Fifth grade students working with the Enviroscape watershed model at last year’s Water Festival. Photo by JAN DONA/L&C MARKETING & PR
Fifth grade students working with the Enviroscape watershed model at last year’s Water Festival. Photo by JAN DONA/L&C MARKETING & PR

EAST ALTON – The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRRECsm) has been awarded an Enbridge Fueling Futures grant to increase water literacy in the Lewis and Clark Community College District and adjacent communities through its annual Water Festival.

This year’s Water Festival will run all day, Friday, Sept. 27, on L&C’s Godfrey Campus. An educator workshop will take place Monday, Sept. 23.

Waterschool USA Coordinator and NGRREC Environmental Education Director Jennifer Mandeville said the NGRREC education team is deeply grateful to Enbridge for their generous support of the festival through this grant.

“This invaluable contribution not only ensures more classrooms can attend Water Festival and leads to increased water literacy in our community but also empowers educators to effectively teach vital water issues in their classrooms,” Mandeville said. “Together, we are fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of water conservation and sustainability in our community.”

Mandeville said the festival educates students about ecological challenges and the importance of healthy watersheds. The grant will ensure all Water Festival educators are fully equipped to teach area fifth graders about the human water cycle, watersheds, and the importance of clean water.

“At Enbridge, we recognize that water is life,” Enbridge Operations Manager Travis Harris said. “That is why the protection of the environment is top of mind every day, in all we do. We are pleased to be able to have a positive impact in the lives of the students taking part in the annual Water Festival.”

The Water Festival attracts hundreds of fifth-grade students and their teachers for a fun-filled day of educational activities and interactive demonstrations. The event, hosted with the help of local partner organizations, offers over 30 hands-on activity stations promoting resource awareness, canoe rides and fishing.

Enbridge Fueling Futures helps communities become safe, vibrant and sustainable. It focuses on humanitarian aid, environmental education, celebrating culture and community and building potential in youth.

To learn more about Enbridge, visit https://www.enbridge.com/. To learn more about NGRREC’s Water Festival, visit https://www.ngrrec.org/Education/Children/Water-Festival/. Water Festival promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNKHkmUbAp0.

For questions, contact Jennifer Mandeville at jmandeville@lc.edu.

About Enbridge Fueling Futures

Part of being a good corporate citizen is being a good community partner and neighbor. Enbridge Fueling Futures is about energizing communities, through partnerships and sponsorships that strengthen the safety, vibrancy and sustainability of our communities as well as through volunteerism and the generosity of our employees.

About National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)

NGRREC is dedicated to the study of great river systems and the communities that use them, facilitating the efficient implementation of science into policy and practice. Founded in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, the center aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and their associated communities.