BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:Title
Youth Commission Drought Awareness and Conservation Toolkit. (PREVIOUSLY LISTED AS ITEM 2.2.)
End
RECOMMENDATION:Recommendation
Receive information on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Youth Commission’s Drought Awareness and Conservation Toolkit.
Body
SUMMARY:
During the Youth Commission Meeting on November 17, 2021, Director Nai Hsueh suggested the Youth Commission consider incorporating a drought and conservation component in their workplan. The Youth Citizen Science Network (YCSN) working group decided to develop a toolkit to engage their peers and bring attention to the severity of the drought conditions in Santa Clara County. The commissioners developed the engagement toolkit to bring attention to the issue and to get their peers to take action as climate change and severe droughts will have lasting impacts into the future.
Social Media Campaign: The YCSN working group used Instagram as a platform to get their message out. They put a call out to all commissioners to share photos and tips on how they each do their part to save water. The photos and water savings tips were collected and turned into social media posts with the hashtag #droughtproof. These posts were then shared on Santa Clara Valley Water District’s (Valley Water) Instagram page and the public was encouraged to tag their friends and share their own water savings tips.
Conservation Stickers: The YCSN worked with staff to develop a series of conservation stickers to share with students and other members of the public, that contain catchy conservation-related phrases and pictures. Those who engaged in the social media campaign were sent stickers, and they were also made available in Valley Water’s online Shopping Cart (eCart) for members of the public to order, for free. These stickers are also being distributed through various outreach and engagement programs.
Video Resources: The YCSN helped developed animated videos to help spread the word on the drought conditions and to encourage young people to do their part to save water. The videos have been promoted through Valley Water’s Education Outreach Program, which reaches over 10,000 students annually throughout Santa Clara County.
Conservation Pledge: In addition to sharing the video resources, the Education Outreach team also encourages all the students they work with to take the Conservation Pledge. Students follow along and repeat the pledge and are then asked to sign the poster to commit to Say Yes to Saving Water.
All items in the Drought Awareness Toolkit are available on the Youth Commission webpage at www.valleywater.org/youthcommission <http://www.valleywater.org/youthcommission>.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There are no financial impacts associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:Manager
Donald Rocha, 408-630-2238