GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Water rockets, squirt guns and a moving stream table helped turn science into something students could see and experience at the Nebraska Children’s Groundwater Festival.
Hosted by the Central Platte Natural Resources District at Central Community College and College Park, the annual event brought about 800 fifth graders from two dozen schools together for a day focused on groundwater, conservation, agriculture, wildlife, weather and water quality. Students rotated through six hands-on sessions led by educators, natural resource professionals and volunteers.
One stop featured a water trailer from Nebraska Extension, where students shaped river channels, traced headwaters and watched how water moves across a landscape.
Sarah Fanning of Nebraska Extension said the trailer gives students a direct connection to the science behind water movement. “It’s a really cool, hands-on learning opportunity for them,” she said. T
he activity helped students understand how surface water and groundwater connect, and how pollution or runoff can affect the water people depend on at home, on farms and in communities.
Festival organizers and volunteers say the goal is to help students understand that groundwater is more than an abstract concept.
Deb VanMatre, a volunteer and Central Platte NRD board member, said events like the festival help make those lessons stick early. “The groundwater festivals are an excellent opportunity for the school kids to learn all kinds of water things,” she said.
In Nebraska, groundwater supports drinking water supplies, livestock, irrigation and a large share of the state’s agricultural economy.
The festival has a long history in Nebraska. Organizers say it began in 1985 and was the first event of its kind in the nation. Over the years, more than 33,000 students have attended, and the model has been replicated in dozens of states and several countries.
In a state where irrigation remains central to agriculture and drought is never far from mind, the message is straightforward: the next generation will play a major role in protecting Nebraska’s water resources. Events like this aim to make sure those future decisions are shaped by understanding as much as by experience.