Barbara Elrod’s fifth- and sixth-grade class from Munsey Elementary
in Bakersfield, Calif., learned today that their project titled
“Greywater: It’s Not Grey, It’s Blue” took home the grand prize in
the 2021 Cal Water H2O Challenge. The grand prize includes a $3,500
classroom grant and a $1,000 scholarship for each participating
student.
The Cal Water H2O Challenge (challenge.calwater.com) is a
collaboration between California Water Service (Cal Water), the
California Association of Science Educators (CASE), and DoGoodery.
The free, project-based competition invites fourth-, fifth-, and
sixth-grade classrooms in Cal Water service areas to develop and
implement solutions for local water issues. During the pandemic,
Cal Water evolved its model to help bring students a project-based
learning opportunity, bearing in mind the limitations of distance
learning. For the first time, students were able to focus on
designing a water solution, in order to make the challenge more
equitable and accessible amid coronavirus restrictions.
Kern County, an agricultural community that is the largest
producer of almonds in the world, is in a drought, and local
experts say water usage inefficiency is a problem, according to the
class submission. Since water issues are a common topic of
conversation in their community, the students wanted to help
address this issue and develop a solution. For their project,
students demonstrated that greywater can be used to support water
conservation and shared their findings with their community.
The students began their research on greywater by speaking with
a representative from the Kern County Water Agency. They then
branched out and wrote to a wastewater officer, an almond farmer,
and a soil chemist, among others. Additionally, they conducted
various experiments including testing soil types and different
properties of soap and water. They used these findings to create a
web site that they shared with the school district. Their research
earned them a front-page feature in the local newspaper and an
interview with San Joaquin Valley Water News.
According to Elrod, the challenge immensely impacted both the
students and their community. “My students felt empowered by the
experts' interest in their results and project. For a while, it
seemed everyone in their lives and the whole school community was
talking about their project,” Elrod said.
Since this year’s competition was focused on design, the
students plan to continue their pursuit of using greywater to
increase water conservation in their community. Elrod described the
lasting impact of the challenge, saying, “The overall effect of the
water challenge is that my students made changes in their decisions
about water usage. They now have a desire to educate others about
water and encourage others to develop good water conservation
habits. They have learned to work collaboratively, and become
activists for environmental policies and change. In addition, the
project proved that greywater can be a useful resource to help
solve our local water problems.”
Elrod believes that her class rose to the occasion and benefited
greatly from the challenge. “I believe one success was to give my
students projects that were meaningful to them personally and
connect with the larger community that they would not otherwise
have known about or been a part of. It gave them a reason to be
invested in math, science, writing, and research,” Elrod said.
“Also, students' talents and interests emerged, and they were
exposed to different careers. Now, some students are hoping to be
architects or engineers, scientists, social activists, chemists,
teachers, web designers, and so on. And, they all have a desire to
win money to go to college. A big success was seeing a growing
awareness that what they were doing was important. They achieved
their goals and found real answers to local water problems.”
Despite the unprecedented challenges this year presented, by
integrating water conservation, educational programs, and school
curriculum, DoGoodery, CASE, and Cal Water’s partnership
transcended distance learning and provided a space to connect with
students and bring STEM (Science
Technology, Engineering, and Math) and NGSS (Next-Generation
Science Standards) into the virtual classroom.
“Ms. Elrods’ fifth- and sixth-grade students went above and
beyond to help support water conservation through their research on
greywater, and I’m pleased to congratulate them on winning this
year’s Cal Water H2O Challenge amid some tough competition,” said
Martin A. Kropelnicki, Cal Water President and Chief Executive
Officer. “I strongly believe that the next generation’s ability to
forge new solutions to water issues, even in times of hardship,
will help guide us toward a better future for the communities we
serve.”
About Cal WaterCalifornia Water Service serves
about 2 million people through 492,600 service connections in
California. The utility has provided water service in the state
since 1926. Additional information may be obtained online at
www.calwater.com.
About CASEThe California Association of Science
Educators (CASE) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member-based community
that works to lead the promotion of high-quality, equitable science
education through advocacy, collaboration, and communication.
Recognizing that science has a profound influence on our lives, our
local environments, and our world. CASE fosters a community focused
on enhancing scientific and environmental literacy and agency for
all. For more information, visit https://cascience.org.
About DoGooderyDoGoodery is a social impact
agency with storytelling at the heart of its mission. DoGoodery
collaborates with partners through all phases of social impact
strategy building and storytelling, delivering goodness to
audiences and clients alike and amplifying stories of change that
empower, elevate, and excite. For more information visit
www.dothegoodery.com.
Contact: Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434
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