Teams of Students Work to Solve Global Water Issues

1/4/2017

Seventeen teams of Colorado Academy Middle School students are now “experts” on water issues facing developing countries around the world after taking part in last month’s Global Water Challenge. Colorado Academy hosted the annualevent, through which students expand their knowledge of global and community health issues and gain a better understanding of the international dimension of a science-related issue. Says CA teacher Sue Counterman, “The Global Water Challenge is a way to introduce Middle School students to the issues of water scarcity, water contamination, and water security and empower them to contribute to the most significant health issue of our time.”

Students work in small groups to research their selected water issues, collaborate, and problem‐solve. They develop their design thinking skills in creating prototypes to address access, treatment, and distribution challenges, and they use teacher‐led class time to explore their topics in greater depth in preparation for competition day.

Final skits were presented to a team of 36 judges including water engineers, nonprofit professionals, former students, and other experts who off feedback and insights. Countries studied this year included Kenya, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Rwanda, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, and Ghana.

Says Counterman, “I can tell you working on these projects fills students with optimism to effect positive change in the world. They understand the transformative power that can happen if women and girls no longer need to walk long distances everyday to bring water home for the essential needs of their families and the ways that the whole community would benefit with a safe sustainable source of water in their homes. “

For the first year ever, there was a tie between two teams. The winners are:

Tie for first place: Team Nepal including students: Cate Maloy, Claire Millisor, Ezra Goldstein, Asher Stull, Dara Odugbesan and Team Myanmar, including students: Lila Paton, Brayden Ramseier, Joanna Rydberg, Desi Silverman-Joseph
3^rd place: Team Ghana
4^th place Team Bangladesh
5^th place: Team Haiti

Says Colorado Academy Head of School Dr. Mike Davis, “The Global Water Challenge offers the kind of real-world, hands-on learning that students must experience in order to be the creative problem solvers of the future.”

The Global Water Challenge was started in 2004 and is one of Global Health Connections’ original projects. Global Health Connections, Inc. (GHC) is an educational outreach 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing people together to solve global health issues. Colorado Academy Middle School science teacher Sue Counterman is a member of the GHC Board of Directors.

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