Local high school students marked World Water Day with hands-on activities, Elder-led learning, and career development opportunities at Confederation College on Wednesday.

Around 200 students visited the World Water Day exhibition, part of the college’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Week. The City of Thunder Bay and Confederation College partnered to organize the exhibition.

For students, the event was a chance to learn about the importance of protecting water and explore related education and employment pathways. An interactive activity connected students with community members and organizations involved in water stewardship, research, and infrastructure.

Students saw first-hand how researchers monitor the health of local waterways, how planting low-impact developments helps manage stormwater, and more. Participating teachers, meanwhile, left with toolkits to bring back to their classrooms to continue learning about how water affects our lives.

The event included Indigenous water teachings provided by Elder Sheila DeCorte and the Sisters of Turtle Island, with a focus on the Indigenous Waterviews Anthology created with local input.

“It was inspiring to see young people in Thunder Bay engaging with the importance of water through climate action and Indigenous perspectives,” said Danielle Slongo, the City’s Climate Action Specialist. “By connecting students with Indigenous teachings, science, and local expertise, we support the next generation of leaders who will protect our water systems.”

World Water Day has been observed since 1993, celebrating water and raising awareness of the estimated 2.1 billion people living without access to safe water worldwide. The occasion supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, achieving water and sanitation for all by 2030.

“Confederation College was proud to host the World Water Day exhibition, offering high school students the opportunity to explore the vital role water plays in our communities and to discover the diverse career pathways connected to this essential resource,” said Robyn Gillespie, Manager of Applied Research and Sustainability. “Our collaboration with the City of Thunder Bay underscores the importance of partnerships in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and reflects Confederation College’s ongoing commitment to supporting and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.”

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Contact:       Danielle Slongo, Climate Action Specialist, 807-632-5528