SHS students take part in Youth Water Summit

MOSCOW — Over 200 students from seven northern Idaho high schools, including Sandpoint, presented their research of, and solutions to, local water resource issues at the third annual Youth Water Summit on Monday at the University of Idaho.

Hosted by UI’s The Confluence Project, the Youth Water Summit showcased what these students have learned after a year of field-based and project-based learning in their local watersheds. Students have worked with UI graduate students, The Lands Council, local tribal entities and other local partners to learn about water quality, water availability, snow science, agriculture and aquatic habitats via field investigations and data collection and analysis.

After a year of honing their investigative skills, participating students selected local watershed issues to research that are of importance to them, their communities and the broader ecosystem. Once they gained a thorough scientific understanding of the issues, they were challenged to propose solutions.

Mary Engels, one of The Confluence Project’s program coordinators, said the diversity of project topics and the creativity behind the students’ solutions is impressive.

“The Confluence Project is amazing because it gives students an opportunity to do hands-on field-based science, take full ownership of the process by conducting their own relevant research, and having a forum to convey those ideas to practicing scientists, graduate students and the wider community at the Youth Water Summit,” Engels said.

The summit featured an exhibition of student research projects, with displays open to the public. Science classes from Lake City, Post Falls, Paradise Creek Regional, St. Maries, Lakeside, Moscow and Sandpoint high schools were be in attendance.

Using a variety of media — from posters to phone apps to videos — students will present their findings on water resource topics such as the impact of declining snowpack on hydropower generation, the ability of wastewater treatment plants to handle growing populations and how to increase public engagement in these issues.

University administrators, professors and students, local water resource professionals, agency scientists, representatives from the Idaho State Department of Education and others have volunteered to judge student projects.

“Connecting high school youth to local experts is incredibly powerful, and through this process we are able to enhance science education and critical thinking skills in participating classrooms as well as inspire continuing outreach from expert judges who volunteer their time to the program,” said Jyoti Jennewein, The Confluence Project’s co-coordinator.

The Youth Water Summit is supported by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency and Idaho EPSCoR.