Welcome to the fourth and final learning module in CDC’s series on water access in schools.
In this module we will share ideas and resources for promoting water in schools.
Promoting water is the final step schools can take to ensure that students and staff
have adequate access to water throughout the school day.
Research shows that promoting water works!
In a study where water was promoted using posters and cups, more students chose water
and there was an increase in the amount of water that students drank.
Additionally, fewer students were observed drinking sugary drinks.
There are a lot of different ways that schools can promote water and we will talk through
some examples and share resources that schools can adapt.
Murals and other student art are a great way to get students involved in the conversation
about water and help to promote it.
Caption photo 1: outdoor mural promoting water.
Caption photo 2: mural behind water bottle .
Caption photo 3: Potter the Otter mural behind bottle filling station.
Posters promoting water can be displayed near water fountains, bottle filling stations,
and other locations in the school to remind students to drink water.
The Harvard Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity has created
these posters that are available for download at no cost.
Caption Photo 1: The poster says, “Grab a cup, fill it up!”
Caption Photo 2: The poster says, “I heart water!”
Schools can also use signage to help locate water sources.
One idea is to cut out footprints or arrows and stick them to the floor to help lead students
and staff to the water fountains.
The Harvard Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity created this
sign that is available to download at no cost.
Tip sheets with eye-catching graphics and photos are great resources to share with parents,
caregivers and students to explain the benefits of drinking water or how to help schools improve
access to drinking water.
The National Drinking Water Alliance has tip sheets in English and in Spanish that are
easy to read and convey important messages about the benefits of drinking water.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a tip sheet that describes ways that parents
and caregivers can help schools improve access to drinking water.
Linking drinking water with environmental concerns can appeal to students.
Water-themed curricula can be used for a variety of subjects including science and language arts.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has free curricula for K-12 students available online.
Here is a lesson about the water cycle that can be used for K-3 grades and an experiment
about evaporation and condensation for grades 4-7.
Another promotion idea is to invite the local water utility to school to give a presentation
to students about water.
This photograph shows staff from the water utility in Louisville, Kentucky.
They have branded their tap water to give it broader appeal and name recognition.
Water utility employees attend community events and visit schools to educate the public about
the quality of the local tap water.
Other promotion ideas include selling water bottles as a fundraiser and asking adults
in the school to model healthy behaviors, including drinking water.
Caption Photo 1: Louisville, Kentucky water utility promoting water at school event.
Many of the ideas that we shared today are described in the Water First Toolkit for Promoting
Water Intake in Community Settings which was developed by the University of California, San Francisco.
Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Activities for Students
and Teachers web page is a great resource for lesson plans related to drinking water.
And, the National Drinking Water Alliance has a great compilation of promotion resources
under the “education tab” of their web page
This slide includes the web links for all the resources we discussed in this module.
Thank you for completing this learning module.
Please continue to the Knowledge Check quiz.