Reflections on Water Rocks! over the years

Noah Stevens is entering his senior year at Ames High School, where he is actively involved in track, cross country, and the performing arts. He has helped out with numerous Water Rocks! video productions over the years, and participated in our high school internship program in summer 2016.

I’ve been involved with the Water Rocks! program since its origin back in 2012, and I must say, it has been fun to watch it progress in its success. From watching myself in the first Water Rocks! music video on the Water Rocks! website to being present at the Capitol building when the program was awarded with the Iowa Environmental Excellence Award for the State of Iowa, I have felt very privileged to be a part of this organization. To be honest, though, I had no idea that Water Rocks! has had such a big impact in the world of education until my internship this year. When I think about it, I realize that all the recognition and awards the program has received are definitely well deserved.

I remember the day in my freshmen year of high school when Mrs. T [DeAnna Tibben, Earth and Space Science teacher at Ames High] told my science class that we were going to spend the entire class period exploring the Water Rocks! website. I was completely surprised! To me, the website was just a bunch of pictures and videos of me with my friends and family doing things to help the environment, but not to the rest of the class. To them, the website was a river of new information about water quality, conservation, and fun. Yeah sure, I recall my peers joking around with me because they saw me in the videos and pictures, but I also recall them talking to each other and asking questions about water. That was a really cool thing to see the program that I was involved with be taught in my classroom and be widely accepted by high school students and teachers alike.

Apart from my internship, my experience with Water Rocks! has been primarily through the music videos and songs produced by the program. With that said, my internship with Water Rocks! has shed a new light on how much educational material the organization actually has! Alongside dozens of informational videos and songs, Water Rocks! has loads of classroom modules, presentations, and games that inform about all things water. What is taught does a great job at not confusing the learner while at the same time informing effectively. The best part is that these materials do not just teach the information presented, they engage the learner and encourage them to participate in the learning; and it is fun!

Besides all of the material Water Rocks! is able to teach people, something I really noticed about the program is how much, and far, the Water Rocks! team travels across the state to present the information. From county fairs to farmer’s markets, the team sent people all across the state throughout the whole summer presenting the Water Rocks! material. I was genuinely surprised at how many people were interested in what we had to say.

All in all, Water Rocks! is a great program full of information, engagement, and fun! It has been an interesting ride to see the full story behind what all goes on in this great organization in addition to the music.