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The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

SLEA

Student Leadership in Environmetal Action Award Program

water quality emblem

Welcome to the Student Leadership in Environmental Action (SLEA) Award Program! This award program empowers high school students to tackle real-world environmental challenges by designing projects using Texas Stream Team water quality monitoring protocols. Whether addressing water quality issues, restoring ecosystems, or raising awareness about environmental threats, participants will develop actionable solutions while gaining valuable leadership experience. 

Students interested in submitting a project must follow the program guidelines outlined below, with their adult mentor responsible for submitting completed projects to Texas Stream Team by the annual deadline of May 1 each year. One outstanding student will be recognized annually with the SLEA Award Program.

Requirements

  • High School students who are certified through any of the Texas Stream Team Community Scientist trainings.
  • Work individually or in a group to select a monitoring site within your community. 
  • Option to collaborate with a community science mentor at the site. 
  • Conduct at least three monitoring events at the selected site. 
  • Identify an environmental challenge affecting the site. 
  • Propose a feasible solution to address the challenge. (Implementation is not required, but students should outline necessary steps.) 
  • Create a presentation summarizing the project and experience, following the project requirements.  
  • Presentations must be in one of the following formats: 
    • Prezi 
    • Google Slides 
    • PowerPoint 
    • ArcGIS StoryMaps 
    • Website (WordPress/Google Sites) 

Submission Process

  • Teachers/mentors must score student projects using the provided SLEA Project rubric. 
  • Teachers/mentors will submit both projects and annotated rubrics via the Texas Stream Team online submission portal for the second round of scoring by no later than May 1.  
  • Teachers/mentors should set an earlier deadline for students to allow time for review and ensure they can submit the project by the program’s deadline of May 1. 
  • The winner will be announced before the end of the school year.

General Information

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  • Projects will undergo two rounds of scoring using the provided SLEA Project rubric:  

    • First Round: Before submitting, teachers or community science mentors evaluate projects.
    • Second Round: The Project Evaluation Team scores projects using the same rubric after submission.

  • Each year’s award winner will receive the following: 

    • SLEA Certificate: Receive an official certificate recognizing your achievement and commitment to environmental leadership. 
    • Social Media Recognition: Gain recognition for your efforts by having your project showcased on the Texas Stream Team website and featured on all our social media platforms. 
    • Guided Tour of Meadows Center Facilities: Take a guided tour of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, where you can learn about water conservation and environmental stewardship efforts. 
    • Texas Stream Team T-shirt: Show off your involvement and passion for the environment with an exclusive Texas Stream Team T-shirt! 

  • The student knows about the interdependence and interactions that occur in aquatic environments. The student is expected to:

    (B) identify biological, chemical, geological, and physical components of an aquatic life zone as they relate to the organisms in it.

    (C) identify variables that affect the solubility of carbon dioxide and oxygen in water.

    (D) evaluate factors affecting aquatic population cycles such as lunar cycles, temperature variations, daylight hours, and predator-prey relationships.

     

    The student conducts short-term and long-term studies on local aquatic environments. Local natural environments are preferred over artificial or virtual environments. The student is expected to:

    (A) evaluate data over a period of time from an established aquatic environment documenting seasonal changes and the behavior of organisms.

    (B) collect and analyze pH, salinity, temperature, mineral content, nitrogen compounds, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity data periodically, starting with baseline measurements.

     

    The student knows the origin and potential uses of fresh water. The student is expected to:

    (A) identify sources of water in a watershed, including rainfall, groundwater, and surface water.

    (B) identify factors that contribute to how water flows through a watershed.

    (C) analyze water quantity and quality in a local watershed or aquifer.

     

    The student understands how human activities impact aquatic environments. The student is expected to:

    (D) analyze and discuss how human activities such as fishing, transportation, dams, and recreation influence aquatic environments.

Previous Award Winners

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FAQs

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