Assessing the value of youth education

摘要

The authors conducted informal research—questionnaires and interviews—with nine water agencies and one water education organization to ascertain the value, variety, and goals of school education programs. They found a broad range of programs covering every grade level and many messages. These agencies used a range of measures to assess the value of their programs, including quantifying the number of students reached and attempting to measure changes in student behaviors. The costs of these programs were surprisingly low, ranging from 5 ￠ to 57￠ per household per year, with an average of only 24￠ per household per year. Despite little agreement about what school programs should be, the organizations agreed on the programs' long-term value to the agency and the community and concurred that youth education programs provide an excellent opportunity for outreach.