Openscapes at the Water Boards
Education and mentorship in open science at the California Water Boards
The Openscapes at the Water Boards Team is excited to invite individuals and teams at the Water Boards to apply to participate in an Openscapes Champions Cohort this fall! If you are looking to increase open and inclusive science practices in your work, this is the opportunity for you!
Before you apply, be sure to review:
- Am I ready to participate in a Champions Cohort?
- Am I ready to be an Openscapes Mentor?
- Fall 2026 Cohort Timelines - make sure you’re available during mandatory cohort calls
- Tue AM Cohort will meet on Tuesdays from 10 am - 12 pm
- Wed PM Cohort will meet on Wednesdays from 2 pm - 4 pm
Do you still have questions? Join an upcoming Openscapes Office Hour!
- Office Hours are from 10:30 am - 11:30 am on the following Tuesdays - Apr 21, May 12, Jun 2, Jun 23
- All office hours are held via MS Teams (join link)
- Office Hours are open to all Water Boards Staff interested in joining future Champions Cohorts as a participant or mentor to ask questions and determine if joining a cohort is a good fit for them/their team.
Nominate yourself or your team by filling out this Microsoft Form by June 30th, 2026.
We will confirm participation in early July.
The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Water Boards), collectively known as the California Water Boards (Water Boards), are dedicated to a single mission:
To preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and efficient use, for the benefit of present and future generations.
In recent years, the State Water Board has committed to a number of cultural and programmatic changes related to open data and racial equity. To successfully achieve the open data and equity outcomes we seek, it is crucial that we shift our perspectives, culture, and actions towards open science so that the principles are fully integrated.
Openscapes through their Champions Program, provides a framework for education, integration, and operationalization of open science, equity, communication, and kindness into individual and team collaborations and workflows. Teams that participate in the Champions Program are empowered to evolve and invest in their culture, processes, and workflows so that they can embody the better science for future us mindset.
Openscapes champions open science practices in environmental science to help uncover data-driven solutions faster. By introducing teams to open science tools specifically created to meet modern demands for collaborative data science, Openscapes creates the space for teams to invest in a positive open culture that enables better science in less time.
Since in 2022, the Water Boards, in partnership with Openscapes, have been hosting annual Champions Cohorts and intend to use their Openscapes Implementation Strategy to continue to scale the Champions Program throughout the organization.
Openscapes at the Water Boards will host two Champions Cohorts from mid-August through mid-October 2026:
Water Boards individuals and teams will be able to apply to join one one of the above cohorts as a Participant or Mentor from May 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026.
To stay informed of Openscapes activities, you can connect with them on Mastodon @openscapes or join their newsletter