Students, Educators and Practitioners Unite for World Water Day 2025
From 19 March to 9 May 2025, AIT GWSC and Save the Children partnered to mark World Water Day 2025 with a flexible, three‑week celebration designed to engage more than 150 students, teachers, school principals and Save the Children practitioners across nine schools in Thailand, Nepal, the Philippines and Afghanistan. Under the theme “Save Our Glaciers,” Over the three‑week celebration, participants tapped into creativity, deepened their knowledge, honed critical thinking and communication skills, demonstrated empathy and care, and reflected on their own habits as they researched glacier science, designed “glacier superhero” guardians of the ice, and tracked daily water use at home and at school. Even students in countries without glaciers came away with a clear understanding of how melting ice in far‑flung regions drives shifts in weather patterns and water security around the globe.
Activities:
Activity 1: Weekly Water Tracker
Activity 2: Adopt a Glacier Research
Activity 3: Water Cycle Collage
Activity 4: Glacier Art
Activity 5: Glacier Superhero
Children from Kabul Province Community Based Education (CBE) shared stark testimonies of the unavailability of safe, clean water in their villages and the health risks of untreated sources. Their stories underscored the real‑world urgency behind the activities and deepened the global community’s resolve.
Teachers facilitated creative workshops in which students used art, drama and digital storytelling to bring glacier guardians to life, while principals orchestrated the integration of these out‑of‑curriculum experiences into broader discussions of climate change, water‑cycle science and social justice. Save the Children practitioners provided technical support for the year‑round Digital Exchange Program, ensuring smooth connectivity—despite frequent bandwidth challenges—and guiding participants in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategies to reinforce healthy water, sanitation and hygiene habits over time.
The Digital Exchange continues beyond World Water Day, connecting young WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) stewards to share innovations, troubleshoot local challenges and build lasting cross‑cultural partnerships. Participating schools included:
- AIT International School (Thailand)
- Annal Jyoti School (Nepal)
- Euro School (Nepal)
- SPARKS Intervention and Tutorials Inc. (Philippines)
- Shree Jansamudaik Secondary School, Sahjauli (Nepal)
- Shree Janta Secondary School, Umjan (Nepal)
- Shree Nepal Rastriya Secondary School, Karaiyamai Itahari (Nepal)
- Swostishree Gurukul IB World School (Nepal)
- Kabul Province CBE (Afghanistan)
This collaborative effort not only fostered creativity, inquiry and reflection, but also modelled a sustainable, inclusive approach to water education, equipping the next generation to safeguard glaciers and champion clean‑water justice in their communities and beyond.