The City of Dallas Water Conservation Division &

The University of North Texas

Dallas Environmental Education Initiative

The Problem• Projected population of 9.3 million for the Dallas-

Fort Worth Metroplex by 2035 (North Texas Commission, 2012)

• Water consumption average of 102 gallons per capita per day in 2008-2009 (Dallas Water Utilities, 2010)

Thompson/Stewart/Faubion

Remediation• "In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and

we will understand only what we are taught.“• Baba Dioum

City of Dallas – Environmental Education Initiative

www.dallaseei.org

– Beginning 2006– Teacher Professional Development– High School Research Interns– Middle School Museum Modules– K-5 In class hands-on, inquiry-based water conservation lessons

• 45,000+ students

• 98.7% commitment to water conservation

Stewart/Thompson/Faubion

Experimental Design

Constants• Geographic location/climate

– Temperature– Precipitation– Topography

• Number of housing units• Median income levels• Population• Demographics• City-wide marketing• Irrigation ordinance• Price of water

Treatment/Intervention• Water Conservation

Education

Thompson/Stewart/Faubion

City of Dallas zip codes with Research area

shaded

Methods• Intervention

Faubion/Thompson/Stewart

Research Area 1 in blue, Research Area 2 in green; Elementary schools in red

Results

• Average Monthly Water Usage in Research Areas

Thompson/Stewart/Faubion

***p=0.000471, t-test

Challenges

• Lesson Plan development• Alignment with State Standards• Alignment with Dallas ISD Scope and Sequence.

• Qualified teaching staff• University setting• Graduate students with teaching certifications

• Relationship building• Science Coaches• Individual teachers vs. principals

• Infrastructure• Storage• Mobility• RFP• Contracts

Stewart/Thompson/Faubion

Replication?• We are actively looking for another city to replicate the program!

– Unique research opportunity– Avoidance of initial mistakes– Reliability– Continuity– Positive Teacher response >97.8%

• Check us out: www.dallaseei.org

• Contact Info:– Program Director – Derinda Stewart

• Derinda.stewart@dallascityhall.com– Principal Investigator – Dr. Rudi Thompson

• rudi@unt.edu– Graduate Researcher – Victoria Faubion

• faubion@unt.edu