2nd Annual Water Topic for Nebraska Teachers Workshop/Art Show Wrap-up

We are very happy to say that the Power of Wind Art Show that was held during the week of Arbor Day out at the Kimmel Education & Research Center was an astounding success! During the exhibition, we welcomed over 150 visitors to the show. The exhibit featured 225 pieces of artwork from 18 different countries. A smaller sample of artwork is now on display in the front lobby of the Kregel Museum, and there are now a few select prints from the show available in museum gift shop. The smaller exhibit in the museum will be on display for the next few months, after which it will travel around to various colleges and institutions. We hope that, if you were not able to visit the full exhibit while it was on display KERC, you will consider dropping by the museum to have a look at the featured works. The Power of Wind Art Show will now be an annual event.

The next big event for the Kregel Museum is coming up at the end of this month on May 31st and June 1st, which is the Water Topics for Nebraska Teachers workshop! This is our second year holding this unique event which features presenters on a variety of topics related to Nebraska groundwater, natural resources, and conservation. This workshop is being co-sponsored by the Richard P. & Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation along with the American Groundwater Trust, Groundwater Foundation, and the Water for Food Institute. This free two-day workshop will qualify for professional development credit and is intended for educators of all types, from elementary to high school level. 

It is important to note that the agendas for each year's workshop will be different from the last. So, if you or a teacher you know has attended the workshop previously they can be confident that any upcoming workshop will be a totally new experience. Some of the changes to the agenda for this year from last year include a tour of the Nebraska City Utilities Well Field and the Nebraska City Water Treatment Plant hosted by Cathy Meyer, the plant's superintendent. Vaughn Hammond, Kimmel Orchard's Operations and Education Team Leader, will be giving a tour of the Orchard facilities. Similar to last year, there will also be a full tour of the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. 

The Kregel Museum will also be rolling out a brand new program for teachers at this year's workshop, which has been in development for almost two years. The Kregel Museum Classroom Discovery Kit Program consists of educational boxes filled with interesting and unique lesson plans, activities, experiments, equipment, worksheets, and other materials that teachers can use to educate students on a variety of subjects. There will eventually be four Kits available through the program, each on a specific topic, such as water science, wind science, and Industrial Revolution history. Teachers attending the workshop will get the first look at this exciting program, as well as reservation priority should they choose to rent a Kit. More information about the Classroom Discovery Kit Program will be available on the Kregel Museum website after the workshop, so keep an eye out!

May Your Blades Always Catch the Wind!