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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:9.6pt"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For Immediate Release Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2017</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Free “Water Wits” Boating and Water Safety STEM Curriculum Available for Educators<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Oregon is home to a huge diversity of waterways, with 129 boatable lakes, over a dozen coastal bays, 363 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline and 11,619 miles of rivers and streams for water
recreation. With the bounty of places to play, the Oregon State Marine Board invites educators water safety and environmentally-minded organizations to take advantage of a free, interactive curriculum on boating, water safety and marine stewardship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The new “Water Wits” STEM curriculum is interdisciplinary, academically rigorous, interactive and can be student-led. The curriculum includes 12 lesson plans divided into grade units
(K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12<sup>th</sup> grades). All lessons are aligned to state and national education standards including Next Generation Science and Common Core, across multiple subjects. Additionally, each lesson is designed to complete in one class period,
but many lessons offer rich opportunities for expansion and exploration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">This curriculum goes beyond learning water safety and the importance of wearing life jackets. This curriculum delves into safety from the aspect of best practices for smart decision-making
in, on and around the water. The stewardship component challenges students to think about how they can reduce their impacts and manage water resources for people and wildlife. Furthermore, the science component questions how physics, engineering, ecology
and the social sciences are used to explain and inform people about the best behaviors for personal safety and enhanced stewardship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Educators are encouraged to visit the
<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/boater-info/Pages/K-12-Water-Wits-School-Education-Program.aspx">
Marine Board’s Water Wits</a> page and submit the Water Wits Request Form. Agency staff will email the grade unit material within two business days.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">The Marine Board is funded by registration, title fees and marine fuel taxes paid by motorized boaters.
<strong>No general fund tax dollars</strong> are used to support the agency or its programs. Boater-paid fees go back to boaters in the form of law enforcement services (on-the-water enforcement, training and equipment), education/outreach materials and boating
access facility grants. The Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit program is dedicated funding to pay for border inspection stations, decontamination equipment, inspectors, and signage/outreach materials. For more information about the Marine Board
and its programs, visit </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><a href="http://www.boatoregon.com">www.boatoregon.com</a><span style="color:black">.
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:200%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ashley A. Massey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Legislative Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Oregon State Marine Board<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">503-378-2623<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="144" height="144" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D34CCF.B3E273A0" alt="EmailOSMB_logos_cmyk_300dpi"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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