Water Guardians with Principal, Dr. Mario Carlos and their teacher Dr. Sue Pritchard.
Saving Water One Drop at a Time
Can six Middle School students change the world? Yes, if they are the Washington Middle School Water Guardians. They are the only team from California to win First Place in the National Lexus Eco Challenge. Their passion for conserving water began with an opportunity presented by their teacher, Dr. Sue Pritchard, to enter into the Lexus Challenge. Why is this so special? Apart from the trip to Sacramento and presentations on the Assembly and Senate floors, it is also an outstanding example of 21st Century learning and a model of Community Engagement.
The La Habra City Council invited the Water Guardians to present at a Council meeting in January. At that meeting the board of the California Domestic Water District graciously granted $5,000 to the Water Guardians’ project to implement a water conservation master plan for Washington Middle School.
The La Habra Rotary club contributed an allowance to the team to purchase clothes to wear for their growing list of public appearances.
As a model of 21st Century learning, the Water Guardians embraced the opportunity presented by Dr. Pritchard and embarked on investigating how to save water. They investigated areas of their campus and selected to transform an area in front of their school with drought tolerant plants and a drip irrigation system. This planning was done with the support of Bert Cota, the District Grounds Supervisor. They are engaged in spreading the word of water conservation worldwide by sending e-packets to schools in Asia and Europe. They are also working on a proposal with engineering students from Cal Poly Pomona for legislation to require all schools to install water conserving faucets and toilets.
We are extremely proud of our WMS Water Guardians and congratulate them for their outstanding accomplishments.
Meeting with City Council Member, Tom Beamish and a Director of the Metropolitan Ranch Water District.