ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Our Mississippi was recently recognized by the National Association for Interpretation, or NAI, as the 2012 first place winner in the media curriculum category.
The “Our Mississippi: Educational Activities” curriculum and innovative presentation were cited as the key reasons for the NAI recognition. The award was presented at NAI’s national conference Nov. 15.
“By viewing the finished report product as more than a finite document, we were able to produce a dynamic educational tool that will provide benefits to people around the world,” said Kim Rea, director of interpretive services at the rivers project office in West Alton, Mo. “A better understanding of the Mississippi River and its relationship with the entire watershed can be applied in nearly any community on the globe.”
Dan Cottrell, St. Paul District Mississippi River channel maintenance coordinator in Fountain City, Wis., said, “Having helped facilitate two Our Mississippi educator workshops with Living Lands and Waters this summer, the feedback on the curriculum from the attendees was very positive. Many teachers and non-traditional educators felt they would be able to take the new guide and use the lesson plans provided immediately.”
Funds from the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program were initially used to identify the cultural resources at risk in the Upper Mississippi River watershed. In 2006, a cultural resources and mitigation team was formed to develop a plan while providing educational materials, too. The “Our Mississippi: Educational Activities” are produced by Formations, Inc. of Portland, Ore., and the Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul, Rock Island and St. Louis districts.
The teacher activity guide, as well as other resources, area available online at www.ourmississippi.org.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district economy. The 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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