Education Program

The goal of Canaan Valley Institute’s Education Program is to develop and deliver information that will arm participants with the tools necessary to

• understand problems,
• gather information,
• evaluate alternatives, and
• implement solutions.

We achieve this goal by providing two distinct types of educational programming — technical training and youth-based programs.

Technical training

Since 1999, CVI has conducted more than 150 technical trainings and delivered 16 major conferences with over 7,500 people served. For over ten years, the technical training program has provided workshops in watershed and stream assessment, watershed-based planning, sediment sampling, decentralized wastewater technologies, geographic information systems, natural stream design, and stream construction management. Our staff has joined together with West Virginia University and other experts in the watershed industry to offer training in issues and practices that are at the forefront of today’s watershed concerns. We continue to build our technical training program and add new classes to our curriculum.

Youth-based programs

Over the past several years, CVI has been instrumental in the development of environmental education programs in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. From one day watershed festivals to yearlong watershed studies, we have provided assistance in the areas of program development, professional development workshops, field trips, curriculum development, project evaluation, and instruction. We have assisted in the development of two nationally recognized youth-based programs, winning awards for environmental education, character education, and civic engagement. CVI continues to identify partnerships and possibilities that will allow us to utilize our expertise to increase environmental literacy and stewardship in young populations and educators alike.

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