Mission
Advancing water education to understand global challenges and inspire local solutions
Ruling year
2004
Principal Officer
Mr. John Etgen
Main address
PO Box 4230
Bozeman, MT 59772 USA
EIN
20-0281441
NTEE code
Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs (C60)
Other Youth Development N.E.C. (O99)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Educating people to understand water has taken on new urgency as global environmental challenges proliferate. World leaders, academics and corporate executives are calling water “the oil of the 21st century”—and unlike oil, water has no substitute. Project WET’s mission is to advance water education to understand global challenges and inspire local solutions. This mission reflects the role that effective, action-oriented water education plays in confronting serious environmental issues such as climate change. When people understand the global challenges of water, they can take action to solve water problems in their communities.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Water Resources Education material development
The Project WET Foundation has developed more than 300 original water science teaching methods that can be used with audiences of every age and nationality. These methods are collected in educator guides (digital and print publications designed for use by school and community educators), children's activity booklets (50+ digital and print titles for use by children and youth) and online learning platforms like DiscoverWater.org. Project WET learning materials are implemented on the ground by local partner organizations in more than 75 countries.
Project WET USA Network
The Project WET USA Network—an instruction and delivery network consisting of local and state partner organizations, coordinators and facilitators (master trainers) in all 50 U.S. states—has trained millions of school and community educators since its inception in 1991. These school and community educators in turn reach tens of millions people of all ages with objective, science-based water resources education that fosters awareness and inspires action. In all, there are more than 70 U.S. "host institutions” and an equal number of local Project WET Coordinators, along with more than 3,000 trained facilitators. Six-hour workshops that teach educators of all varieties to us the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 are the centerpiece of Project WET USA’s training program. In addition to Guide workshops, many host institutions also offer specialized training on climate and water resilience, early childhood education, wetlands, watersheds and water conservation.
Project WET Global Network
Stretching across five continents, the Project WET Global Network includes education and environment ministries, NGOs, corporations and international organizations. Project WET Global Partners spearhead adaptations of Project WET materials, deliver trainings to educators and experts and promote water education in their country and/or locality.
Worldwide Educator Training
Project WET trains educators around the world to teach about water using hands-on, interactive, science-based methods. Trainings are conducted through Project WET's network of global partner organizations.
Where we work
Awards
Beacon Award Finalist 2010
Association of Educational Publishers
Distinguished Achievement Award 2009
Association of Educational Publishers
Education and Outreach Award 2008
University Council on Water Resources
Children’s Interactive finalist 2006
Independent Publisher Book Awards
U.S. Water Prize 2012
Clean Water America Alliance
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of groups/organizations benefiting from education materials developed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Related Program
Water Resources Education material development
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes organizations that partner with Project WET to implement water education training in their city, state, region or country as well as organizations that purchase Project WET materials.
Number of hours of training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Parents, Students
Related Program
Worldwide Educator Training
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
New educators in the USA and around the world are trained to use Project WET in day-long workshops. These intensive training experiences incorporate not only water content but also peer teaching.
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Parents, Students
Related Program
Worldwide Educator Training
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Project WET partners in the USA and around the world train school and community educators to teach about Project WET using interactive, hands-on, science-based teaching methods.
Number of individuals benefiting from education materials developed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Parents
Related Program
Water Resources Education material development
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of educators, children, youth and others who learn about water using Project WET materials in a given year is estimated with average class sizes, materials reach and direct reporting.
Percentage of people trained reporting increased knowledge after education programs and training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Parents, Students
Related Program
Worldwide Educator Training
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This figure is based on direct surveys of workshop participants in 2017.
Percentage of people who would recommend education programs and training to others
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Parents, Students
Related Program
Worldwide Educator Training
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This figure is based on direct surveys of workshop participants.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We envision a world in which action-oriented education enables every child to understand and value water, ensuring a sustainable future.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We achieve our mission by:
-Publishing water resource education materials that are appropriate for many different age groups and cultures and offer comprehensive coverage of the broad topic of water.
-Providing training workshops to educators at all levels, formal and non-formal, on diverse water topics so that those educators can reach children with objective, experiential, science-based water education.
-Organizing and inspiring community water events, including water festivals and ActionEducation™ projects.
-Building a worldwide network of educators, water resource professionals, NGO, water scientists and other experts to advocate for the role of water education in solving complex water issues.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
For more than three decades, Project WET and its international network of local partner organizations have been training school and community educators to teach people about water using interactive methods that promote awareness and inspire action. Project WET partners train tens of thousands of new school and community educators each year. These educators in turn reach more than a million students in K-12 classrooms, through conservation districts, at state and national parks, in nature preserves, at scout meetings and anywhere else children and youth can gather to learn about water. Many of the trained educators continue reaching students year after year, bringing Project WET's cumulative impact into the tens of millions.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In its 30+-year history, Project WET has succeeded in creating the largest and most well-respected set of original water resources education materials in the world and has used those materials to train hundreds of thousands of educators around the world to teach about water in effective, interactive ways. The organization has also succeeded in advocating for water education as a solution to complex global water issues, raising the profile of water education among relevant water organizations in all sectors, from government agencies and international organizations to nonprofits and educational institutions.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Project WET Foundation Inc.
Board of directorsas of 10/26/2022
Ms. Edna Primrose
Jane Lazgin
Nestlé Waters North America (retired)
Jashell Mitchell
NFL
Edna Primrose
Monica Kilpatrick
Georgia DNR
Shani Cooke
Marcelle Shoop
Audubon Society
Fabiana Cymrot
Mastercard
Daniel Benitez
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/17/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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