Staff from East Oldham Middle School have traveled to install chlorine generators for WaterStep for six years. Dennis Mangum reported on why the water projects have been beneficial for their staff members and for students:
For the sixth consecutive year, staff from East Oldham Middle School traveled overseas to install Waterstep chlorine generators in needy communities longing for clean drinking water. This year, four staff members spent 15 days in rural China installing systems in 7 different schools. Though quite challenging, it was one of the most successful projects undertaken thus far. Over the past six years, over 6000 students have been given access to clean drinking water through the efforts of East Oldham Middle School. The students of EOMS have supported the annual projects by designing and selling T-shirts, hosting after-school “water dances”, donating “snack shack” money, and seeking donations from community businesses and members. The students use the chlorine generators to learn about chemistry in their science classes, and study water issues in social studies class. In language arts they read about young people from around the world who deal daily with water-related issues, and they use statistics dealing with water in math class. It has been the hope of the staff of EOMS, that through these annual “water projects”, students will gain a deeper sense of their global responsibilities as members of the human race, develop a “servant” attitude, and become more aware of the daily hardships that challenge so many people on a daily basis.
