By Joshua Cole
Students from Indian Ridge Elementary School promote car-washing techniques that save water and don't pollute. Photo courtesy Donna Shepherd/Indian Ridge Elementary School
Don’t believe everything you see on television. Last year’s fourth graders at Indian Ridge Elementary School learned this lesson and convinced a car company to change its advertisement.
As part of their curriculum about water supply, the students learned that washing a car in the driveway is illegal – and they told Subaru to change or remove its television ad showing that practice with its Outback. They also raised $21,500 to help put water wells in three cities in Nigeria, with the wells serving 1,000 people.
All of this helped them be featured in a statewide showcase – in which they not only were judged compared with older student groups, but also earned the highest marks. From the state showcase, they represented the state at the national showcase, in Kentucky this June. This year was the first time that the Cherry Creek school, near Smoky Hill and Buckley roads, competed in the Project Citizen, at the State Capitol.
“Winning and representing the state of Colorado at the national showcase is a pretty big deal,” said teacher Donna Shepherd.
Last August, students focused on the local and world water supply, with the goal of coming up with a policy or project to help the local watershed. After talking with various experts, the students learned that only pure water can go in the storm drains – but toxic water flows into the storm drains when drivers wash their cars in the driveway. The Clean Water Act of 1973 forbids washing cars in a driveway without a permit. Further, not only is there more pollution from at-home washes, but also there is more wasted water: commercial washes use, on average, nearly 90 percent less water than at-home washes – 15 gallons to 110 gallons, according to the students.
Students conducted surveys of car dealers, designed a brochure, wrote a resolution for the state legislature, created a public service announcement to go on the local public access channel, and bought a kit for charity car washes to borrow. They came up with the slogan “Don’t wash our future down the drain!”
“Charity car washes are some of the worst perpetrators because they do so many cars at one time,” Shepherd said. “They’ve learned all of this stuff. They educated the judges (at the showcase), who were blown away.”
In addition to content learning, this project inspired students to perform well in the classroom on multiple, integrated functions, including research, leadership, writing, public speaking and collaboration. Further, the children perform and are more aware of practical community service.
“I did anticipate that they would do well. The kids always rise to the occasion,” Shepherd said.
–
josh@villagerpublishing.com, 303-773-8313 ext. 301
“Don’t Wash Our Future Down the Drain!”
Students at Indian Ridge Elementary School encourage clean water by washing cars in environmentally friendly ways.
Charity car washes may borrow – for free – a StreamGuard SudSafe Car Wash Kit from Indian Ridge.
Contact Donna Shepherd
720-886-8400
dshepherd3@cherrycreekschools.org
