Travel Scholarship Attendees Bring Important Component to Conference

The WaTER Center will be bringing 18 travel scholarship recipients to Norman, OK to participate in the 2017 OU International WaTER Conference Sept.18-20. They have been notified and are working on visa applications and other travel documents now.

Conference participants enjoy opportunities to share information and time

This year's scholarship awardees are coming from 12 different nations - Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, and Thailand. They will be giving presentations on everything from grey water treatment to the effects of climate change on water resources. They come from universities, NGOs, and research institutes as well as entrepreneurs. Most of all, however, they bring with them a unique set of experiences from all corners of the world. 

2015 OU International WaTER Conference Travel Scholarship Recipients

The participation of international practitioners and researchers is a very important component of our Conference. We value the exchange of information and culture that this component offers, and so we are grateful for the individual and corporate sponsors who have made these scholarships possible. We look forward to welcoming all our guests – from near and far away!

K-12 Clean Water Poster and Video Contest Open to Area Students

Once again this year, the WaTER Center, in conjunction with the biennial OU International WaTER Conference, will sponsor a K-12 Clean Water Poster and Video Contest to help bring awareness of global water and sanitation issues to the younger members of our community.  All K-12 students (public, private and home schooled) attending school in Norman or surrounding areas are invited to participate. All entries should be artistic and positive in approach, and creatively illustrate the global need for clean water for human society and/or the natural environment.

The video element of the contest was added to the contest last year for all 9^th to 12^th graders. Students (public, private and home schooled) can use their film-making talents to create an original video that depicts the importance of clean water around the world.  The short video clip (maximum of three minutes in length) can portray any aspect of water – its uses, value, challenges, etc., in the United States or any international country.  Artists can use animation, cartoons, people, animals – be creative!

The top three winning videos, along with the winning poster submissions, will be incorporated into the 2017 OU International WaTER Conference to be held in Norman, OK, Sept.18 through 20, 2017.  First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each age division. Winners will be recognized, and awarded their prizes in a ceremony at the conference.

Details and rules of the contest can be found at water.ou.edu, or by emailing cvittmurphy@ou.edu.

Sooners Without Borders travels to Dominican Republic

Did you know that the favorite pastime of choice in the Dominican Republic is playing dominoes? Who knew? But this is just one of the many discoveries made by 10 students and 3 adults who worked in the Dominican Republic over the winter break, Jan. 3-12. Students from the service organization, Sooners Without Borders, worked with Guanin Community, a local non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping Haitian (and native) immigrant families live better lives in the D.R.

Students cutting water slots in casing for new water well.

Guanin works in the village of La Piedra, as well as surrounding villages, about an hour east of the capital city of Santo Domingo. Their biggest ministry is a Community Center in La Piedra which houses and manages a day care center, clinic, and playground. The current enrollment is 157 students, all at or below the age of 5, including infants. Several college groups are regular collaborators with Guanin, including Juniata College (Pennsylvania) and the University of Connecticut.

Water flows from the new well at about 16 1/2 gallons per minute.

The students were divided into three groups. One group would help build concrete block walls around the site for a new dormitory. Another group would help convert old tires and caliche dirt into playground structures. A third group would put in a water well at a nearby village. The water well went quickly, as the borehole had already been drilled. The finished well and pump produced over 16 gallons per minute. But the other two projects were hard and slow. The nights were pleasant, but the days were hot and sometimes long.
 

Students help build a concrete block wall on the perimeter of the Center's grounds.

On their last day at La Piedra, they played with the many smiling, screaming children. They sang songs with them, played games, and just gave them a little bit of love. The Sooners were proud of the work they did, and of the love they received from their host families, villagers, and friends of Guanin. Hopefully this is the first trip of many to the beautiful island.

 

The SWB group poses in front of newly-placed tires, a memory of our time with Guanin Community.

New to the WaTER Conference - Student Poster Competition

As a way of celebrating the special nature of the upcoming Conference - our Ten-Year Anniversary Conference - the OU WaTER Center is proud to host its first Student Poster Competition, open to all undergraduate students working in the field of water, sanitation and health (WaSH) for developing regions.

Conference participants visit during the poster session in the 2013 Conference.

A panel of judges, composed of past International Water Prize winners, will judge the posters on i) clarity of presentation, ii) creativity, and iii) relevance of research. The winning posters will receive cash prizes and will be recognized at the final Awards ceremony.

Native American dancers put on a lovely display of their heritage during the 2011 Conference.

Please spread the word, and plan on submitting your poster to this special competition! Go here to submit your poster abstract.