Dream in Green’s WE-LAB (Water and Energy – Learning and Behavior) program underwent some changes this past year with the introduction of a new WE-LAB Coordinator to oversee program implementation, changes in the content of the presentation, and the hire of a new Water Use Efficiency Manager in Miami-Dade County to present the information on the County’s water conservation programs and incentives. Moreover, we made WE-LAB a focused program for schools and sponsoring cities.
WE-LAB is a joint partnership between Dream in Green and Miami-Dade County. The workshops are offered to schools, hospitals, company venues and community centers with an interest in educating residents about how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. The workshops are presented by DIG’s Program Coordinator, Nicole Palma, as well as the Miami Dade Water Use Efficiency Manager, Patrick Martin, and the Miami Dade Recycling Manager, Jeanmarie Massa. Workshops are designed to deliver highly relevant, science-based information about the water and energy nexus, water and energy use impacts on the environment, ways to save water and energy while also saving money, and the do’s and don’ts of recycling. The presentation has been updated to reflect new climate science data as it relates to water and energy consumption by an ever increasing population. Some important messages communicated in WE-LAB workshops are the connection between water and energy, where our water comes from and the important connection between human actions and the environment, both locally and globally.
What is special about the program is its ability to engage K-12 students in hands-on educational activities created to show the connection between water, energy, human actions, and environmental impacts. Some activities from this year included awareness campaigns for water and energy conservation, model watersheds and aquifers, alternative transportation infographics, video PSAs about behavioral changes, and interviews with green professionals.
We have big plans ahead for WE-LAB this year including a move to Broward County where we plan to educate community residents in four different cities. The Community Foundation of Broward approved funds to implement the WE-LAB Broward Project which will educate 250 residents in collaboration with the City of Hollywood, City of Hallandale Beach, City of Fort Lauderdale and City of Miramar.
It is Dream in Green’s hope that by continuing to offer the program to schools and communities we will begin to see real changes in the attitudes and actions of our Miami Dade County residents, which in turn will lead to a better, more sustainable Earth for future generations.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities for WE-LAB contact Karla Utting – ka***@dr**********.org/ 786-574-4909
