Last week, SA Water and Makers Empire celebrated an exciting new partnership delivering education in sustainable water management, with an expo-style showcase at Lot Fourteen involving 12 South Australian schools sharing their projects with each other.
The Water Warriors program, being delivered in terms two and three this year, helps students learn more about water as a precious and renewable resource, and explores cultural knowledge of Aboriginal people, water management, and ways to build more excellent, healthier communities. More than 400 students have collaborated on design thinking projects in response to various challenges, identifying solutions for a water-related problem within their school or community, or proposing a local response to a global problem.
From the city to the state’s hills and regions, the 12 participating schools included Moorook Primary School, Hawthorndene Primary School, Wallaroo Primary School, St Thomas School, Marryatville High School, Southport Primary School, St Patrick’s School, and Allendale East Area School. Cobdogla Primary School, Monash Primary School and Glossop Primary School joined Berri Primary School in the Riverland, who were connected to the showcase at Lot Fourteen via live stream.
As part of the program, teachers from each school recently completed the Makers Empire Learning by Design professional development course, which included a full day of training with 3D design software to help guide their students through the program. The pilot program also included a Water Warriors-themed Challenge Course delivered via the Makers Empire app,
After the expo-style showcase, students voted for the best project via a ballot voting system. The winner of the showcase was group two from St Patrick’s School. Congratulations!
Nicola Murphy, General Manager of Strategy, Engagement and Innovation at SA Water said, “Sustainability is an important aspect of how we deliver trusted water services to our 1.7 million customers, and we know the actions we take today will play a vital role in delivering benefits for generations to come. This partnership provides an opportunity to collaborate with young innovators on South Australia’s water future in a fun and authentic way while promoting science-based career pathways and STEM subjects.”
Anthony Chhoy, co-Founder and co-CEO of Makers Empire said, “We are delighted to partner with SA Water on this exciting new education program to teach students real-life problem-solving and sustainable water management. Together, we are empowering these students to become creators, innovators and problem solvers so they can make their world better.”
