Solano County, CA (May 1, 2026) – The Solano Resource Conservation District is inviting K-12 teachers and educators to apply for its upcoming Solano Water Institute for Teachers, a four-day, field-based professional development experience taking place July 29-31, 2026.
Designed to bring learning beyond the classroom, the institute immerses educators of all disciplines in Solano County’s local water systems and open spaces through hands-on exploration and collaboration with environmental experts. Participants will gain practical tools and curriculum they can immediately bring back to their students. At a time when educators are looking for meaningful, engaging professional development, this unique institute offers a rare opportunity to explore Solano County’s complex water systems firsthand and receive standards-aligned resources designed to support engaging, real-world instruction.
Participants will spend the first day of the training at Rush Ranch Open Space hiking and learning about climate change’s effects on the Suisun Marsh. Nic Russo, California’s Project WET coordinator, will lead teachers through activities focused on water resources that can be adapted for all ages and subjects in the classroom.
The next day, teachers will take a canoe tour of Lake Solano, visit the Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa and hear from an expert panel on Solano County’s water resources. The third day of the training will focus on walking through more hands-on lessons from Project WET that teachers can implement in their classrooms to give local relevance to their lessons about water. Local agency partners will also discuss the connections between education and open spaces throughout the county.
Chris Drake, Parks Services Manager with Solano County Parks, believes the Solano Institute is a valuable resource for County teachers because “…teachers experience environmental education as a hands-on experience that connects students to the world around them. Solano Institute takes participants out to Lake Berryessa and shows them where the water comes from. Local resource experts explain the conservation challenges the reservoir faces and why water conservation is important to us as Solano County residents. The Solano Institute takes the same hands-on approach to the Suisun Marsh and other regionally important environmental challenges. In the 3 years I’ve been part of the Solano Institute, I’ve never known anyone to take this course and not return to their classroom excited, invigorated, and full of fresh energy and great ideas about how to share their experiences and the strategies they learn with their students. I feel like this unique program is definitely something we should all be proud of.”
Participants will receive a $480 stipend upon completion of the program and teachers can claim 27 hours of continuing education credit. Teachers will come back together on October 17th for a virtual workshop day when they will share how they’ve applied the training’s content in their classrooms.
The institute is open to K-12 teachers across disciplines. A $50 refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot, and space is limited. Interested participants should visit www.solanorcd.org/events to register by Thursday, July 6th. Email Sierra Cecchini, Education Program Manager, at sierra.cecchini@solanorcd.org with any questions.
The Solano Water Institute for Teachers is funded by the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee; the California Department of Water Resources; and the School Water Education Program, including the cities of Vacaville, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vallejo, Dixon and Benicia. The workshop is hosted by Solano RCD with support from Nic Russo,
Project WET Coordinator for California. For more information, please visit https://www.solanorcd.org/projects-and- programs/education/educator-workshops.html o r email education@solanorcd.org.