2024-2025 Student Action on Canadian Water Attitudes Competition announced

The Safe Drinking Water Foundation (SDWF) has launched the 2024-2025 Student Action on Canadian Water Attitudes competition, thanks to funding from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and RBC. The initiative aims to engage students from kindergarten to grade 12 across Canada in addressing water issues within their communities.

Since 2001, SDWF has provided schools with the resources needed to educate young Canadians about water quality. Over the years, the foundation has distributed water testing kits to more than 3,200 schools nationwide. Previous competitions have seen winners from cities like Edmonton, Alberta, and Nelson, British Columbia, with the most recent winner, Acadecap International School in Ottawa taking the title in 2022-2023.

The 2024-2025 competition invites schools to survey their communities on water-related topics, educate residents about their drinking water sources, and promote water conservation efforts. Students will present their findings in a report, with a chance to win significant prizes.

The national grand prize, valued at $3,000, includes a water bottle filling station, a commemorative plaque, and possibly reusable water bottles or water testing kits. Additionally, a separate prize package valued at $2,200 will be awarded to the top school in Saskatchewan. If the national winner is based in Saskatchewan, the second-place school in the province will claim this prize.

Participants are encouraged to explore topics like flood control, daily water consumption, the energy required for water treatment, and potable water usage. A key focus of the competition is educating the public on where their tap water comes from.

The competition will follow a five-step process:

1.Students will identify a water issue in their community.

2.They will conduct initial surveys.

3.They will educate and engage the community on the chosen issue.

4.Follow-up surveys will be administered.

5.Students will present their findings, which will be judged by water experts.

An introductory webinar will be held during the week of October 7 to guide participants through the project steps. SDWF will also offer ongoing support to teachers and students throughout the competition.

For more information, contact Nicole Hancock, Executive Director of SDWF, at [email protected].