Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDED GRANT IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING UNDER SECTION 104(B)(3) OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT AND SECTION 1442(C)(3) OF THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT (SDWA) TO COTTONWOOD GULCH EXPEDITIONS TO EDUCATE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES IN ALBUQUERQUE AND GALLUP, NEW MEXICO, ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN WATER QUALITY AND IMPACTS TO ECOLOGICAL AND HUMAN HEALTH. THE PRIMARY PROJECT OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A DRINKING-WATER QUALITY, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND WATERSHED AWARENESS CURRICULUM FOR 400 EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS. CLEAN WATER IS NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER WASHING OF HANDS. HANDWASHING IS A WELL-ACCEPTED APPROACH TO COMBATING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. SDWA 1442 GRANT PROJECTS CONTRIBUTE TO PROVIDING CLEAN WATER FOR HANDWASHING IN COMBATTING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.ACTIVITIES:PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: 1) DEVELOPING A NEW CLASSROOM CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON WATERSHEDS, WATER QUALITY, AND DRINKING WATER; 2) CONDUCTING CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION ON WATERSHED MODELING, IDENTIFYING LOCAL SUPERFUND SITES, AND LEARNING ABOUT WATER CONTAMINATION; 3) DEVELOPING A FIELD CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON SURFACE WATER AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING; 4) FACILITATING SURFACE WATER TESTING IN THE FIELD DURING FIELD-BASED EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE WILDERNESS AREA OF NEW MEXICO PUBLIC LANDS; 5) CONDUCTING APPLIED, PRACTICAL TRAINING WITH STUDENTS SO THEY ARE ABLE TO TEST WATER QUALITY BOTH IN THEIR HOMES, IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND IN THE ENVIRONMENT; 6) GENERATING A DATASET TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ON TRENDS AND PATTERNS IN DRINKING AND SURFACE WATER QUALITY; AND 7) CONDUCTING PRE- AND POST-PROGRAM SURVEYS TO ASSESS STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TOPICS.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:PROJECT DELIVERABLES INCLUDE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON WATERSHEDS, WATER QUALITY, AND DRINKING WATER AND FIELD CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON SURFACE WATER AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AS CAREERS THAT ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) ISSUES, COMMUNITIES THAT RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER QUALITY, AND STUDENT BODIES THAT RECOGNIZE THE LINK BETWEEN WATER QUALITY AND EJ. DIRECT BENEFICIARIES ARE EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN ALBUQUERQUE AND GALLUP, NEW MEXICO.