Illinois World Water Day: Project Exploration 

The first component of Illinois World Water Day is an educational program for middle and high school students. Project Exploration is a nonprofit science education organization whose mission is to ensure that communities traditionally overlooked by science — particularly minority youth and girls — have access to personalized experiences with science and scientists. 

In honor of World Water Day, Project Exploration's Brothers4Science Program participants will work with an urban ecologist to identify native bees and European honey bees using real collected samples from Illinois. Through the activity, the boys will practice their observation skills and work in teams using a key to sort through the mounted samples. Participants will additionally discuss the important role that native bees play as pollinators for plants and vegetables.

Project Exploration provides an engaging, age-appropriate gateway into UN World Water Day for Illinois youth. The students will explore the link between regional species and crop production and discover the importance of conservation and food security. By introducing a sustainable discourse into public schools, the program hopes to produce a new generation of conscientious environmental advocates.

For more information contact Robbie Dembo in the Governor's Office at Robert.Dembo@Illinois.gov.