Article by: Laura Inlow, L&C Media Services, linlow@lc.edu
CHESTERFIELD, MO – In conjunction with the Swarovski Waterschool USA: Mississippi River, seventh grade students from Crossroads College Preparatory School in St. Louis toured the Missouri American Water plant in Chesterfield, May 8, in honor of National Drinking Water Week.
Students learned about the water treatment process, including the final steps of filtration and purification. The tour concluded with a short discussion on career opportunities within the field of water treatment and quality standards.
Since these students have been engaged in the Swarovski Waterschool, which is headquartered at Lewis and Clark Community College’s National Great Rivers Research and Education Center in East Alton, Illinois, they have studied the global water crisis and how water quality standards of the United States differ from other nations around the world.
Swarovski Waterschool USA: Mississippi River
Founded in 2000 and situated in seven countries within watershed areas of the Danube, Ganges, Yangtze, Nile, Amazon, Chao Praya and Mississippi rivers, the Swarovski Waterschool program has taught more than 500,000 children, using nearly 10,000 specially trained teachers at more than 2,400 public schools. The Swarovski Waterschool USA, headquartered at L&C’s National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, is the first in North America. The program offers an educational learning experience revolving around the topic of water, and targets children typically aged 8 to 18. Improving access to safe, reliable water and adequate sanitation at schools are additional key areas which are integrated in the framework. Through the Swarovski Waterschool program, students develop a lifelong passion for the subject, making them ideal ambassadors to influence entire families and their communities.
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)
Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities. To learn more about NGRREC, visit www.ngrrec.org.