Urban Prairie Waldorf School: Early Childhood Water Pump
Students: 8
Staff: 8
Mentor: Katy Glynn
Project type: Stormwater Management
Location: Chicago, IL
Grade levels: Early Childhood
The Urban Prairie Waldorf School early childhood and woodworking teachers collaborated to create a water pump using a wine barrel and a hand pump, used to store water for outdoor gardening. Since the preschoolers spend much of their school day in the garden, this gives them hands-on experience with water usage and recycling. The teachers have completed the basic build for the pump and will have the students stain it for weather protection, then begin using it as the weather gets warmer. Teachers hope to install a larger system to capture rainwater from the building rooftop to provide year-round water for the school gardens.
Urban Prairie preschooler students test out the new water pump, which they will use to garden.
“Although this project is small, it allows the youngest children in our school to learn the basics of water conservation and to participate in the broader culture of conservation in our community.”
Jennifer Kang, Director of Curriculum and Instruction