Submissions Due: February 1, 2026

Presentation with a Purpose: Solutions for the US Water Crisis

What would you do if one day you turned on the faucet and no clean water came out? Middle school students will dive into the growing issue of water security in the United States and create a powerful presentation that showcases their innovative solutions. 

This challenge empowers students to become young changemakers tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

What You’ll Do:

  • Working as an individual, in teams, or as a class, students will explore where our water comes from, how it’s used, and why some communities struggle to access safe, reliable water.

  • Research real US problems, such as drought, contamination, and aging infrastructure.

  • Develop creative, research based practical solutions to help ensure every drop counts. 

    The final product will be a PowerPoint presentation that showcases their research, explains their proposed solution, and advocates for why it matters.

    Be sure your presentation is visually appealing, full of facts, and your slides are clear and simple- use powerful images and key phrases to support what you say, not to say it for you.

 

Submission Details:

You may submit a presentation as an individual, as a team (max of 4 members), or as a class. 

3 submissions are allowed per school.

  1. Maximum of 10 slides (excluding title and works cited)

  2. Use bullet points, images, videos, and visuals to make it engaging

  3. Sources in APA format

  4. Submit as a Google Slides, PDF, or PowerPoint file (.ppt/.pptx)

Download the full outline of project requirements below

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated on:

  • Understanding of the issue

  • Creativity of solution

  • Use of research and evidence 

  • Presentation delivery

  • Slide design and visuals


 

Ready to get started?

Helpful Tools and Resources

 
 

Educational Standards:

Join us for a professional development session on November 15th!

Mini-Grant Opportunity

Need help bringing your idea to life? Apply for a $500 Mini-Grant to support event materials, outreach, or project costs.