$$News and Reports$$

May. 14, 2019
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Drop in the desert

An educational project at the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR)

To expose high school students from the Bedouin society to the academy

 

The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR) attributes great importance to the connection between the academy and the community, and therefore invests time and resources in various outreach programs in elementary and high schools in the region. We have recently launched the 'Drop in the Desert' project – whereby high school students from the Bedouin society have direct access/exposure to academia. The goal of the project is to introduce young participants to scientific work of ZIWR and its contribution to issues related to water and the environment in general, and water treatment technologies in particular. We view this pilot project, as an excellent platform to bring together the local academic and Bedouin communities.

Participants are 10th and 11th-grade students studying at the Neve-Midbar high school in Nitzana and the ORT high school in Bir Hadaj. Work was carried out in small groups under the guidance of graduate students from our Institute and included basic principles of laboratory work, as well as, practical experimental work. The results will be submitted as a research project by the (high school?) students.

On April 30th, a summarizing event was held, at the Sde Boker campus, in which the high school students presented their works on posters. Many parents and staff members attended, from both high schools and from the water institute. A glimpse of the hard work and positive atmosphere can be seen in the attached photos.​