WATER Grant Awarded to Otsego Schools

Bowling Green, Ohio

The Northwestern Water and Sewer District (The District) today announced two teachers from Otsego schools were awarded grant funding for educational programs focusing on water.  Water And Environment Teacher Education Resources (WATER) grants assist local schools by providing direct funding to support educators in teaching about the importance of water resources.  In 2022, The District will be providing over $5,100 to local schools to fund water-focused educational programs.

Last week, The District presented Molly Duhamel, from Otsego Junior High School with a $389 grant to purchase a data collection platform for a pH sensor. The District WATER grant will assist in purchasing this important piece of equipment used by the students to test water quality at Mary Jane Thurston Park in the fall.  Students conduct this research as a part of TMACOG’s Student Watershed Watch program.

The District also presented Marti Clayton, from Otsego Elementary School with a $500 W.A.T.E.R. grant to fund equipment for a problem-based learning project exploring the questions of where fourth-grade students water originates from and how farming practices affect their water.

Over the next several weeks, The District will formally present the grants to the educators from Bowling Green, Bowling Green Christian, Eastwood, Elmwood, Otsego, and Perrysburg schools.   According to District President Jerry Greiner, “This is the largest year for our WATER grant program.  We share in our educators’ enthusiasm for teaching students about taking care of our number one resource, water.”

The District introduced the WATER grant program in December 2014.  The idea began with a desire to give back to the schools and communities The District serves, to create educational awareness regarding the importance of water and the environment, and to support The District’s mission of commitment to responsible environmental stewardship.