As hydroclimatic variability intensifies and our approaches to water management change, so must the ways we educate future water leaders. Water is a connector that links ecosystems, infrastructure, policy, and communities, yet traditional educational models approach water from fragmented and disciplinary perspectives and fail to capture this complexity and interconnectedness.  This session explores how experiential, place based, and alternative learning environments can deepen understanding of water systems and foster meaningful engagement. We invite contributions on innovative educational models, including field based courses, course based undergraduate research experiences, and interdisciplinary programs that integrate science, policy, and equity. Submissions that support early career educators, expand access to field learning, or offer practical tools for implementation are especially welcome. By bringing together educators, researchers, and practitioners, this session advances inclusive and adaptive approaches to water education that prepare students to navigate and shape solutions to water challenges in an increasingly nonstationary world.

• H - Hydrology