As kids we often dream of what we want to be when we grow up. Maybe that’s inspired by a childhood hero or what our parents do. However, some don’t figure that out until we have experiences that mark us for life.
Bryce Christensen is a prime example. A few years ago, as a Waverly High School student, Bryce had an encounter with water that rippled into a career. Back in 2017, his science teacher introduced a new hands-on project that empowered Bryce and his peers to test drinking well water in his community. Four years later, these experiences led him down the commencement aisle to pick up bachelor’s degrees in water sciences and fisheries and wildlife from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. So, what was this project? Why has it influenced Bryce and many others to take action in their communities and future?
Funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Know Your Well Project began in 2017. It is backed by the Nebraska Water Center which focuses on helping the University of Nebraska-Lincoln become an international leader in water research, teaching, extension, and outreach. The project put power into the hands of over 160 students at 19 high schools to test the very water their communities were drinking – from Crawford in the Sandhills to Auburn in the southeastern corner. This is important because nearly 85% of the state’s residents rely on groundwater for their drinking water. Urban residents’ water is tested by municipal utilities, but one in five Nebraskans gets their drinking water from private domestic wells around the state – which are rarely tested for contaminants that can have harmful health effects on communities.
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More details at: https://watercenter.unl.edu/know-your-well-project-educating-new-generation-importance-safe-drinking-water-nebraska