Author: paplumm (Page 3 of 8)

Teaching kids about water filtration isn’t just about science, it’s about helping them understand something they rely on every day.

First, it builds awareness. Kids learn that water isn’t automatically clean and that it can contain things that affect not only their health, but also the health of people around them. This helps them better understand where their water comes from and why it needs to be treated.

Second, it promotes healthy habits. When kids understand how clean water impacts their bodies, they’re more likely to value safe drinking water and make better choices.

It also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Activities like building simple filters or testing water quality let them see how solutions work in real life, not just in theory. Seeing this in a real-world scenario will bring this idea to life and get them to engage hands-on.

Most importantly, it reiterates the importance of water equity. Kids begin to recognize that not everyone has the same access to clean water, which can build empathy and a sense of responsibility to help others. The hope is that we can raise the new generation of students to become advocates in their communities and fight for what is right.

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We are six students from the Community-Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) working to educate the youth about good water conservation practices in hopes that they implement these same water habits in their home. Looking at the bigger picture, we want to influence this new generation to be knowledgeable about water and combat climate change. We have orchestrated our own water fair at Jackie Joyner-Kersee Academy (JJK Academy) with students aged 8-10. We had 4 stations that focused on water conservation vocabulary, soil, water runoff, and water filtration. By participating in water fairs, children are exposed to water conservation exercises and will want to take pride in conserving their Earth. 

This is important to the St. Louis area because it is located on a flood plain. Not only is this area on a flood plain, it also has a heavily industrial background. The pipes that are underground are deteriorating over time and are not sustainable during heavy rains. Areas in Illinois like Cahokia Heights (formerly Cahokia, Centreville, and Alorton) and East St. Louis face sewage flooding into their yards.

We have interviewed local educators and organizations, surveyed nearly 200 educators regarding their part in water conservation education, and learned from SIUE’s own STEM Center faculty about what it takes to develop lesson plans. These methods were crucial in tackling our wicked problem because we were able to soak in all this information and seek a game plan. We decided to tackle after school programming which, we learned, has less regulations. Read further to learn about the steps we took to, ultimately, orchestrate our very own water fair!

After a year of researching and brainstorming, we decided to host a water fair at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Academy in October 2025. There were 4 stations, each outlined and facilitated by one of us CODE Scholars: “The Magic of Water Filtration” by Justin Richerson, “The Dirt Detective” by Marques Rutlin, “Runoff with Water Knowledge” by Sonia Sheryr, and “Water Word Wonders” by Alexandra Guerrero. These stations were created to engage students hands-on while teaching them about water and good water practices. 

Welcome! This toolkit was created to help you design and host engaging, educational, and impactful water fairs in your community. Whether you’re a student, educator, or community leader, this guide will give you the tools and inspiration needed to bring water-related issues to life in a way that is interactive, meaningful, and fun.

Water is one of our most essential resources, yet many communities face challenges related to access, quality, conservation, and equity. Water fairs are a powerful way to raise awareness about these issues while encouraging hands-on learning and community connection. This toolkit is designed to simplify the planning process and provide creative ideas that can be adapted to fit your audience, space, and goals.

Inside, you’ll find step-by-step guidance on organizing your event, including planning timelines, activity ideas, educational materials, and strategies for engaging participants of all ages. From interactive vocabulary learning to games and experiments, this toolkit emphasizes experiences that make learning about water both accessible and memorable.

By hosting a water fair, you are not just planning an event, you are contributing to a larger effort to promote awareness, inspire action, and support sustainable water practices. We’re excited to support you in creating an experience that educates, empowers, and brings people together.

As you navigate this toolkit, there are many different tabs. In the menu bar, you can read under “Water Fair Toolkit” in addition to this page for more background as to how this came to be. There is also a place that outlines how to construct and organize a water fair titled “Organization & Planning”. As you hover over “Overview” you will see each category pop up. Click on each category to read about its construction and why this topic is relevant. As you hover over each topic, there are three tabs that appear: Instructions, Materials, and Examples & Media. These pages are unique to each topic, so be sure that you are under the respective topic. Under “Instructions” you will find a detailed “How-to” for each activity. Under “Materials” you will find all required materials and resources for each activity. Finally, under the “Examples & Media” tab you will find real pictures and videos that demonstrate each activity. There are links at the end of each page that prompt you to the next step if you get stuck!

I hope this toolkit is helpful to you when constructing your very own water fair 🙂

If you run into any errors or have questions, reach out to Payton: paplumm@siue.edu

Click to learn more about

Water Equity

Water Conservation

Water Filtration

Flooding

Community

It’s crazy to believe my CODES journey has come to an end. I am truly grateful for not only the numerous experiences I’ve had, but also the connections I’ve built along the way. When I first was introduced to our wicked problem, I was mostly uninterested. It took just a few short weeks to understand the severity and urgency behind it. I had lived over 18 years of life in this area, and (I am privileged to say) I still didn’t know these problems were right under my nose. This taught me a valuable lesson. Being in the CODES program has opened my eyes to many other backgrounds and upbringings. It is so interesting to surround myself with people who are different from me and learn from their experiences.

Although it is cliche to say, CODES really has changed my life. From a freshman in college, using Snap maps to find what buildings my classes were in, to presenting at the Illinois State Capitol and having lunch with Katie Stuart, I am grateful for the journey. Not many freshmen can say they participated and completed a 2 year research project before even starting their junior year. Thank you to Dr. DeSpain, for having faith in me and skyrocketing my confidence. Thank you to Dr. Martinez, who opened her arms to welcome all of us newbies and cared for us like her own. Thank you to Andrea, who never fails to make me laugh and empowers the girl boss in me. Thank you to Dr. Hildebrandt, who was an incredible mentor throughout completing our finishing touches. Thank you to Dr. Smith, Dan, Dr. Del Rio and so many more who have helped us navigate college life and technology. Lastly, thank you to Zach and Kurly for being patient with us, allowing us into your space, and guiding us in the right direction with this amazing opportunity.

Payton Plummer is a second-year student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is pursuing a major in Business Administration with a concentration in Data Analytics and Mathematics. She is a member of the Community-Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES), which is an honors program and full-tuition scholarship at SIUE. She serves as a CODES Ambassador where she oversees CODES social media, aids in constructing CODES events, and contributes to website updates. Her work in CODES surrounds the water equity in the St. Louis area, educating after-school students at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee (JJK) Academy about good water practices. Her biggest inspiration is her mom, who was a data analyst, herself, inspiring Payton’s passion of statistics and management. She is driven by civic engagement and analytical insights, therefore she envisions a future in statistical analysis management.

Survey data

What age students do you most frequently interact with? Select all that apply

How familiar are you with water conservation topics (water treatment, wastewater management, etc.)?

In the classroom, when engaging students in STEM, which of the following activities have you observed being successful? (Select all that apply)

The following are responses to the “other” category:

Have you used interactive activities to teach students about water conservation?

If yes, what water conservation topics have you previously included into your curriculum?

If no, what barriers prevent your school from implementing interactive water conservation activities?

The following are responses to the “other” category:

What are some resources you use when building a lesson plan? (Sample)

Can you share any success stories or examples of students who have positively impacted water conservation? (Private)

Are there any additional ideas or suggestions on how to make water conservation education more engaging for students? (Sample)

In order to finish the semester strong, there are a few things that our group needs to accomplish and be proud of. We need to finish our group Emplace Contribution. We each have different roles in this process and look forward to revising with edits from Kezia. This being said, my work is shaped moving forward, individually. We are going to begin working on our individual Emplace Contributions which will essentially be a mini autobiography. The last thing on our to-do list is our presentation for the Undergraduate Showcase at the end of April. I am excited to turn our Emplace Contribution into a more personalized presentation.

As far as my final piece in our projects, I still need to finalize my toolkit. The raw materials are there but I need to assemble the toolkit so it is readily available for those other communities with whom we are thinking about sharing. I am seeking advice and guidance from Dr. Martinez, Zach from JJK, and Dr. Hildebrandt to provide any other suggestions for my final piece.

There are ways to soften the blow from negative feedback, such as starting with a positive, but that doesn’t always feel good, especially when you worked so hard and are so proud of your work. One exercise we did for CODES orientation was very helpful: everyone filled out a sheet of paper that had their preferred way of feedback on it. For example, when someone is telling me about something rough happening in their life, usually I tell them how strong they are, or sometimes I may relate to their situation, so I try to resonate with them. However, some people may find this offensive. Everyone had their preferred response style available on this shared online space so we could see how they would benefit from the right kind of feedback.

Oftentimes I am good at giving feedback, but struggle with receiving it. When giving feedback, I begin with what I enjoyed. Instead of saying, “buuuut…” I use suggestions. I don’t tell them what needs to change, I offer my opinion. So, instead of saying, “I enjoyed your introduction, buuuut you need to reinforce your claims in your conclusion.” I would say, “Your introduction really pulls the reader in, I enjoy this. Maybe you could revisit what you said in the introduction back into the conclusion so readers can remember what the takeaways of your paper are.” This way is much more friendly and it seems more suggestive rather than demanding.

I struggle with receiving feedback because I am usually proud of what I create. When someone has revisions, sometimes it is hard for me to change what I really like about my piece. I need to work on taking things less personally and take my heart out of this process.