Academy of Environmental Water Technology (AEWT)

Heritage High School’s

Somer Y. Sutton, Director and AEWT Lead Teacher

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.”

from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Importance of Water Technology: Water Availability

Earth is a water planet: 71.4% of the earth is covered in water, However, only around 3% of it is fresh

(“drinkable”) water 2/3 of that 3% of fresh water is locked up

in permanent ice (glaciers, polar ice caps)This leaves only 1% of Earth’s water to quench the needs of 7 billion (+) peoples (!)

Drinking Water Operator

Drinking water operators are responsible for providing people with safe, clean (and palatable) water.

Drinking water operators are certified by state agencies and are employed local, state and federal entities (Army Corp of Engineers, military and civilian), private businesses, etc.

Water operations offer either a lifelong career opportunity or can act as a stepping stone to a large variety of environmental careers.

The Importance of Water Technology: The Workforce Need

Consider these conclusions from a recent Water Environment Research Foundation study: It is projected that in the next ten years,

37 percent of water utility workers and 31 percent of wastewater utility workers will retire

These are the people who manage and protect our precious supply of fresh water.

AEWT Addresses this Workforce Need

“Preparing the Next Generation of Environmental & Water Stewards”

AEWT focuses on an Environmental Water Technology course of study, leading to a student industry certification

Students can graduate high school with a Level C Water Operator Pre-licensure courses

AEWT Course of Study

Required Academy Course: Beginning Water Technology (10th grade) Intermediate Water Technology (11th grade) Advanced Water Technology (12th grade) Science Research (any year)

Electives: Marine Science/AICE Marine Science AICE Environmental Management

Senior year: Level C Water Operator State Test

The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that operators of water- and wastewater-treatment plants earned an average salary of $41,580 in 2009. (

http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles/careers/104723.html)

Career Directions

Water Technology

Soil science•Botanist•Farming/agriculture•Landscaping

Oceanic Science•Marine biologist•NOAA

Atmospheric Science•NOAA•Meteorology•Atmospheric chemistry

Land Use Management•Forestry•Environmental Conservation

•GPS/GIS

Resource Management•Alternative Fuel Sources•Technology Development

Stormwater Engineering•Public Utilities•Private firms•Design/Engineering

Average Salaries for Environmental Jobs

Senior Environmental Scientist Analyst $84,000 Scientist Clinical Lab $55,000 Coastal Resources Scientist $71,000 Interdiscplinary Scientist G $61,000 Environmental Scientist $56,000 NEPA Planner $67,000 Senior Environmental Scientist $66,000 Environmental Engineer Investigation Closure $72,000 City Research Scientist $65,000 Geologist Environmental Scientist $52,000 Physical Scientist G $83,000 Soil Scientist $70,000 Research Scientist Supervisor $83,000

(http://www.indeed.com/salary/Environmental-Scientist.html)

AEWT Features

3-4 year sequential CTE program

Voluntary open enrollment

Integrated academic & technical curriculum

Real world, hands-on field experience and research projects

Water and/or wastewater Level C pre-licensure courses

Postsecondary Dual Enrollment Credit

Paid student internship Industry Mentors Industry Guest Speakers Industry Sponsorships Summer

employment/research Partnership with Florida

Gateway College Employ Florida Water

Banner Center affiliation Engaged Advisory

Committee

AEWT Advisory Committee

Brevard Public Schools Florida Department of Environmental Protection

St. Johns River Water Management District Employ Florida Water Banner Center for Water Resources

City of Palm Bay Utilities & HR Departments City of Cocoa Utilities Department

City of Melbourne Utilities Department Florida Gateway College

Florida Institute of Technology: Civil Engineering Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program

Florida Rural Water Association Florida Section AWWA Ecospatial Analysts, Inc

321 Plumbing, Inc.

What kinds of activities do AEWT students do?

School-wide recycling initiative

Barrier Island Sancturay

Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge

Mote Marine Laboratory

Unique Hands-On Experiences in the Classroom

Laptop computer lab in the classroom State-of-the-art laboratory in the classroom Industry-specific equipment Classroom river and aquifer models Soil, air and water quality field kits Solar panel construction Fresh/saltwater mini ecosystems

Coming soon: School garden Aquaponic growing systems Mini-river ecosystem working model

Unique Hands-On Experiences in the Classroom

Cross-connection/backflowmodel

Science Fair

Solar-powered, portable, UV disinfection device for water (funded by a $500 J.B. Butler Science Grant)

“Geobot” used to identify types of minerals in soil

Solar powered model vehicle A profile of native and non-native species in the

local watershed Environmentally-friendly pest control in

agriculture Using greywater in hydroponics Environmentally-friendly mosquito control

Additional Activities

Environmental Sustainability Club EnviroThon competition Energy Whiz competition Beach clean-ups Organic farming Stormwater Sedimentation and

Erosion Control Class

What are the benefits of an academy?

This promotes a family-like atmosphere and results in close student-teacher ties. A career academy includes the following essential

elements: ▪ A small learning community ▪ A college-prep curriculum with a career theme ▪ Partnerships with employers, the community, and higher

education By design, these three central elements of a

career academy lead to a curriculum that is rigorous, relevant, and relational.

(http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/careeracademies/ca_home.asp)