2021 H2Awesome! goes virtual
For Immediate Release
March 19, 2021
GUELPH, Ontario – Thousands of middle school students will be connecting virtually for the 2021 H2Awesome! “Water Matters” Conference from World Water Day to Earth Day.
Held annually at the University of Guelph campus, H2Awesome! has traditionally been a one-day conference focused on the importance of water and water conservation for grade 8 students from Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board elementary classrooms. However, this year due to COVID restrictions, organizers made the decision to move the conference virtual, allowing for the opportunity to expand the conference to include grade 7 students and to have ten events held over a five-week period commencing on March 22, 2021.
“Going virtual has allowed us to expand the voice of water. Under this format, 7-10 different narratives will be heard and although each perspective could be appreciated as a stand-alone experience, collectively they will blend an incredible story,” shared Peter Glaab, H2Awesome! Organizer and Healthy Active Living Resource Teacher at Wellington Catholic. “The diversity of water stories from our presenters both from their individual perspectives and the role in which water plays within the lives of people locally and globally.”
Commencing on March 22, the schedule includes hearing from well-known keynote speakers The Water Brothers, Emily Da Sousa, Paul Gifford, Jeremy Shute, Dan and Mary Lou Smoke, Jennifer Baichwel, Greg Kennedy, and Jan Sherman, as well as French Language presentations by Robyn Gow and Laura Gilbert for UGDSB students.
“It is great to bring such a diverse group of speakers into classrooms virtually. Most of the speakers are community partners of both school boards. Many students will be familiar with them,” said Heather Walker, H2Awesome! Organizer and UGDSB Curriculum Leader. “Connecting our students to members of their own community who are working on water conservation, Indigenous water rights, and the importance of water is powerful. It will help students to examine their own relationship with water,” said Walker.
Cathy Chaput, H2Awesome! Organizer and Program Coordinator with Wellington Catholic, added that spreading out the event over numerous days allows for classrooms to hear from more of the keynote speakers then in the prior format.
“In previous years, when it was an in-person event, we had keynote speakers who addressed the whole group, and then students selected individual workshops. It evolved to a keynote speaker with workshops for classes back at their school sites. Last year it unfortunately needed to be cancelled as we were doing distance learning. This year, teachers can sign up their classrooms for as many virtual presentations as they like and our program runs from World Water Day through to Earth Day,” she said.
With the move to go virtual, organizers were able to extend invitations to classrooms from both boards outside of the City of Guelph.
“At present, we have over 90 classrooms participating between Wellington Catholic and UGDSB,” said Chaput. “Grade 8 was our target grade since the Science and Technology curriculum focuses on the importance of water and water conservation, and this event allows students to broaden their understanding of water issues locally and globally.”
Beyond the connection to the curriculum, middle school aged students are concerned citizens and recognize that environmental issues that face us today will continue to grow unless we address them. Teachers who sign up also receive a curriculum resource kit filled with before and after ideas and activities and a copy of the book The Water Walker.
“Water is such an important resource for us to honour and respect, and their understanding and activism as we strive to protect water on our planet is critical,” said Chaput. “They are powerful advocates and their voices really matter!”
“The hope is that this conference will inspire inquiry, design thinking and tap into 21st Century learning skills such as critical thinking and leadership. We are excited to see what student actions and student voice will come from this learning experience,” added Walker.
Another important aspect of H2Awesome! is the collaboration it creates between the City of Guelph, UGDSB and Wellington Catholic.
“The support of our school boards and the City has always been really important. We appreciate that our little team can continue to offer this program even in challenging times! I am so excited that we figured out a way to make H2Awesome! continue this year!” Chaput said. “We have a fantastic planning team, which includes the collaboration of both school boards as well as the City of Guelph. Our meetings are always full of great ideas and everyone is willing to chip in and help out.”
H2Awesome! begins on March 22, World Water Day, and ends on April 22, Earth Day.
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For more information, please contact:
Ali Wilson, Communications Officer
Wellington Catholic District School Board
519.821.4640 x 225 | [email protected]
Heather Loney, Communications Manager
Upper Grand District School Board
519-822-4420 ex. 725 | [email protected]
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