- What is your story
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located just minutes from the Mississippi River. This area has struggled with flooding issues due to outdated industrial pipes and poor drainage systems. This has even caused sewer issues in places near Cahokia Heights, Illinois. We are students in the Community-Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars Program (CODES) here at SIUE. Our goal of water conservation education is to aid in after-school program development at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Academy. We want to implement more interactive activities for elementary-age children to increase water conservation knowledge and community awareness.
- What did you achieve
The Water Fair was something our group had meticulously created over the course of our 2 years in this program. our current assignment on water conservation, including educating children on its importance and how it plays into everyday life. The Water Fair itself was a way for said children to interact with our projects. As a collective, we were able to provide JJKFAN with a multitude of interactive lessons regarding water conservation. With that being said, this implementation allowed for students to take away practices that they can utilize in everyday life. Ultimately, the Water Fair helped identify the need for more water conservation efforts while exposing students to conservation practices that are applicable to the real world.
- What it means to a broader audience
This blog will serve as an educational resource for teachers to inform students on water conservation. The blog will promote awareness and encourage healthier impacts towards water conservation education. Overall, this leads to a positive environmental change.