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SYSTEMS THINKING + WATER

ThinkWater is a national campaign supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help people of all backgrounds and ages think and care deeply about water. It does so by applying systems thinking to existing water education and research efforts and by actively engaging people in a new way around water issues. Our Mission-Vision is to Engage, Educate and Empower a world of Systems Thinkers to solve wicked water problems.

EXPERIENCE WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT:

We Are ThinkWater

WHAT WE DO

ADDRESSING ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME

Few issues are as important to the well-being of our nation and planet as water. We increasingly face short- and longer-term crises due to a host of complex factors involving climate, ecology, and human use patterns.

ThinkWater uses systems thinking to magnify the impact of existing water lessons and research. We teach systems thinking to youth, adults, water educators, and scientists to improve their ongoing education and research in the field to produce positive, measurable outcomes. READ MORE

DSRP

Four simple rules of systems thinking

We utilize the groundbreaking research of Dr. Derek Cabrera, which isolates four underlying rules of systems thinking: recognizing Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, and Perspectives (DSRP). READ MORE

A Little Film About a Big Idea

2018 Systems Thinking Symposium. ThinkWater to Think: X

ThinkWater Fellows Announced for 2017-18

NEWS & EVENTS

THINKWATER FELLOWS

Rethinking Water USDA Thinkwater

STATE IMPLEMENTATION

ThinkWater is implementing systems thinking-based water education, research, and Extension programming to better address our complex water problems. Through this implementation, ThinkWater is researching the effectiveness of this strategy (Does ST improve education, research, and Extension programming?) and compiling resources and documentation to enable implementation by others.

Wisconsin

As the flagship state for ThinkWater implementation, Wisconsin is innovating, piloting, and researching new strategies and compiling resources and research to share with other states, regions, Tribal Nations, and territories in the United States. Primary components of ThinkWater implementation thus far include the Wisconsin ThinkWater School and the Wisconsin Water Thinkers Network, along with multiple overlapping outreach and professional development efforts engaging small and large groups and institutions throughout the state. READ MORE