Summer 2008

Water programs of this summer enjoyed a great success. Water was one of the main topics of the well-known Children's Island of Budapest, organized for many years by T-Com. Water Island hosted Project WET activities during 2 weekends where children and adults, often whole families participated in interactive games, even braving the capricious weather, wind, thunderstorm and hail. But rainwater did not sour people's pleasure; moreover we could welcome so many visitors in our "wet" tent that it became almost difficult to provide water education for all of them!

Project WET also participated in the Water, Music, Flower Festival of Tata that was organized end of June for the 15th year. The wonderful summer weather attracted several thousands of visitors on the shore of the Old Lake of Tata to relax, to learn, to attend cultural and artistic programs or for active recreation. The Project WET installation was very popular; most visitors participated, above all, in the Incredible Journey activity which demonstrates water cycle in an especially attractive, interactive way that children appreciate a lot.


John E. Etgen, Senior Vice President of Project WET International Foundation visited Hungary (May 18-23, 2008)

John E. Etgen, Senior Vice President of Project WET International Foundation was invited to Hungary by the Theodora Foundation of Public Utility for a few days visit. The official part of his trip was the visit of the Parliament where he was welcomed by Kálmán Katona, President of the Environmental Committee. During an informal meeting they discussed the mission of Project WET, the sustainable development, and also some global water-related issues. Mr. Etgen could admire the beautiful architecture and decoration of the Parliament and the symbol of the Hungarian state, the Holy Crown of King St. Stephen. Mr. Etgen delivered a lecture on occasion of the opening of the Third Theodora Summer University in Kékkút village, where all participants could get acquainted with the international activities and development of Project WET and were initiated to participate in an interactive "water game". During his stay in Hungary, Mr. Etgen also visited the most beautiful places of the Danube Bend and the region of Lake Balaton - water was indisputably in the center of his travels.


Fekete István Project in Győr (April 28-30, 2008)

58 teachers of Fekete István School and Kindergarten got acquainted with Project WET activities on occasion of a 3-day workshop thanks to their colleague having previously participated on accreditation training. As a result of the acquirement of WET methodology these teachers introduced WET activities in their classes, initiating students to discover the formation of water; they made colored bracelets following the water cycle. The "Sum of the Parts" activity helped them understand that all of us are responsible for water. They made aqua bodies, examined the water content of different foods. In the meanwhile there was a "Blue Newsreel" every 2 hours dealing with water usage, global issues related to decreasing drinking water supply and provided advices to all 679 students for daily sparing water usage.


Kindergarten teacher accreditation training in Budapest (March 31 - April 2, 2008)

Our last 3-days training was organized for kindergarten teachers on March 31, April 1-2 in the Directorate of the Association of Kindergartens of the 13th District, Service Central of Pedagogy of Budapest. 22 kindergarten teachers got acquainted with Project WET methodology and the 3-day program included - as usual - a 1 day Make a Splash event for the greatest joy of children of the kindergarten.


Kindergarten teacher accreditation training in Budapest (March 6-7-8, 2008)

This is the second time that the training was proposed exclusively for kindergarten teachers. The 3-days event, held at Liliom Kindergarten of the 9th district, was a large success with the participation of 24 teachers from Budapest and the surroundings. The training had a very positive impact on every participant without exception; the learning of the lectures provoked a change of mind and approach. Teachers got confirmation that the education of children for love, respect and protection of nature should start in kindergarten. At the same time the education of parents to modify their approach can happen through children. Most participants are ready to apply the acquired store of learning both in their everyday life and at school.


Teacher accreditation training in Pápa (November 22-24, 2007)

Eighteen teachers participated in our training in Pápa, Veszprém County. Presentations, activities and workshops were proposed during 3 days in the beautiful building of Ferenc Erkel Elementary School Participants were provided first of all with new methods, ideas in order to improve school and kindergarten education and also new store of learning about water, in regard to environmental education and sustainable development. There were almost 100 students from the different schools present on the closing event conducted by the newly accredited teachers and the participation was so successful that even some parents accompanying their children took a fancy to joining in the activities.


Training in Bakony Hills (October 26, 2007)

We were invited for an accreditation teacher training of environmental education organized by the Balaton Upland National Park in the Woodcraft Training Center situated in the heart of Bakony Hills. On this occasion school teachers and representatives of National Park could get acquainted with the targets, results, function and set-up of the Hungarian and international organization. After the presentations, all attendants participated in the activities, just like children do - learning through playing - that lasted until late evening. Teachers committed to nature and environmental protection take home to their schools not only a wide range of knowledge provided by educators of National Park but also Project WET, enlarging the number of participants in the program.


Once upon a time, there was a Water Festival in Buda

Project WET Hungary was present on the water festival organized on May 20, 2007 in Budapest. The attendance was important and visitors started to arrive even before the opening time of this one-day family event. Thanks to the excellent programs and also to the nice weather, many people, elders, youngsters but mainly families with young children enjoyed the outdoor water focused activities. The interactive programs of Project WET were very popular, too, and not only children but also their parents played their parts - visibly with a lot of fun and pleasure. Many present teachers and educators manifested their interest in the program and hopefully we can soon welcome them as new members of the great "WET family".


Project WET - in Indian way

Scott Frazier, Director of Native Waters of Project WET International Foundation was a guest speaker in Hungary during 5 days from May 17 to 22, 2007. He was invited by the Theodora Public Foundation for the initiative of Project WET Hungary. Scott's ancestors are Crow and Sioux and he lives and works in the state of Montana. During his stay he lectured about environmental and water protection, native waters, past and present-day life of Indians, visited the Balaton Highlands where he blessed the water of Kornyi Lake according to a traditional Sioux ceremony, rowed in the Cave Lake of Tapolca, lectured in the head office of Balaton Highlands National Park in Csopak, in the dual language high school of Balatonalmádi, for the inhabitants of the village of Mindszentkálla, on the occasion of the Water Festival and at Corvinus Unversity in Budapest. His lecture for the Committee Environmental of the Hungarian Parliament and the press conference that followed was the most outstanding event of his visit. Project WET Hungary considered Mr. Frazier's attendance an honor and as a result we could get acquainted with another aspect of the water education program, the ancestral Indian love, respect and protection of nature.


Summer camps 2007

In the camps of the Youth & Children Center of Zánka, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, WET activities were conducted on two occasions in the month of June, followed by a "summer" study competition awarding the smartest, the most aware winners. Thanks to the summer heat, water was not only theoretically present but children and youngsters really could play with it - naturally with great pleasure.

Many complex sport and lifestyle camps were proposed and sponsored by the Sport State Secretary of the Ministry of Municipalities and Territory Development in different small regions of Hungary in July and August. Together with Nutrikid program of Nestlé Food Hungary, Project WET Hungary was present in 6 camps of 4 small regions holding WET activities. The booklet of selected activities especially for this occasion has reached each teacher in each and every camp. We pleased many-many children with the games arriving in the warm weather to the open-air swimming pool area, the school courtyard or the soccer field and also managed to raise the attention of numbers of teachers about both the topic and the interactive way of learning.


Forest schools 2007

Months of May and June are the period of forest schools, outdoor learning. Luckily, many classes choose to go out in the nature in order to get to know a little bit more about environment - and in another way. Project WET has reached about 1.000 children in many forest schools all over the country and teachers always found the appropriate activities that could tell students more about the waters of the given territory: e.g. in the curve of the Danube, in Bükk hills, in Bakony hills or even on the shore of Lake Balaton. Teachers, educators showed a real interest in the program that will probably promote its utilization by a larger audience in regular classes in the coming school year.


Partnership

We presented Project WET on August 7, 2007 in the head office of the Middle Transdanubian Water and Environmental Authority where the relevant employees got acquainted with the program. As a matter of fact, the presentation meant rather a common exchange of experiences as employees of the water authority often welcome children groups for educational activities. Project WET can be a precious support and a good background for their job. The developing professional contact and cooperation seem to be the base of a future expansion.