Archived On-Demand Webinars from 2011-2012 Webinar Series

Presenter: Krys Potapczyk, assistant director/manager, Drinking Water Programs Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Date: Monday, October 24, 2011 @ 2 p.m. EDT
Cost for members: $65 + HST (includes three webinars of your choice)
Cost for non-members: $85 + HST (per webinar)

Topic:
Ten years ago, the Town of Walkerton, Ontario was rocked with tragedy from contaminated drinking water which killed seven people, left more than 2,300 residents severely ill and shook public confidence in tap water across Ontario. The Drinking Water Programs Branch of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment was tasked with developing ideas and products to educate children and youth and restore public confidence in Ontario's tap water.

Why the Ontario Ministry of the Environment targeted youth to restore public confidence:

• 30% of Ontario's population are between the ages of 5-14;
• Research conducted by Earth Rangers, a Canadian environmental educational organization, confirmed that children like to relate to cartoon characters;
• The same research indicated that the most receptive group to environmental messages were 8-12 year olds, who could still be influenced by their parents and teachers, but were also old enough to grasp more technical concepts.