One of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals agreed upon by the world’s countries and leading development institutions is to reduce by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the year 2015. This six month program will introduce students to the facts about the world water crisis, allow students to investigate and support various water-related projects, take an active role in moving the world toward the millennium goal and publicize their efforts through a media project video collaboration.

The project kicks off in celebration of UN Day, with an interactive videoconference featuring an engaging panel of experts that will challenge and motivate students. Following the kick-off, students will begin their own research into issues surrounding clean water, sanitation and hygiene in various parts of the world and select projects they would like to support. Teachers will attend a virtual professional development event with Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center staff that will help them support their students in their clean water action projects and video development projects. To help kick-start their projects, MAGPI and the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center staff will arrange for an interaction (most likely Skype or live chat) for each school with a water project team overseas. Following the implementation of their projects, students will produce a media project such as a video, podcast or Power Point presentation highlighting their efforts and share their projects in a culminating videoconference on World Water Day in March.

This program is a partnership between the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, MAGPI and the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative.

Program Outline:

Global Passport Kick-Off Videoconference: Understanding the Global Water Crisis
A Student Videoconference Event
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Objective: Students learn about the World Water Crisis and the UN MDGs.

The year-long project kick-off! Celebrate United Nations Day (which occurs over the preceding weekend) by learning from a panel of experts about global issues regarding Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation in the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal #7. The panel will specifically focus on Philadelphia Water Department,  PGWI and regional goals. Students will have an opportunity to Interact with the experts in a Q and A session and hear about past advocacy projects initiated by high school students, including costs and quality of life impact. Students will also learn about the media project parameters and list of potential links to global water and sanitation projects.

What Can We Do? Start Your Research
In-Class/In-School Exploration
October through November

Objectives:

• Students learn about the World Water Crisis and the UN MDGs.
• Students research and gather a broad range of facts
• Students explore specific resources such as the UNDP student publication and PGWI website

Following the UN Day Celebration, students should begin expanding their knowledge of the issues related to the World Water Crisis. This part of the project can work across the curriculum – utilizing math and statistics, social studies, science, language arts, visual arts, geography as well as media arts. For example, using math and social science skills, students can gather statistics about population affected by water-born illnesses, numbers of people and countries of origin without access to clean water and sanitation, varying costs associated with private and public water systems. This information can be graphed and charted as visual information by media arts students. Science students can research the public health risks of sanitary waste and specific water born illnesses. Social studies students can explore the relationship of gender and water collection and/or public hygiene. There is a wealth of resource material available on the Internet. Assign students varying fact finding missions conducting their research and report back to the class in summary fashion and/or with their graphic displays. Everyone is required to use at a minimum the student produced publication provided to you by the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and the PGWI website Resource page. For ideas, look at the links listed under "Resources."

How to initiate a Clean Water Project and Supporting Students in the Video Contest
Teacher Professional Development Videoconference
Wednesday, November 19, 2009 * 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

During this videoconference, Fairmount Water Works staff members will outline guidelines for having their students participate in the media project. Educators will view short videos on the subject and brainstorm motivating techniques for engaging students in the project. Fairmount Waterworks staff will introduce fundraising ideas to help launch students’ action plan and suggest creative ways students can connect to the people at their adopted site.

International Connections
Student Interactions with Projects Abroad
December 2009 – January 2010

Objectives:

• To enable students to make a personal and visceral connection to the global water crisis through a  real time understanding of the day to day impact of lack of water, sanitation and hygiene on the lives of young people and their families in other parts of the world.
• To begin to see how they can play a role in technological and social changes that may improve the lives of others in terms of their basic human needs.

Participating classes will be divided into small groups (2-3 classes) and will have a Skype videoconference or other electronic exchange with a Fairmount Water Works partner organization overseas. Students can use this exchange to ask questions and collect information for their projects.

Taking Action: Select A Project
In-Class/In-School Exploration
December 2009 - February 2010

Objectives:

• Students find a community/village/town in need.
• Students will make global connections by getting to know the community/people of the adopted village/town and develop communication and a personal connection.
• Students will set-up a wiki page and make bi-weekly reports on their project. Students from other participating schools will be assigned to comment on school wiki reports.

After completing your research, identify a project site your students will adopt. Decide on the best way to establish communication between your students and the lives of the people they will be helping - - and make contact. Consider sending a survey of sorts through the mail or the internet, in which your students can develop an understanding of the people behind the “crisis” and how their help will change the lives of people that now have names and faces associated with them. This can include some basic questions related to their current lives – the collection of water, the use of bathrooms, a description of daily life. Make sure students document the person’s name, age and gender. Use the Passport to Clean Water template provided to develop this survey.

You can explore H2O Water for Life School to School Partnerships for a list of fundable projects across the globe .

While deciding on a project, have your students look at Progress Report of UN MDG#7 on the PGWI website -- now that we are halfway toward the goal year of 2015 -- and acknowledge where the progress has been made as well as where it has not. For example: take note that Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania (a collection of islands in the South Pacific)  and the Commonwealth Independent States in Asia (a collection of former members of the Soviet Union) in particular are struggling to meet the goals.

Have your students create a wiki page for your class on the project wiki (by December 1, 2009) and make bi-weekly updates about your project. You will be assigned another school’s wiki page to comment on twice a month. This will be a great way for your students to see what other schools are doing and help one another in the process!

Video/Media Project: Taking Action
In-Class/In-School Student Project
February – March 2010

Objective: Students will further develop their communication and media skills by developing, scripting and producing a 3-minute public service piece about the World Water Crisis and what they are doing to be part of the change.

Students will research, develop and produce 3-minute video describing global problem/issues (MDG#7), a short profile of the lives of the people students are helping, a description of the project, the change that funds/equipment will make on quality of life issues related to water and sanitation, and a brief summary of how they will raise funds to accomplish this.

Issues on Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation to consider:

• How can we meet the Millennium Development Goal #7 by 2015
• Water: A Human right
• Global Water Crisis: Cost; Inequity; Technology; Political Will
• Gender Issues
• Benefits of Action/Cost of Inaction
• International Cooperation
• Climate Change

World Water Day Videoconference: This is How WE took Action
Student Videoconference Event * Monday, March 22, 2010 * 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Objective: Students will present to each other, community members, MAGPI schools and enter contest to present at the PGWI conference to professional leaders and advocates for change.

Students will share the results of their video projects and interact with their peers.

National Educational Standards: