Philippe Cousteau Jr.’s EarthEcho Expedition: Water by Design and the Northrop Grumman Foundation Bring STEM to Life with New Classroom Resources Created by Educators

--Learning Modules, Expedition Videos, STEM Career Profiles, and Inspiring Youth Stories Provided Online, Free-of-Charge--

Washington, DC (January 16, 2018) EarthEcho International is releasing all-new curriculum resources designed by educators from across the country with the goal of bringing real-world STEM experiences into the classroom at no cost. These resources are the result of EarthEcho Expedition: Water by Design, a program sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, that brought 26 middle school teachers to Southern California last October for an exploration of water scarcity, led by explorer and environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau, Jr. EarthEcho Expeditions is an annual program that leverages the rich Cousteau legacy of exploration and discovery to bring STEM education to 21st-century learners and their educators.  

The lesson plans, design challenges, and videos resources launch on January 17 with a special Webinar/Virtual Field Trip (http://earthecho.org/news/virtual-field-trip-with-the-west-basin-water-district).

EarthEcho Expedition: Water by Design classroom resources - ideal for middle school STEM classes - include the following:

Adventure-based STEM Learning Modules exploring Aquaponics, Ocean Desalination, Groundwater Replenishment, Precision Irrigation, and Water Transport.  These modules include design challenges and activities that create active learners through cross-curricular, hands-on lessons in direct correlation to real-world issues of water conservation.
STEM Career Close-Up Videos featuring leading scientists, engineers, and experts from Northrop Grumman, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Future Foods Farms, and the West Basin Municipal Water District. These videos give students an inside look at STEM careers dealing with freshwater conservation, aquaponic farming, and more.
Expedition Videos chronicling the engineering solutions and environmental science behind community water issues. Join the EarthEcho team as we explore water scarcity and drought through the innovative solutions put into place to conserve freshwater resources in Southern California.
Youth in Action Videos telling the story of young community leaders who are doing their part to tackle community water issues.

Student interest in STEM is a vital indicator of future pursuits in STEM careers. Research shows that while the majority of teens (85%) may have interest in STEM career pathways more than a one-third of those students are discouraged from pursuing those careers because they either do not know anyone who works in the field or don't understand what these professionals do. ("Survey: Teens Prepared for STEM Careers," Lemelson-MIT study, accessed January 8, 2018).  

All EarthEcho Expedition: Water by Design curriculum resources are available at no cost on http://earthecho.org/expeditions  and were developed collaboratively with and vetted by the 26 participating educators who currently serve as EarthEcho Expedition Fellows. Working with the EarthEcho team, the Fellows use their first-hand experiences to develop engaging and relatable classroom-based education materials to support high-quality environmental STEM programming in schools and communities anywhere in the world. Throughout Expedition and after, the Fellows are active in the process of developing, field-testing, and promoting materials for each new EarthEcho Expeditions module online.

“EarthEcho Expeditions provides teachers and students around the world with access to classroom resources that open the door to amazing science and engineering and the women and men who are making a positive difference in our world each and every day,” said Philippe Cousteau, Jr., founder of EarthEcho International. “At EarthEcho, we believe every classroom should have access to materials and tools that engage, inspire, and support new generations of problem solvers and leaders in STEM disciplines.”

“These learning resources, created by educators, should be of great value to our teachers, who play such a critical role in nurturing the next generation of STEM enthusiasts,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation and Northrop Grumman vice president of global corporate responsibility. “The materials have the added benefit of addressing the important global challenge of water scarcity, giving our young students exposure to critical environmental sustainability issues and STEM.”

EarthEcho Expeditions: Water by Design is made possible through the generous support of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. In addition, the following organizations are collaborating with EarthEcho Expeditions to provide experts, resources, and one-of-a-kind educator experiences: West Basin Municipal Water District; Orange County Water District; The Ocean Institute; Los Angeles Water and Power; Future Foods Farms; Environmental Charter School; NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; NASA Airborne Snow Observatory; The North Face;  Washington Middle School; and The Journey School.

EARTHECHO INTERNATIONAL: EarthEcho International is a nonprofit organization founded on the belief that youth have the power to change our planet. Established by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau in honor of their father, Philippe Cousteau, Sr., and grandfather, legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, our mission is to inspire young people worldwide to act now for a sustainable future. EarthEcho’s programs are developed for and by youth and the educators and community leaders that support them. All of our resources are designed to equip new generations of leaders and problem solvers to identify and tackle environmental challenges in their own communities and beyond. For more information about EarthEcho International, visit www.earthecho.org.  

NORTHROP GRUMMAN AND THE NORTHROP GRUMMAN FOUNDATION: Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2017, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing over $20.4 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, Great Minds in Stem (Viva Technology) and EarthEcho’s international Earth Echo Expeditions.

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