|
Contact
Justine Anderson
Public Information Manager
405-830-1775,justine.anderson@conservation.ok.gov
 Oklahoma City, OK | The Project WET Foundation and Oklahoma Conservation Commission are proud to announce that Sara Ivey was awarded the 2026 Project WET Facilitator of the Year Award. Presented at the Project WET Annual Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on May 12, 2026, this national award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in environmental education, especially regarding water education and Project WET.
Sara serves as the Education Programs and Services Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) and Treasurer for the Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education (OKAEE), where she helps guide educators, inspires students, and brings partners together to deepen our understanding of our most vital natural resources. Since completing Project WET facilitator training in 2007, Sara has introduced countless educators to the program's engaging, inquiry-based approach to water education.
"Sara Ivey is a vital asset to Oklahoma's Project WET program and our state's environmental education community as a whole. She has led countless Project WET workshops and water festivals across the state, helping educators and students better understand water and the world around them," said Jack Hilgert, Statewide Environmental Education Coordinator and Oklahoma Project WET Coordinator with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
Project WET empowers educators to engage youth in understanding water and solving local and global challenges. Through a network of state-level partners and grassroots, community-based volunteers called facilitators, Project WET reaches over 10,000 educators and millions of students each year across the United States. In Oklahoma, the program is coordinated by the Blue Thumb Program within the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and 86 passionate volunteers serving as Project WET facilitators across the state.
Today, Sara serves as a Project WET workshop facilitator, steering committee member, and helps organize the annual H2Oklahoma Water Festivals, which engage thousands of students, teachers, and volunteers across multiple locations each year. Sara connects agencies, educators, nonprofits, and volunteers to strengthen environmental education statewide, demonstrating the interconnectedness of water, ecosystems, communities, and education.
"In Oklahoma's environmental education community, Sara Ivey is one of the people who makes the entire ecosystem function. Sara is truly the 'glue person' connecting Oklahoma's environmental education efforts," Tony Pascall, Education Coordinator for Oklahoma Forestry Services and OKAEE Board President, shared.
Any schools, educators, or organizations interested in Project WET in Oklahoma can learn more about scheduling professional development workshops, H2Oklahoma Water Festivals, or other environmental education programming by contacting Jack Hilgert, jack.hilgert@conservation.ok.gov or (405) 613-3835
Learn more about Project WET in Oklahoma here: Project WET & Project WILD - Blue Thumb
##
|
