Improving Water Infrastructure Education
(Bolded is my work)
Our ultimate goal is to implement more water infrastructure education for youth in East St. Louis, influencing a new generation to become further aware of issues regarding all-around water infrastructure. However, —complex systems are composed of many interconnected parts. Simple systems are systems in which components interact with each other to serve a purpose but aren’t connected in a way like complex systems. Understanding the complex system of water equity amongst youth is essential because “although we can certainly do our part to conserve this valuable resource, today’s youth will ultimately be responsible for sustaining Earth’s future water supply” (KEYE).
Regarding water infrastructure, constructing awareness about the importance of conserving water is vital, especially for youth. Eventually, we will put the importance of water infrastructure in the hands of a new generation. Therefore, we must teach them the reasons behind water conservation and practical usage. Water infrastructure is complex; if one factor changes slightly, the rest of the system can easily be thrown off. This is why we need to aid in introducing water infrastructure to youth, and this must be done in interactive ways. Interactive activities will keep students engaged and active in the topic of conversation.
The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center has several goals related to water infrastructure, education, agriculture, and nutrition. The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center aims to provide educational and professional development to the youth and community of East Saint Louis and beyond (JJK). Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center has the desire to create a national model of excellence that can be widely replicated for the youth of East St. Louis (JJK). They are also committed to developing an approach with all students to widen their knowledge regarding the many opportunities to avail in categories such as agriculture, food production, nutrition. Therefore, we will be working heavily with JJK to engage youth in water infrastructure knowledge.
Stakeholders should play a role in major water supply and resource management decisions because water is a public good that directly affects their lives and their communities.
Students are among our most significant stakeholders in this project. Allowing the younger generation to be involved not only helps our water but also helps the environment overall. In addition, better water quality leads to an improvement in the overall health of the community. Abbas Hassan states, “The youth demographic represents a dynamic force characterized by enthusiasm, energy, and a deep desire to make a difference. Engaging young people in WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) initiatives taps into their passion for social change and their ability to challenge conventional thinking”(Hassan). These initiatives are essential for human health, well-being, and development.
Another stakeholder is taxpayers; their money funds the school and plays a massive part in its budget. Taxpayers fund water infrastructure in their neighborhoods and the schools that provide the students their education. In addition, they own houses in the area and have an interest in the water infrastructure and the education of their population.
JJK and Heartlands are also stakeholders. In particular, JJK participates in your education at their center, so they are particularly important. JJK provides education to students and has programs run with the students. Heartlands also help educate communities and invests in watershed planning in the area.
Asma Bachikh states, “Stakeholder participation is at the core of effective water and sanitation management. Many countries—83 percent of 94 countries surveyed in 2013-2014—now have stakeholder participation in policies and/or laws” (Bachikh). This quote shows how much of a role stakeholders, like students and taxpayers, can play in water infrastructure.
Students are one of our most important stakeholders, driving our whole project. As a stakeholder, the student must come to the classroom ready and willing to learn. Students are active stakeholders who have a direct influence on water infrastructures. Students are easily influenced and a sponge for information at such a young age. Starting these teachings at such a young age will allow for greater outcomes in the future. With immense access to technology, students have the resources necessary to change the world.
The district’s state government assists with funding and quality of education which varies widely from state to state. Both federal and state governments play key roles in shaping the education system. The government is an active stakeholder that plays an immense part in school funding and the education system. The federal government passes education-related laws, which federal agencies implement through regulations. State governments are responsible for setting curriculum standards and requirements for high school graduation. With the government setting these standards and rules they are primarily responsible for school curriculum over water infrastructure.
Parents are key stakeholders in education because they are directly affected by water infrastructure and have an interest in the education their children receive. Parents are often the first teachers for their children, and their involvement is a significant factor in a child’s academic success and overall development. Parents also reinforce and encourage water-saving habits for students.
The environment is a secondary stakeholder and can benefit from good practices of water infrastructure. (explain more)
Without these stakeholders, water infrastructure will worsen. Without the lack of support of these stakeholders, we lose money, participation, water quality, and quality of education. Wicked problems are complex, social or cultural issues that are difficult or impossible to solve, and without stakeholder participation, this problem won’t be solved. For example in the documentary “Flint water crisis, a human-made public health crisis (April 2014–June 2016) involving the municipal water supply system of Flint, Michigan. Tens of thousands of Flint residents were exposed to dangerous levels of lead, and outbreaks of Legionnaire disease killed at least 12 people and sickened dozens more.”(Ray). Appropriate coordination among affected parties would have ensured these factors were weighed and managed, which could have changed the course of events.
Our goal is to influence water infrastructure, essential to youth education. We are concentrating on elementary education and different aspects we can use to educate students of this age on the impact of learning about water infrastructure. By exposing them to knowledge of water’s importance, they can pass this on to the next generation.
To the left is a diagram of stakeholders in Youth Education in Water Infrastructure. It has seven parts that connect to build our overall goal. The main two stakeholders that we are working with are JJKFAN and Heartlands Conservancy—we are working with both to find a way to expose children aged 5-11 to learn about water infrastructure.
For JJKFAN, we want to develop ways to explain the importance of learning from a young age, which can impact the future of their lives and community. Not only would students learn about water but also problem-solving and water waste, so they would be smart about how much water they use and the runoff of chemicals and substances.
The third item, technology, uses different tools and resources, such as interactive platforms and apps, making it fun and educational for the students to learn about water. We also want to show student’s current real-time water conservation and management information.
Fourth, the government regulates the standards for education on water infrastructure in early education and conservation practices with educational programs. It also builds community programs that expose the public to knowledge and help students engage in local water projects. Openly expressing to the government the importance of youth education and its influence on water infrastructure can help create policies that support our goal for water education in schools and programs.
Fifth, teachers should focus on three areas: curriculum development, collaboration with experts, field trips, and hands-on learning. We want teachers to implement water infrastructure and conservation material in their courses. Exposing children to places with natural bodies of water provides better knowledge and understanding of water infrastructure. For collaborating with experts in our case, Heartlands Conservancy is already working with JJKFan on water infrastructure. Still, we would like to get them more involved in classroom collaboration, where they talk and teach a lesson on the importance of water as they are the expert. This could include having studentsvisit one of their sites.
Sixth, we want students to learn actively, innovate, research, advocate, and be aware of water issues. For active learning, children can participate in projects and water conservation analysis. Letting the kids research water and engage in water science, they can develop solutions and problem-solving tactics, all of which will open new ways of learning. We hope that we get kids more involved in water infrastructure by participating in events about the environment or water infrastructure so they can promote the importance of knowledge about water to their communities and other schools,
Seventh, parents are critical to developing our three points: support at home, community involvement, and advocacy. We want parents to understand the importance of water and support it by taking action at home. They should encourage water-saving habits and education activities about water infrastructure offered by schools or communities. Why get the parents involved in activities within the community? They set an example for their children about the importance they can later pass down to others. When parents are involved in understanding the importance of water, they can advocate to improve education about water in their children’s schools and communities.
Finally, our question to ourselves is, can we use youth education to influence others? The answer is yes; it takes many parts, like a car, to get it running. We aim to show the importance of water infrastructure and why teaching it to young kids can significantly impact the future. Starting young is the water solution.
Thus far, we have talked about what the problem is, who it affects, and how we can tie in our community partners (JJK and Heartlands). This semester, we worked hard to grasp the overall wicked problem and the complex stakeholders that come with it. This problem is complex, it has multilayered issues embedded into it. This being said, there are infinitely many game plans to improve the issue. This wicked problem is urgent: it impacts the well-being of communities and their health. As we work to combat this issue, we need to acknowledge that there is no specific end, and that there may be other problems that arise throughout the journey.
We are excited to focus on the youth and how water infrastructure education can be crucial for this new generation’s future. For example, I remember when I was a kid in elementary school. I’d come home with a book I was reading or an art project I had been working on all week and I insisted on showing my entire family the work I’d done. Our big idea is to implement a curriculum with respective programs, starting in elementary schools and eventually working our way up to high schools to improve water quality and knowledge in their communities. Our hope is that kids are proud of the knowledge they learn at JJK and tell their family members. This type of expansion is exactly what we are looking for to make the community more involved in the water around them. We are interested in learning more about technology integration, extra curricular activities, and how those can connect our drivers and stakeholders.
Looking towards our future, we want to focus on research. In Spring 2025, we want to look into communities who are already implementing this curriculum in their schools and what is and isn’t working for them. For example colleges in Morocco and Germany are creating programs to educate students on reusing wastewater and water treatment facilities. Their work here expands to looking at climate change, which is an even bigger issue (Nourredine). We can learn from other studies to see what will and will not work for JJK. When we have our research compiled after the spring, we want to further our connections with JJK and Heartlands in the fall, incorporating their feedback as much as possible and learning what we can take off their plate. We are excited to see, specifically, what kinds of work our community partners need new perspectives on.
In this day and age, everyone relies on technology to go about their day to day life. This may sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be. We can use technology integration in our schools to kickstart new ideas. Whether this is creating engaging content on social media platforms kids use, or virtual reality to simulate a water treatment plant, technology is our friend here and we should take advantage of our resources. JJK has mentioned briefly their plans for a greenhouse at their new school. Incorporating the greenhouse and our curriculum can improve students’ understanding of this wicked problem we have on our hands.
We are curious to see what age group will benefit most from this, in hopes that they will use their knowledge to educate other stakeholders on the issue and overall lead to a better understanding of water infrastructure. Implementing these programs will be beneficial not only to the students’ learning, but also the other stakeholders, such as parents, the community, and the government. As time passes and our work expands to other communities, we hope that people will be more cautious of how their decisions impact water equity living in the southern American bottom.
Works cited
Linking Urban Water Management, Wastewater Recycling, and Environmental Education: A Case Study on Engaging Youth in Sustainable Water Resource Management in a Public School in Casablanca City, Morocco, 2023, https://www.proquest.com/docview/2856983121?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals. Accessed 12 Nov 2024.
National Science Foundation: NSF, https://new.nsf.gov. Accessed 1 December 2024.
“AWWA Policy Statement on Youth Education.” American Water Works Association, 2018, https://www.awwa.org/policy-statement/youth-education/. Accessed 12 Nov 2024.