Squads Abroad is a 501c3 non-profit organization under our parent company Global Brigades, a Platinum Level Guidestar member for Financial Transparency. Since 2004, our organization has collectively mobilized more than 70,000 international volunteers to help resolve global health and economic disparities around the world.
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Apply environmental and water science fundamentals to test the quality and efficacy of potable water sources in a rural community.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our bilingual on-the-ground engineers guide students through a variety of water testing exercises to determine the efficacy of their water treatment systems and provide data for decision-making for larger repairs. The curriculum immerses students in the program methodology of a live global water intervention: water council interviews, water treatment, water testing, and monitoring & evaluation practices. Students, alongside our field staff, review the current treatment systems and test water at the source(s), storage tanks, and various households to determine their efficacy and the environmental conditions that affect them. The final deliverable includes a presentation of their findings that includes recommendations on treatment options as well as structural repairs that may be needed for the community to invest in.  In addition to our skill-based learning objectives, building cultural competence is integrated into the course to increase the quality of services and improve outcomes with community partners.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students that successfully complete the program will be able to:

  • Identify the primary water issues that impact the lives of people in rural areas in developing countries 
  • Explain how a baseline survey is used to identify water issues in the community
  • Create a water design project that incorporates population, water demand, and water source capacity
  • Define the WHO drinking-water quality guidelines 
  • Identify the chemical agents found in water sources  
  • Analyze water test results and complie a water test report
  • Explain the health implications from water insecurity and unsanitary drinking water
  • Recommend water treatment methods for the community 
  • Advocate to improve water access and quality in developing countries

WATER SCIENCE (NICARAGUA) PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Choose between full 14-module or 6-module program with bold * titles.  

MODULE 1: Organization and Country Overview*

Our Facilitator provides an overview of Squads Abroad (SA), our parent organization, Global Brigades (GB), and its Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) program. Discussion about how international development organizations do monitoring & evaluation and how Global Brigades follows up on water systems that it has previously built. Self-paced activity: Group reviews best practices from organizations that do monitoring and evaluation on water systems.

MODULE 2: Community Context and the Importance of Water Quality*

Introduction to the community and water sources that we will be water testing, including profile, region, and map coordinates. The facilitator describes the importance of quality testing as it relates to disease prevention. Using the GB website, internet resources, and TeleSquad presentations to substantiate their responses. Self-paced activity: Students research preventable health issues caused by poor drinking water that persist in rural communities in the area.

MODULE 3: Meeting Water Council

Facilitator leads an online introduction with a Community Water Council from the community partner. Self-paced activity: Students reflect on the role of the Water Council to maintain the water system and researches the drinking water source in their hometown.

MODULE 4: Technician Site Visit: Assessing Current Water Sources*

Virtual field visit: recording of a technician in the community assessing the current water source(s) we will be testing incuding existing wells, tanks, cisterns and home connections.

MODULE 5: Water Contaminants and WHO Water Quality Guidelines*

Facilitator reviews the various contaminants that we will be testing for and introduces and the WHO Water Quality Guidelines that serves as comparative measure.  Self-paced activity: Students research contaminants and the WHO Guidelines.

MODULE 6: Technical Training: Water Testing Sources*

Facilitator demonstrates the actual water testing process at the water source(s).  Self-paced activity: Students research the treatment and distribution systems for their hometown and draw parallels.

MODULE 7: Water Source Capacity Measurements

Facilicator demonstrates how flow measurements (gallons/per min over 12 hrs) are conducted at the water source(s). Review and share results. Calculate rate of each source. Analyze local population and water source demands and feasibility.

MODULE 8: Water Quality Test Results and Reporting*

Our technician visits the community to collect a water sample from their drinking source to be analyzed for quality. A review of the water test kit process and results from tests will be analyzed with the group testing for Bacteria, Lead (Pb), Pesticides (Pe), Nitrates/Nitrites (N), Chlorine (Cl), Hardness (Hd). Self-paced activity: Students create an executive summary report on water quality testing results for Community 1.

MODULE 9: Water Quality Test Results and Reporting 2 

Group has a working session with the engineer to create a presentation of results for the community including possible causes of contamination and an action plan. Self-paced activity: Based on the engineer’s feedback, volunteers edit water system design and begin working on their presentation for the community.

MODULE 10: Working Session with Engineer 

Group has a working session with the Engineer to create a presentation of results for the community including possible causes of contamination and an action plan. Self-paced activity: Based on the engineer’s feedback, volunteers edit water system design and begin working on their presentation for the community.

MODULE 11: Water Quality Presentation Review

Teams submit video presentation of their report along with an action plan for final review of the Engineer. Self-paced activity: Based on the engineer’s feedback, volunteers edit and prepare the final presentation for the community with a script to be translated by SA facilitator.

MODULE 12: Water Quality Presentation Final Review 

Rehearse water system presentation is delivered to our Engineer to receive feedback from community leaders.   Self-paced activity: Group makes any changes to the design and action plan based on feedback.

MODULE 13: Water Quality Presentation to Community 

Water Quality presentation is delivered to Water Council members to receive feedback from community leaders. SA facilitator provides an overview of the project’s next steps.

MODULE 14: Post-Project Follow Up and Reflections

SA facilitator guides a reflection with the group and a Q & A about the usefulness of the project. The group is encouraged to advocate and help raise funds to implement the project. Self-paced activity: Receive a certificate of completion.

 

GET IN TOUCH

Click to schedule a call with our Program Director to learn more about our programs and how we can support your group in making an impact abroad!

Squads are passionate groups of volunteers who mobilize abroad to create positive change. Each Squad type has a skill-based focus area that support the education, health and economic development objectives of community partners. Faculty choose their dates, duration (typically 1-2 weeks), and their site location from one of our six program countries.
Squads Abroad is a 501c3 non-profit organization under our parent company Global Brigades, a Platinum Level Guidestar member for Financial Transparency. Since 2004, our organization has collectively mobilized more than 70,000 international volunteers to help resolve global health and economic disparities around the world.
Through virtual or in-country programs, Squads are passionate groups of volunteers who mobilize abroad to create positive change. Each Squad type has a skill-based focus area that support the education, health and economic development objectives of community partners.