Skip to Main Content

Wave of Action: Home

LibGuide for the Wave of Action professional learning program and after-school student program

The Wave of Action Program

Calling all Wave of Action past participants! Do you remember when we learned that NYC has over 575 miles of coastline which is home to rich flora and fauna? Or that the Big Apple’s water supply comes from upstate New York watersheds in a system which moves over a billion gallons a day? Let’s continue our investigation remotely!

The 2020-21 Wave of Action program aims to engage students in grades 3-5 in weekly Wave of Action Team sessions in which they will investigate the importance of New York City's water system. As students identify local water conservation issues and solutions, they will create a public service announcement (PSA) to advocate within their school community. Students will present their PSAs at a virtual showcase on March 18, 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in Wave of Action?

This year the Wave of Action (WOA) program is available to educators who participated in the program in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. As a participant, you may work with another teacher partner, however you are also welcome to participate individually.

The program is available for students in grades 3-5 in in-person, blended, and remote learning settings.

What is the schedule and time commitment for WOA?

This year’s program will run from October 2020 through March 2021.

Participating teachers will participate in seven one-hour virtual professional learning sessions. October will kick-off with two one-hour professional learning sessions during the weeks of October 19 and 26, followed by another five in November, December, and January. Teachers will also commit to two one-hour colleague collaboration sessions, on November 25 and January 6. To support your work, three check-in phone calls will be scheduled between the teacher and GESC team. These typically last 15-20 minutes.

As a WOA Team leader, you will facilitate 10-12 weekly synchronous meetings with your students between the weeks of November 1, 2020 and February 22, 2021. You may run this year's program in the way that best fits your teaching schedule and curriculum; these team meetings may be in-person, blended, or remote.

How does the program differ from past years?

Rather than targeting educators who are new to the New York City Water System, this year’s professional learning will both refresh and deepen the content from prior years' professional learning. Sessions will take place virtually and will last about 60 minutes. In addition, educators will have the opportunity to share best practices with each other through colleague collaborations sessions and on Padlet.

The program is available to all grades 3-5 students in the most appropriate grouping for your instructional needs. While previously intended as a multi-grade after-school enrichment program, the content can be integrated into school-day learning with any class group in the grade range.

WOA Teams will share their culminating project, a PSA, virtually rather than during an in-person event.

How will educators benefit from WOA?

All participating teachers will be eligible to earn up to 15 hours of CTLE credit. They will have access to free curated resources and lessons to teach each of the weekly themes and to experts in the field during professional learning. In addition, participants will be in regular communication and receive ongoing support from GESC staff through check-in phone calls, and from colleagues through the two colleague collaboration sessions and padlet. The built-in colleague collaboration will give you a chance to share successes and promising practices, and troubleshoot challenges as you implement the program.

How will students benefit from the WOA?

Ultimately, students will benefit from understanding where their drinking water comes from and how to be a steward of their local environment. In addition to meeting content standards in a fun and engaging way, students will have the opportunity to participate in an exchange with students who live in the West of Hudson watershed. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a free virtual field trip with one of our partners, and will learn how to create an effective PSA which will be shared with the WOA community. 

Will there be a culminating event?

The WOA Showcase will take place on March 18, 2021. The Showcase is an opportunity for WOA Teams to share their PSAs with other NYC students who have participated in the program. This year’s Showcase will be a virtual event (details to follow). Of course, each WOA Team will target their PSAs for their school communities, and we hope they will be shared within the school as well.

Still have questions?

If you are interested but still have questions, email gesc@schools.nyc.gov or text (347)688-4914 and a team member will contact you.