S.T.A.T.E. U. brings students, water leaders together to solve local environmental challenges

Middle and high school students in Columbus, Georgia, have an opportunity each spring to wow local water leaders by presenting solutions to area challenges related to watershed protection, water quality, conservation and more. 

Students Taking Action Towards the Environment University, or S.T.A.T.E. U., began almost a decade ago as a way to engage future water leaders with local environmental issues, said Becky Butts, vice president of communications and customer service at Columbus Water Works (CWW). 

“It empowers students to gain exposure as future leaders in the water industry,” said Butts. “And they learn the value of being environmental stewards.”

CWW partnered with Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, Chattahoochee River Warden and Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission to develop S.T.A.T.E. U. as a friendly competition for local sixth through 12th graders. (Pictured above, the 2018 first-place team earned $750 for their school’s science program.)

Participating students create a science fair project related to that year’s theme, based on the five Ws: watershed, wetlands, water quality, wildlife and water conservation.

Then, usually on a Saturday in late May, students meet at Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center to present their projects to a panel of local professors and scientists. The top three students, as well as an honorable mention, earn hundreds of dollars for their school’s science classes. 

“It integrates biological sciences, math, communication, and problem-solving skills,” Butts said. “And it enhances critical thinking skills.”

In the past, students have made displays to show how urban development and industrial pollution can impact the watershed, and others have created a public awareness campaign about wise water use. 

“Most of the time, the middle schools beat the high schools,” Butts laughed. “But we all really enjoy seeing the work they put in for the project that they bring to the table. You can tell they all enjoy science.”

Columbus is about 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, nudging the Alabama state line. CWW serves 250,000 residents in the Columbus region with water from the Chattahoochee River, a 434-mile river that has been a crucial trade and travel route for centuries. 

Despite residents traversing, recreating and passing the river every day, “many people still don’t understand where their water comes from,” Butts said.

Educating those youngest water users, whether through science fair competitions like S.T.A.T.E. U., or with tours, classroom presentations and educational materials, is crucial to building public support for water quality, watershed protection and wise water use, she added. 

S.T.A.T.E. U. took a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers are revamping it for the 2023-24 school year. 

“We’re gaining future leaders in the fields of environmental quality and watershed protection, and that’s so important,” Butts said.