The goal of H2O for life is to connect an individual school in the United States with a school in a developing country to build a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) project.We encourage teachers and students to design curriculum and service-learning projects in their schools. Through curriculum and experiential learning, the student build an allegiance to and an understanding of their partner schools while raising funds for needed WASH projects. Global projects are identified and facilitated through cooperating Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's). We are currently connected with Save the Children, CARE, and El Porvenir. Along with facilitating the projects in country, these NGO's have agreed to match funds raised by individual schools.
H2O for Life began as an individual school project at Highview Middle School in New Brighton, MN. The project was more successful than anyone imagined. The initial goal was to raise $10,000 for a water project in the Kwa Kasolo area in Kenya, Africa, to provide water to over 2000 residents. Realistically, we hoped to raise between $6,000 and $7,000. The 900 students embraced the project and raised $13,000; they could have even raised more! Since the eighth grade student committee leaders wanted to continue working with our partner community, we made a connection with one of the schools in the area, and they have adopted and are funding the Kathungu School project during their freshman year in high school. The commitment and enthusiasm of these students paved the way for the creation of H2O for Life's plan to organize school to school connections. We are a 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization.
Why We Need a New Website
We are working with schools across the country. Our biggest challenge is to communicate with all of our school in a timely and efficient method. Our goal is to remain an all-volunteer organization. In order to do this, we need to rely on the ingenuity, drive, resourcefulness of teachers to take on a project and run. A great web site will offer them the resource to gather information, get ideas, order marketing tools, find lesson plan ideas, and share success with their fellow educators.
In addition, students are the participants in these projects. A dynamic web site will increase their motivation to participate and most importantly teach them about the global water crisis.
Although our focus is on matching schools to schools in developing countries, we do not want to limit our donations to student driven fundraising. A web site that tells and sells our mission only encourages more donations and in turn, more water to schools in need.
Lastly, the Internet is available to many students in developing nations. Although the computers are not in their classrooms or even their villages, there are opportunities for some people to get to a computer when they travel to larger cities. A website would allow these student to connect with their U. S. partner schools.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's F1 Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
Our all-volunteer non-profit hit the ground running in September, 2007. We have 15 schools currently raising funds through school service learning projects to fund water projects for partner schools in developing countries. A year ago after raising funds in our own school, I would never have dreamed that we would now be instrumental in making a difference for 15 more schools! As a point person for project communications from other teachers, I would like to be able to easily update website information, and change things as needed. Unfortunately, this has proven so far to be difficult and has fallen into the lap of one overworked volunteer. We need help to streamline the website to make it more user friendly for people like me- technologically deficient- and ideas and creativity to design our website to capture the attention of teachers that visit our site-giving them information needed so that they WANT and MUST help H20 for Life bring water to more schools around the world. We need computer "geeks" that live and breathe technology to help us make our website a site to behold! I have March 1st booked on my calendar for an overnight work session. I'll bring home-made goodies!
Patricia Hall, Teacher and Founder of H20 for Life
I am of member of the H20 for life organization at Irondale High School. I joined h20 for Life because I am interested in social and environmental justice. H20 for life provideds an opportunity for kids to realize they have the power to change the lives of children on the other side of the world. Besides helping kids around the world to live a better life, H20 for life also sets a pattern for the U.S. kids to devote time, and make goals now and in the future to make the world a better place. Please help us to get the word out on our projects!
~ Sincerely, Madeline Hansen
H20 for life member and VISI user!
Madeline Hansen, H20 for life member and VISI user
I am of member of the H20 for life organization at Irondale High School. I joined h20 for Life because I am interested in social and environmental justice. H20 for life provideds an opportunity for kids to realize they have the power to change the lives of children on the other side of the world. Besides helping kids around the world to live a better life, H20 for life also sets a pattern for the U.S. kids to devote time, and make goals now and in the future to make the world a better place. Please help us to get the word out on our projects!
~ Sincerely, Madeline Hansen
H20 for life member and VISI user!
Madeline Hansen, H20 for life member and VISI user
I am the current website developer for our organization and we need help! Teaching full time and developing an attractive, user friendly site takes a lot of time! Much of our organization will depend on an online communication tool that will connect schools nationwide to one another, making collaboration and efficiency a reality. In the future, this website could be at the forefront of communication between the developed and developing countries as programs such as One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) get off the ground. What an opportunity for students and teachers!!!
Jon Sherwood, Board Member
I joined this non-profit organization because I thought it would be awsome if I helped people around the and acually try to make a differance. Since I joined I have made a HUGE differance in the world. I have helped out with things that nobody else could and help the progression of the mechanicals of this project. I have had a very fun time working with other people who do this stuff on a regular basis. I can't wait to hear about the people of Africa and how they feel and what they think about the new sources of water!!!
Joe Clarine, Mechanical Engineer
Once in a lifetime, if you're lucky, you have an opportunity to change the world in exponential proportions. Once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky, you meet women like Patty Hall and Val Blumberg Johnson. H2O for Life is not only giving the communities in Africa a ‘life changing’ opportunity’, but it is giving the students here in America a once in a lifetime experience of ‘being the change they wish to see in the world’ (Gandhi). The current website has done the job, but this non profit is growing faster than these founders can keep up. It would help immensely if they could in one swift swoop create a website that works as if it were a non paid employee. Both Patty Hall and Val Blumberg Johnson have put their heart and soul into this Foundation and because of that effort, it has been on local as well as national level extremely successful. Celebrate their efforts by awarding their website a redesign. Then, you too will be lucky enough to have experienced this once in a lifetime memory…and true to your mission… the change you wish to see in the world.
Rosemary Spielmann, Donor, Volunteer, Parent of H2O Student Volunteer Stephanie
H2O for Life
5527 Hugo Road
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Our Mission
The mission of H2O for Life is to provide funds to directly support projects in developing nations designed to make clean water available and sustainable to schools in these countries which are in need of water, sanitation, and hygiene education (the WASH initiative.)
Through service learning projects, U.S. schools will raise the funds necessary to complete water projects, thereby bringing water to their partner schools.
As important as water funding is to our mission, is for the youth in U.S. schools to become knowledgeable and invested in the global community and become activists for change. The sustainability of these and other service projects throughout the world depends on the next generation's involvement. We need to provide opportunities for students to make a difference!
H2O for Life
