Educational School Programs

The Rouge River Water Festival is a half-day interactive learning event that offers fourth- and fifth-grade students hands-on experiences demonstrating the importance of water in our daily life. Each September, the festival takes place at Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, conveniently located along three sub-branches of the Rouge River. For more information, contact Lizz Parkinson at Cranbrook Institute of Science at 248-645-3008 or eparkinson@cranbrook.edu.

The Clinton River Water Festival is a full-day educational experience that teaches fifth-grade students from schools within the Clinton River Watershed about water quality and its impact on the environment and their community. The festival takes place every May at Oakland University in Rochester. For more information, contact Angela Harris at Oakland University at 248-370-4455.

The Dirt Doctors is an interactive demonstration designed to teach students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade how individual actions affect our waterways. Students will learn about the connection between vegetation, soil erosion and water quality in a fun, hands-on presentation featuring water toys. To schedule a demonstration and learn more, email envreq@oakgov.com.

An online version of this program is available. Click here to watch the video and take the Kahoot! quiz to test what you’ve learned.

The Drain Detectives teach middle and high school students how we investigate and stop pollution from reaching our waterways. In this interactive presentation, students will learn about:

• Oakland County's Illicit Discharge Elimination Program
• Types of pollution that impact our waterways
• How we track pollution sources
• Tools used to investigate water quality

Drain Detectives are available for field trips and special events. To schedule a presentation and learn more, email envreq@oakgov.com.

The Enviroscape Watershed Model is a hands-on demonstration for all ages, showing how water moves across land and how everyday actions can pollute lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands. The program covers freshwater importance, the water cycle, drinking water sources, watershed awareness, and ways to prevent pollution. To schedule a presentation, email envreq@oakgov.com.

An online version of this program is available. Click here to watch the video and take the Kahoot! quiz to test what you’ve learned.

Since 2005, our office has organized the Kids’ Clean Water Calendar Contest for Oakland County fourth and fifth graders. Each year, hundreds of students participate in the contest using art to explore ways to prevent water pollution and conserve freshwater. To learn more about the contest, click here.