Student Stories

Below is the growing list of amazing stories by our student network.

See bottom of this page for guidance and tips on how to create and submit your own story!

Japanese Association of Hydrological Sciences conference, session on Students for Sustainable Water, Yamanashi University, Japan: Introduction to Students for Sustainable Water (S2H2O): Inspiring students through the power of story, by Talia Gurdak from Santa Cruz High School, October 12, 2024: story here

Japanese Association of Hydrological Sciences conference, session on Students for Sustainable Water, Yamanashi University, Japan: Is fog drip a sustainable water supply for coastal California, by Talia Gurdak from Santa Cruz High School, October 12, 2024: story here

Japanese Association of Hydrological Sciences conference, session on Students for Sustainable Water, Yamanashi University, Japan: Introduction to Students for Sustainable Water (S2H2O): Inspiring students through the power of story, by Kaia Gurdak from Pacific Collegiate School, October 12, 2024: story here

Santa Cruz, California: Monitoring stream-water quality to better understand local watershed and marine ecosystem health, by Talia Gurdak from Santa Cruz High School: story here

Monterey, California: Increasing Students Engagement through the Intersection of Nuclear Disarmament and Climate Change, by Talia Gurdak from Santa Cruz High School, presented at the Critical Issues Forum 2024 Spring Student Conference at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey, California, April 4-7, 2024. Watch the presentation here.

Osaka, Japan: A survey using Social Networking Services on actual usage of well water and water supply stations at the time of disaster, by students from Osaka Prefecture University: story here

Hawai’i Island, Hawai’i: Groundwater Resources of Hawai’i Island, by Kapewa Hopfe (BS Environmental Science), San Francisco State University, School of the Environment, Spring, 2024. Listen to Kap talk about his personal experiences with groundwater resources on the Island of Hawai’i: Watch the presentation here.

Carr Fire and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California: Wildfire and Water Quality in California, by Robert Chyr and Christian Manisay (BS Environmental Science), San Francisco State University, School of the Environment, Spring, 2024. Listen to their unique news story from the WaterGang News Outlet: Watch the presentation here.

San Francisco, California: AGU Fall Meeting, Bright STaRS: Bright Students Training as Research Scientists posters, S2H2O: A peer-to-peer student research, education, and outreach platform on the global water climate crisis, by Talia Gurdak from Santa Cruz High School and Kaia Gurdak from Pacific Collegiate School, December 14, 2023: story here

Santa Cruz, California: Fog Drip, water supply, and climate change, by students from Santa Cruz High School and Pacific Collegiate School: story here

  • Marshall Islands: A way to save freshwater on low-lying islands from sea-level rise, by students from Santa Cruz High School and Pacific Collegiate School: story here

How to Create and Share your Own Story?

To learn how to create and share your story on our Students for Sustainable Water platform, please see our Story Guidance Document.

Get Inspired by these Example Stories:

Students for Sustainable Water has compiled a collection of StoryMaps from other organizations about climate change impacts on local communities and their water resources. Our three favorites in this list are (1) Climate Migrants, (2) Clear Waters, and (3) Coastal Flooding. Check these out and get inspired to tell your own story: Collection of Water Resources and Climate Change stories.

Tips for Educators:

There are many ways to assign and integrate S2H2O Stories into your existing curriculum. Here are a few ideas:

  • After a local or national event, ask your students to create a S2H2O Story as a homework, in-class, or extra credit assignment.
    • Events might be covered in the press, and include natural disasters (e.g., flood, drought, wildfire, etc), new local water resources management actions or projects (e.g., reservoir project, seawater intrusion prevention, drinking water treatment, water supply for agriculture, etc), or new scientific paper about water resources and climate change.
  • After a lecture, laboratory, or in-class exercise, ask your students to create a S2H2O Story to help reinforce concepts or research new concepts. The S2H2O Story could be assigned as an additional in-class exercise or homework assignment.
  • Ask your students to create a S2H2O Story as an end-of-section or end-of-term project.
  • Ask your students to engage with S2H2O Stories and convey to their peers what they find most interesting or inspiring.
  • S2H2O Stories can be completed as individual students or small-group assignments.
  • S2H2O Stories are great for students learning and practicing oral and written communication and research.