The CBRM Water Utility and ACAP Cape Breton have partnered to promote the importance of our water in advance of World Water Day, March 22. Established by a UN General Assembly declaration in 1993, World Water Day promotes safe and clean water, water conservation efforts, and sustainable aquatic habitats. With a poster contest for local elementary students and a video contest for Grade 12 students, the hope is to engage students and inspire young minds to think differently about this precious resource.
Elementary teachers and their students in the CBRM are invited to participate in the annual “I [heart] CBRM Tap Water” poster contest. Get out your pens, pencils or crayons and create a poster that displays your knowledge of water treatment and conservation for a chance to win some fabulous prizes and be featured in the CBRM Water Utility Calendar.
Students in grades Primary, 1, 2, and 3, have the theme “What Would Tappy Do?”. Tappy is the big blue water drop mascot for the CBRM Water Utility who teaches children about the importance of water conservation. Students in this category are asked to create a poster that shows Tappy in the act of conserving water. For students in grades 4, 5 and 6, the theme is “Who Makes My Water Work?”. Students will design posters that show one of the many jobs involved in the water treatment process.
Joyce Babin, Supervisor with the CBRM Water Utility comments, “The poster contest is a wonderful opportunity for children to learn how their water gets from the watershed to their tap. It provides an opportunity for discussion around the importance of conserving water and how many people are involved in the treatment process”.
Babin adds, “When children understand their tap water simply doesn’t fall from the sky and head straight to their taps, it impacts their everyday life. They take this messaging very seriously, becoming advocates for water conservation. They also gain an appreciation for all the hard work that goes into ensuring their tap water is clean and safe.”
Prizes will be awarded to the top three posters in each category and each of these posters will be featured in the 2014/15 CBRM Water Utility Calendar. Teachers of winning students will also receive $50 gift certificate for classroom supplies.
“This year’s World Water Day theme is Water & Energy,” continues Babin. “The process of treating water and distributing it to homes, schools, and businesses consumes a lot of energy. Conserving water conserves energy, which is good for the environment and our communities.”
Grade twelve students in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality are asked to film a short video demonstrating the importance of water in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, for a chance at a $500 bursary. A complete and detailed list of submission requirements, is available at acapcb.ns.ca. Deadline is March 10.
For more information on either contest, please contact ACAP Cape Breton at (902) 567-1628. Email community@acapcb.ns.ca for information on the poster contest / education@acapcb.ns.ca for information on the Video Contest.
