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LA Unified students and teachers this week are helping educate scientists and instructors from 34 countries, with a focus on how they are handling California’s water crisis.

The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a federal effort aimed at expanding the understanding of global environment to a worldwide audience. As part of its 19th annual conference, now underway at the Universal Sheraton, GLOBE is joining with the district to teach instructors about southern California’s persistent drought and how to mitigate its impact. The curriculum includes explaining how to work with moisture in the ground and how to engage students in learning about the drought.

As an example, children and teachers from Hamlin Charter Academy in West Hills and Gault Street Elementary in Van Nuys will be showing other schools their WaterBuddy Curricula, a training and awareness program geared for teachers, parents and children to inspire a love of English and a fondness for new water words. It helps with English learning and science and math, leading to hands-on drought-tolerant school gardens and butterfly habitats.

There is also instruction for how to save trees on the school grounds and revamp school gardens to use less water.

According to GLOBE, “In LA and the San Fernando valley, low to moderate income children and struggling students are able to join other children in many countries through GLOBE’s Star measurements and either catch up, or join others in wondering about the future and choose to involve themselves in new outcomes at school, at home or along the LA watershed.”

Students actually help provide data for worldwide study.

Henry Ortiz, the LAUSD district GLOBE partner, is hosting the event along with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, UCLA, USC, California Science Center and Raytheon.