn how to keep clean stormwater from entering the sanitary sewer system by rerouting, reclaiming, and recharging excess water, which can include disconnecting a downspout, creating rain gardens to absorb excess rainwater, or capturing water with a rain barrel.