Dottie Baumgarten, FWWIC Educator, is Honored

Dottie Baumgarten, who has been an educator with the Philadelphia Water Department and Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center for the past 14 years, was honored by Need in Deed at their annual Soiree fundraiser, silent auction, and awards ceremony this month. Need in Deed is an organization that works to connect classrooms with the community to help each student realize their full potential. Students in a Need in Deed classroom define a community issue that they will investigate, and develop action steps focused on the issue. A key part of the students’ research includes meeting with local professionals and practitioners who can answer questions and give information.

A community partner with Need in Deed since 2017, Dottie is the first called when students want to learn about water systems and she has visited countless Need in Deed classes. When discussing watersheds and how they function, you can often find Dottie sitting on the floor making a large crumpled paper watershed. She then leads students through the process of creating their own watersheds, marking hills, adding “pollutants” and making it “rain” by spraying the model. Teachers have found Dottie’s methods and content invaluable when connecting students to water-related issues.

Congratulations, Dottie!