Water Awareness Research and Education (WARE) is a transdisciplinary framework that pushes university, K-12 education & community partnerships to foster sustainable communities through a focus on water, a critical resource that connects us across multiple types of cultural, socio-economic, geospatial, and political landscapes. First branded in 2008 for an EPA People Prosperity & Planet Phase 1 grant & expanded through a 2009 Phase II grant, it now serves as an umbrella for many other programs that include:

• Teacher Training through a $0.5 million USD National Science Foundation Research Education for Teachers program. WARE-RET.net. The goal of this program is to provide a proactive and well structured research, education and professional development experience for at least 36 middle and high school science and math teachers from the Hillsborough County Public Schools and pre-service teachers from USF’’s College of Education. The research theme is framed around three of the National Academy of Engineer’’s Grand Challenges (i.e., management of the nitrogen cycle, provision of clean water, urban infrastructure improvement) and the role of formal and informal science education in integrating marginalized, coastal community participants in developing solutions to these grand challenges whilst broadening participation in STEMs fields.
• Community training through an Environmental Protection Agency Center grant & a National Fish and Wildlife grant for managing urban infrastructure. These grants support a partnership with the Community Development Corporation in East Tampa to implement green infrastructure for stormwater management throughout the community. It includes a 40 hour vocational training unit and an after school program with the Young Leaders Program at Middleton High School and Tampa Bay Tech. Follow the WARE activities of these grants on Raingardens.US.
• Expansion to the Caribbean through partnerships established on sabbatical during 2012/2013 & the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge. Read a report from Dominica where I worked with the Chief Youth Division Officer in the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports – click here to read report.