Water Blogged

Crystal Lake Middle School is located on the Atlantic coast just north of Fort Lauderdale. Katharine Cook is a 7th grade magnet science teacher that has helped her students take a few strides toward becoming global citizens by participating in an H2O for Life experience.

 H2O for Life’s service learning opportunities are designed to engage, educate, and inspire youth to become global citizens. This innovative school-to-school approach helps young people develop a concern for others by taking a major global crisis and scaling it down to a manageable size; one water project in the developing world. Giving back becomes more real when there’s a personal connection to the beneficiary.

Mrs. Cook’s class is part of a program called ‘Global Scholars’ whose focus this year is ‘World of Water.’ The students decided to pursue a Walk for Water to raise funds for a school in San Jose, Nicaragua, seen here.

Many Nicaraguan children are unable to continue or finish their education due to water issues plaguing the country. As the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, 37% of the population has no safe drinking water (UNICEF). Schools like Crystal Lake Middle School around the United States work with H2O for Life to help partner schools in remote rural villages gain access to water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

As part of their ‘Global Scholars’ program, the students are able to communicate with students around the world about water issues where they live. This real-time cultural connection allowed the students to better understand the ramifications of unsafe drinking water.

“I shared with the students how the money they raised may not seem like a lot to them, but it can make a difference!” said Mrs. Cook. Altogether, the students of Crystal Lake Middle School raised $498, which was enough to complete the San Jose project.

With those funds in hand, H2O for Life will work with a local NGO partner to build new latrines and hand washing stations for the school.

Thank you Mrs. Cook and your students for becoming global citizens and educating your peers about the importance of the global water crisis!

Looking to give your students a meaningful cultural connection? We have online resources to help you get started on a project, or check out our free K-12 lesson plans.