The purpose of this ARP funded cooperative agreement is to build capacity within united states virgin islands public elementary schools and the wider community for safe, clean, and affordable drinking…

The purpose of this ARP funded cooperative agreement is to build capacity within united states virgin islands public elementary schools and the wider community for safe, clean, and affordable drinking water through partnerships, teacher training, development of an integrated and enhanced third-grade water curricula, and community outreach.activities:throughout the project, there will be project advisory committee meetings. A third-grade curricula that includes use of water quality testing kits for educational purposes will be developed. Seven elementary school partners and a lead teacher at each school will be recruited. One water bottle filling station per school will be installed to meet educational objectives. Third grade teachers will be trained in the curricula and deliver IT during two school years. The lead teacher will work with a small group of students to conduct a school water and waste audit early in the school year and this audit will be repeated in the following school year. A school bulletin board will be created and updated in the second year. There will be a school wide presentation each year to share audit results, project information, and disseminate reusable water bottles to staff and students. Students will complete pre- and post-tests and teachers will complete evaluations. Monthly communications will be shared with the wider community through various channels and decision-makers will be engaged quarterly. Reports for the first and second years will be developed, along with a final report.subrecipient:a subaward will be issued to virgin islands conservation society, a project partner and on-the-ground project coordinator, to fund two ECO-schools coordinator positions and one ECO-schools supervisor position. Virgin islands conservation society delivers the virgin islands' existing ECO-schools program, which provides the project framework. Virgin islands conservation society staff will help coordinate and participate in the project advisory committee, as well as implement the school-based aspects of the project, including adapting and creating the final curricula, conducting the teacher training, classroom education, guest speakers, evaluations, and reports. Virgin islands conservation society will also be involved in community outreach and review of materials and reports.outcomes:anticipated project deliverables include project advisory committee meeting agendas, minutes, and project evaluations, finalized curricula materials, a project webpage, memoranda of understanding with participating schools, roster of participating schools and teachers, photographs of project activities, two water and waste audit reports per school, one bulletin board per school to be updated in the second year, two whole school presentations per school, student pre- and post-tests, teacher evaluations, 18 communication products shared with the community, and first year, second year, and final reports. The project is expected to increase capacity to understand, provide, and access safe and clean drinking water. The project will also increase awareness, knowledge, and skills about the importance of clean and safe drinking water, water pollution, water conservation, freshwater, water quality testing, and single-use plastics impacts. Additionally, the project aims to reduce use of and exposure to plastic water bottles and water pollution, promote healthy behaviors, increase resilience to emergencies, and improve the health of humans, the environment, and the school setting. An aspirational outcome includes expanded adoption of project activities and/or a pledge of leadership support and permanent implementation of safe water curriculum and safe water public health messaging in schools. The intended beneficiaries of this project are approximately 2,282 students and 150 teachers/staff at seven united states virgin islands public elementary schools, the wider local community, including families and decision-makers at TH