Third-grade students at Newton Parrish Elementary are turning a classroom lesson into real-world impact, raising money to build wells in Africa as part of their “Ripple Effect” unit on water.
Each year, Owensboro Public Schools’ third-graders study water-related issues — including pollution, access, and demand — and create a project aimed at making a difference. This year, Newton Parrish students chose to focus on access to clean water, launching a fundraiser that will directly support communities in need.
“We study water pollution, access to water, and the demand on water,” said third-grade teacher Nikki Sims. “As part of the end of the unit, they have to create a PSA about one of those issues.”
After reading stories about communities in Africa without reliable access to clean water, teachers and students decided to take their project a step further by partnering with Muslim Hands USA, an organization that builds wells in underserved areas.
The fundraiser encourages students to create video and poster public service announcements while also reaching out to the community for support.
The original goal was to raise $350. That would have been enough to fund a tube well that can provide clean water for four families. But students quickly surpassed expectations.
“Within the first 48 hours, we had already received well over the $350 worth of donations,” Sims said.
With early success, the project expanded. Students have already raised enough to fund two tube wells, serving eight families, and are now working toward a larger goal — a $950 community well that can provide water for up to 200 people. As of Tuesday, they have raised approximately $685 toward that target.
Beyond fundraising, Sims said the project is designed to help students develop communication skills while raising awareness.
“The initial goal of this entire project is to create the PSA so that the students can educate the public about issues surrounding water and access to water,” she said. “So really, them going out into the community and talking about access issues and ways that we can solve the problem — that’s them completing that requirement for our curriculum.”
Once the wells are completed, the school will receive confirmation of where they were built, along with photos and a plaque bearing the school’s name.
Sims said the response so far has been inspiring — not only for the impact it will have abroad, but for the lessons it’s teaching students at home.
“We’re doing something that gives back to another community while they’re being really successful in the reading curriculum, too,” she said.
The fundraiser runs through April 2, and the students are still actively trying to raise funds. Community members interested in helping can also make donations, which can be dropped off at the Newton Parrish Elementary front office at 510 West Byers.
