The Portland Water Bureau is excited to provide water education programs for students grade 3–12 and the community. Field trips, classroom programs, online learning, and school assemblies are available.
Click on the links below to find out more about our educational programs.
Water home school
Are you a teacher looking for distance learning activities for your students? Are you a parent wanting to supplement your child's learning this year? Join our educators for some hands-on learning about Portland's two sources of drinking water.
Bull Run Watershed school field trips
Test water quality, tour a 1929 dam, and learn how forests help protect drinking water during this full-day school field trip. Grades 3–12.
Classroom visits
The Portland Water Bureau encourages teachers and students to get to know their water system. We have a number of activities available that cover topics ranging from water quality to water pressure and water conservation to fish. The Portland Water Bureau provides all activities free of charge and on a limited basis.
In-town field trips
The Water Bureau offers opportunities for school groups to visit the Water Operations Facility in North Portland. Activities typically include tap water testing and a visit to the Water Bureau's meter shop, where students learn how to take apart, put together, and test water meters.
- A minimum of three to four hours is recommended for a visit by one class of 20–30 students. This does not include transportation time.
- One class of students can be accommodated per day, grades 3–12.
- Public transportation can be used to arrive at the Water Bureau Operations Facility.
- Tour opportunities are limited. Please allow a minimum of three weeks' advance notice when scheduling a visit. Allowing advance notice does not guarantee availability of field trip opportunities.
School assemblies
Are you a teacher looking for fun ways to teach your class about water? We've got you covered! The Water Bureau offers several educational and fun school assemblies for elementary school kids. School assemblies are FREE and available to all schools within the Portland Water Bureau service area.
Clean Water Festival
Every year, the Water Bureau partners with other regional agencies to help put on the Portland Children's Clean Water Festival, a free, day-long educational event that engages 1,400 fourth-grade students from Portland metro-area schools.
Water education materials for kids
The Water Bureau offers activity books, stickers and pencils to kids in grades K through 5. Order a water education kit for your kids today.