ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Aug. 26, 2015) – The Water Environment Federation (WEF) will help cultivate community engagement and educate Chicago youth about the value of water through the “The Pershing Cultivation Project: Growing Green Gardens and Young Minds.” Organized as a part of WEFTEC 2015 by the Students and Young Professionals Committee, the event is scheduled for Sept. 26 at Pershing East Magnet School in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

During the event, conference and community volunteers will help transform a portion of the school grounds into a learning garden that will serve as an interactive tool for the school’s K-8 students to learn about water, the environment and green infrastructure. Features will include an outdoor classroom and corresponding lesson plans; a permeable path and rain garden to capture and store stormwater runoff; and a large traditional garden filled with native prairie grasses and flowers.

To help kick off the project, WEF will also host the third annual Water Palooza educational fair on Sept. 25. Students, teachers, and parents will be invited to enjoy a fun-filled day of engaging, hands-on environmental activities provided by nearly 20 water companies, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations from across the country.

The activities provide a way for WEF to give back to the WEFTEC host city through grassroots solutions that promote environmental stewardship and help raise awareness about the value and importance of water, which is one of the Federation’s strategic objectives.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated member associations representing water quality professionals around the world.