Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 4)

Step 1: What do you want to achieve?

Think about your goals. What do you want these kiddos to walk away with? Do you want them to leave feeling empowered? Do you want them to implement water conservation practices in their home? Pick a few of these and brainstorm how you will achieve them.

Step 2: Who is your audience?

For ages 8 and younger: Be sure to keep stations light and hands-on. Try to stimulate them visually and tactically

For ages 8-11: Focus on open ended questions so they can think independently. Ask them lots of questions and have impactful discussions.

For ages 12-15: Encourage them to bring what they learn outside of this environment. Assess why these topics are important and how they connect to their lives.

For ages 16 & up: Promote leadership and collaboration. Adapt stations so that they can work in small groups. This age group loves a good competition, keep that in mind.

Step 3: Logistics

Choose a location, date, and time.

Keep in mind potential weather complications if your venue is outside. Big open spaces with tables are optimal. Gauge approximately how many participants you are expecting (RSVP forms work great!)

What time of year are you shooting for? Springtime in the midwest always comes with unpredictable weather, including storms. Is school in session? If so, weekdays after school will allow for the maximum participation. If school is not in session, transportation may be an issue for younger kids, so aim for lunchtime on the weekends.

If your stations are roughly 10-20 minutes each with 5 stations total, your event should last 2 hours or less. Accounting for time for an introduction, splitting into initial stations, time to rotate, and time for a conclusion.

Step 4: Plan stations

Step 5: Gather materials & volunteers

Step 6: Organize

Step 7: Promote & advertise

Step 8: Scheduling

Step 9: Implementation

Step 10: Reflect

Water equity means everyone should have access to clean, safe, and affordable water, but that is not always the case. In communities like East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights, issues like flooding, old infrastructure, and sewage problems show how some areas are affected more than others.

The water fair is designed to focus on this by giving students a space to learn, speak up, and take action. Instead of just hearing about water issues, students will interact with activities that show real challenges and possible solutions. They might explore how flooding happens, learn about filtration, or hear stories from communities that deal with these problems every day.

A big goal of the water fair is to help students find their voice. Through discussions, group activities, and creative projects, students are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and express what they think should change. This could look like writing messages, creating posters, or even presenting ideas to others.

The fair also emphasizes advocacy in action. Students are shown that even small steps matter, like educating others, spreading awareness, or getting involved in local efforts. By the end, they should feel more confident not only understanding water equity, but also talking about it and standing up for it.

Overall, the water fair is not just about learning facts. It is about helping students realize they have the power to make a difference and that their voices are an important part of creating more equitable access to water.

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