DOW’s Make a Splash Festival Welcomes Over 785 Students

DOW’s Make a Splash festival welcomes over 785 students

Over 785 students attended the Department of Water’s (DOW) 14th Annual Make a Splash with Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Festival, on Thursday, Sept. 27th at the Pua Loke Arboretum.

“We are proud to offer this water education experience to fifth graders,” said Kirk Saiki, DOW’s manager and chief engineer. “Together, with the support of our schools, community, volunteers, county and state departments, Board of Water and DOW staff, we provide the opportunity for students to learn the importance of our natural resources.”

The DOW invites fifth grade students from around the island to attend the Make a Splash festival each year. The event gathers parents, students, teachers, government resource agencies, community volunteers and businesses for a common cause: to educate students about water, our most precious resource.

Make a Splash features activities from Project WET, an award-winning curriculum of water education activities, in addition to water-related presentations from DOW’s community partners. This year, DOW featured 9 Project WET activities and 2 activities from the community.

Community partners, Aqua Engineers, Inc. offered a new water percolation activity that showed students how water is naturally filtered through the earth and the Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Aquatic Resources featured a student-requested activity featuring the life cycle of the o’opu.

“Students engage in important water topics such as conservation and natural resource management, then our presenters ‘kick-it-up a notch’ with dynamic activities and games to bring water education to life.” said Jonell Kaohelauli’i, DOW’s information specialist who also manages Kaua`i’s Project WET program. “The festival offers students the knowledge and experience that promotes critical thinking to make informed decisions about how they can contribute to wise water use and Hawaii’s sustainable future.”

The Make a Splash with Project WET festival, is organized by DOW and is currently the state’s largest and only, water education festival.

The DOW would like to thank the following supporters of the 14th Annual Make a Splash with Project WET festival: Department of Education; Department of Health – Safe Drinking Water Branch; Kaua`i Fire Department; Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.; East Kaua`i & West Kaua`i Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Grove Farm Company, Inc.; Aqua Engineers, Inc.; Hawaii Rural Water Association; Kapa’a High School JROTC; The Nature Conservancy, Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Aquatic Resources; The Specific Chiropractic Center; Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and Wildlife; UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) Kaua`i Agricultural Research Center; Kaua`i Police Department; Kaua`i Board of Water Supply members and DOW staff, retirees and family.

For more information about the Make a Splash with Project WET Festival or Project WET Hawaii, please call Jonell Kaohelauli’i at 245-5461.

Students monitor water levels as it rises to the top of the cup at the H20 Olympics games activity tent, sponsored by Hawaii Rural Water Association at the Make a Splash festival.

Kaua`i Board of Water Supply member, Michael Dahilig (far right) shows students the beads that will represent clouds in their journey through the water cycle; part of the Incredible Journey activity tent at Department of Water’s 14th Annual Make a Splash festival on Sept. 28, 2017.

Fifth graders from King Kaumuali’i elementary work together to transport their single water source through a water-related obstacle course at the Make a Splash festival.