DU Water Literacy Photovoice Project

Water literacy refers to the culmination of water-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. A strong community water literacy not only helps encourage sustainable water use, but also creates a platform through which community voices and concerns can be integrated into water management processes.

College students represent the next generation of decision-makers & water-bill payers. Additionally, more than half of the University of Denver’s student body comes from out-of-state and international students. This means that throughout the student body, there are many varied experiences with water resources, emerging from many different climates and water management systems. Perceptions and behaviors regarding water from home may be vastly different than what is expected or needed within Denver’s hydrosocial climate. Thus, understanding the water literacy of college students and what is important to them is critical to both encouraging responsible water stewardship as well as making sure their needs and voices are represented.

The Water Literacy Photovoice Project showcases the photographs of 8 University of Denver (DU) students who spent several weeks in Spring 2021 considering their water-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The students signed up to participate in this project because they have an interest in water and a passion for sustainability. Their photos highlight how they interact with and learn about water, how water resources in the Denver area differ from those in their home-state or -country, and what concerns or worries them about local water resources.

The eight participants in this project included:

• 6 women and 2 men
• 7 undergraduate students and 1 graduate student
• 3 international students, 4 out-of-state students, and 1 in-state student

The map below shows participant hometowns and the Köppen climate classification their hometowns. Collectively, participants' water experiences are from diverse landscapes, including:

• Arid, cold steppes (BSk)
• Arid, hot deserts (BWh)
• Cold climates with no dry seasons and either cold summers (Dfc) or hot summers (Dfa)
• Temperate climates with hot summers and either dry winters (Cwa) or no dry seasons (Cfa)

Participants engaged in four 2-hour long workshops over Zoom that covered a variety of topics and conversations, including (but not limited to):

• Introduction to photovoice
• Introduction to water literacy
• Photography basics
•  Community Inventory Activity  of water resources

During the first workshop, several participants expressed that they didn't feel like they knew enough to even know where to start, or what to take photos of. There was a shared feeling of being uninformed and disconnected from local water management. Because of this, we spent some time during the second workshop to explore several water-related topics and stories from recent media. These included local stories, regional stories, and even international stories (pictured below) that generated an engaging conversation about what kind of knowledge and perceptions are important for water literacy.

The workshops also featured discussions facilitated by additional CCESL Fellows working in different specialties. This included:

• Beginning in Workshop 1 and ending in Workshop 4 with a reflection about mindfulness, positionality, and how we relate to both each other and the spaces we occupy - led by Shubham Sapkota
• Considering the intersection between the determinants of public health and our water systems in Workshop 2 - led by Kelly Bonk
• Learning about the art and process of civic engagement in Workshop 3, and using personal experiences to contribute to community transformations - led by Tifini Kamara

Participants photographs reflected three main themes:

1. Interest in water resources as an essential resource, a necessary component of nature, and a source of beauty and peace.
2. Concern about the sustainability of water resources and our current abstractive ways.
3. Comparisons between water resources in Colorado and water resources back in participants' home towns.

The map below places the participant's photographs in conjunction with other relevant water items. They range from simple items like locations of water bodies and rivers, to more complex items like snow water equivalency on April 1, 201 or river basin grades of overall health and well-being, as decided by the Conservation Colorado River Report Card system. Please feel free to explore this map and its many layers on your own, or keep scrolling for specific highlights in regards to each of the three themes.

During our Photovoice Project, participants played a game to test their own water knowledge. They overwhelming agreed that they did not receive much in the way of water information or education outside of water-specific classes. But these trivia questions peaked their interest, so now it's your turn! Flip through the following slideshow to test your own water-related knowledge.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to share their voices and get involved with local water management. This photovoice project provides a great introduction to student water literacy at DU - but it's a complex community issue that influences (and is influenced by) the actions of numerous decision makers! Our project was limited in scope by the small number of participants, and limited in reach because of COVID-19 restrictions and complications with inviting guests to partake in campus events.

Are you a fellow DU Student who wants to share your own water-related knowledge, perspectives, and/or behaviors? Would you like to submit a water-related photograph of your own? Follow the link below to share your reactions & creative work!

Are you a local water manager or decision-maker who can use information presented here to increase communications and engagement with college students? Follow the link below to share your reactions and reflections to this StoryMap!

Interested in learning more about Colorado's water resources and water management? Check out these resources below to explore more information from local municipalities, non-profit organizations, and governmental departments!

• Denver Water (DW) - Colorado's oldest and largest water utility, and the primary supplier for water to the University of Denver. Their website hosts a plethora of information, including:
  •  educational resources 
  •  water supply system  information
  •  water quality  information
• Aurora Water (AW) - Colorado's third largest water utility. They also provide a great deal of information, including:
  •  water facts and reports 
  •  water quality  information
  •  water conservation 
• Water Education Colorado (WECO) - Colorado's leading non-profit organization for water-related information, education, and engagement. Of particular interest are their:
  •  Citizen's Guides 
  •  Fact Sheets 
  •  Blog 
  •  Programs & Events 
• City and County of Denver (CCD) - Denver's local government, which interacts with water through a variety of departments. Check out the following resources:
  •  Water quality  of local streams and lakes
  •  Stormwater  collection and management
  • The  Denver One Water Plan