Fresh Water Literacy for the Next Generation
The Alliance for Water Education is a new nonprofit education and communications organization created to raise student awareness about fresh water and global sustainable water use.
Our mission is to reach the 29 million middle and high school students in the United States and improve their level of Water Literacy. We do this by giving all educational materials free to teachers and students over the internet. By September 2010, our website will be a centralized resource for a wide range of water topics with permission to download unlimited copies under a Creative Commons license.
The internet and 21st Century technology are changing the way we communicate and teach. Since raising awareness and influencing behavior about water choices are our goals, we are committed to being creative about reaching out to the Next Generation by engaging social media platforms to provide clear and objective information and science and fact-based lesson plans.
Understanding the water footprint of the world around you:
Water Literacy – New environmental education for grades 6 – 12
Water Literacy means knowing where all your water comes from and how you use it. Everything you do and everything you touch is connected to water. The food you eat, the clothes you wear and the electricity to light your house were all created using large amounts of water. The presence or absence of clean water defines the priorities of a society. More information about Water Literacy
Teaching Water literacy in junior and senior high schools sets standards for water information that should be known by every young adult by age 18 as basic knowledge for healthy and sustainable living in the 21st century. More information about AWE educational materials
Free to all teachers and students – Digital environmental education
Because the need for water touches all lives, there are water education possibilities in every class from Biology to History to Social Studies. Our website will be constantly updated with fresh articles, lesson plans, discussion questions, quizzes and tools you can use to create enriched learning and lively classroom discussions.
These classes can be enriched by including Water Literacy instruction:
• HISTORY: Fascinating stories about how cultures have used and moved water. Engineering marvels that enabled the spread of civilization and stunning errors that have crumbled empires. Conflicts over control of water that have changed the course of history.
• ENGLISH: Writing opportunities for The Water Essay Contest, a nation-wide competition with scholarships, awards and national recognition.
• GEOLOGY: How underground water is replenished and the modern tools and consequences for pumping out ancient aquifers.
• ECONOMICS: The value of water. Who decides and who pays? Includes role playing activities to deepen understanding of complex issues.
• SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Understanding the water-energy connection. An overview of hydrology. The chemistry and scientific challenges of pollution. Breakthrough inventions and the science of why they work.
• BIOLOGY & LIFE SCIENCE: Biodiversity and the effects of altering watersheds. Restoration stories that can bring hope.
• SOCIAL STUDIES: How water supply defines cultures and lifestyles. The impact on societies of dams and extensive irrigation systems.
Imagine a world where we all work together for sustainable water use
We are working for a world where all people believe in and support:
• Preserving local watersheds
• Protecting water quality and sustainable supply for personal, agricultural and industrial use
• Access to water as a basic human right
• Practical sanitation solutions and relief from water-borne diseases
• Understanding where their water comes from and how they use it
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Our students need Water Literacy to become water leaders of tomorrow
News about our changing climate is rushing towards us through every media outlet. Our children are inheriting a world with growing human populations pressuring limited natural resources, most especially fresh water.
We cannot predict how their health, educational choices, life-style possibilities will be affected by increasing water shortages, but we can predict that future change will be mandatory for the 95 million Americans who are now called the Millennial, Gen X and Gen Y Generations. 29 Million of them are still in school. We can reach them.
Let’s work together to prepare Next Generations so they can be the innovators, leaders and problem-solvers the world urgently needs
The number of young adults alive today who have the freedom to make choices about their activities is a very small percentage of the world’s total population. Most teenagers are struggling just to survive or have very limited educational opportunities. Our bright and talented students are in a unique position to be empowered to make positive change.
We can engage their intellect and imaginations with content-rich material, fast-paced and filled with interesting facts, juxtapositions, and – whenever possible – humor. Although the circumstances are very serious, our goal is to inspire and engage, not frighten or intimidate students by the enormity of the world water crisis.
We will use all age appropriate means of communication: Social Media
AWE will use social media to communicate about Water Literacy, in addition to academic lesson plans and articles. Since raising awareness about sustainable water choices is a primary goal, we are committed to being responsive and creative about how we reach out. We will stay current with emerging technology and will create a National Student Advisory Board to report and advise on social media trends.
Don’t they learn this is school?
No. Rarely do students learn more than the basic water cycle in their schools. Water has been largely ignored in the secondary school curriculum and US students currently receive very limited environmental education, in part because their schools cannot afford new materials.
Although the US population is fast becoming aware that we are facing water shortages in many states, the state educational systems are not prepared to integrate water education. To compensate for this void, independent resources must step forward to offer trustworthy materials for teachers looking to enrich core curriculum with up-to-date environmental knowledge.
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