Water Explorer is a fun, inspiring and educational programme from the behaviour change charity Global Action Plan. It empowers thousands of 8 to 14-year-olds in 11 countries around the world to lead joint action on water issues for their schools and communities. It is free to all schools taking part.
In this blog post, Rachel Toogood, Programme Officer and Saaqib Afzal, Communications Officer at Global Action Plan, explain the thinking behind it.
Most people know to turn things off when we’re not using them. Most people know we should turn plugs off, wash at 30° and recycle. All small things that add up to doing our bit for the environment. But this isn’t the same for water related actions.
There are 783 million people in the world that don’t have access to clean water (source: UN Water). With 840,0002 deaths each year due to a water related disease (source: water.org) caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene, fresh water access is widely recognised as one of the world’s most pressing issues. If this were a better known fact, would we pay more attention to our water consumption? Would water saving actions be just as prevalent in our lives as any of the other eco-habits that are so integrated into our daily behaviours?
Perhaps we don’t consider water an issue that we have control over. Perhaps it’s because with numbers that big, it becomes insurmountable. Maybe it’s why there’s been a movement towards charities making their messaging in the media more personal; to make an often huge and relentless issue relatable and manageable. If water issues are too big to talk about, Water Explorer is on a mission to change that.
A fun, inspiring and educational programme, Water Explorer empowers thousands of students across the world to take action on water issues for their schools and into their communities. Water Explorer embraces the Act Local, Think Global mantra and engages students to take small actions to reap big change.
Developing communication, teamwork and problem solving skills, students should leave school feeling empowered, ready and able to tackle issues head on. Water Explorer seeks to equip Explorers with the skills they need to make change, and to help shape students as global citizens.
Water Explorer (www.waterexplorer.org) connects 11 countries worldwide to make all of those small actions have an even bigger impact. Through completing the actions and missions, students will explore and develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) objectives. They’ll develop a curiosity and enjoyment in learning about the world and its inhabitants by using a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with students from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
Students develop an understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions, helping to create a more just and sustainable world. Through shared learning and cultivating an active community of water-conscious young people, students will develop an understanding, acceptance and respect for other cultures and celebrate diversity. With over 56,000 students already taking part, more and more people are getting involved with Water Explorer by making every drop count.
After all, turning off the tap is as simple as turning off the light.
For more information, contact Rachel at schools@waterexplorer.org.
For more information about water related issues, read through our feature articles on water or toilets or health, drugs and disease - or browse through teaching resources on the topic of water.
A fun, inspiring and educational programme, Water Explorer empowers thousands of students across the world to take action on water issues for their schools and into their communities. Water Explorer embraces the Act Local, Think Global mantra and engages students to take small actions to reap big change.
Developing communication, teamwork and problem solving skills, students should leave school feeling empowered, ready and able to tackle issues head on. Water Explorer seeks to equip Explorers with the skills they need to make change, and to help shape students as global citizens.
Water Explorer (www.waterexplorer.org) connects 11 countries worldwide to make all of those small actions have an even bigger impact. Through completing the actions and missions, students will explore and develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) objectives. They’ll develop a curiosity and enjoyment in learning about the world and its inhabitants by using a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with students from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
Students develop an understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions, helping to create a more just and sustainable world. Through shared learning and cultivating an active community of water-conscious young people, students will develop an understanding, acceptance and respect for other cultures and celebrate diversity. With over 56,000 students already taking part, more and more people are getting involved with Water Explorer by making every drop count.
After all, turning off the tap is as simple as turning off the light.
For more information, contact Rachel at schools@waterexplorer.org.
For more information about water related issues, read through our feature articles on water or toilets or health, drugs and disease - or browse through teaching resources on the topic of water.
