FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE IN UGANDA AND TEXAS; HOW ON-GOING COMMUNITY COLLABORATION COMBINED WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH MAY ENHANCE STEWARDSHIP ACROSS CONTINENTS

Community engagement is a critically important factor in developing the capacity of communities to plan for long-term management of natural resources to meet basic needs such as safe drinking water, and to effectively respond to challenges which may arise, particularly in water-stressed communities. The depth of community engagement required for long-term sustainability may be facilitated by repeated collaboration between scientific researchers and members of the community.

Restoration Gateway (RG) is a community in rural northern Uganda that includes an orphanage, schools, church, hospital, and dental clinic. To build upon previous work by geoscientists largely focused on groundwater research, an interdisciplinary team of researchers and educators returned to RG in 2017 to engage the community in education and outreach activities around natural resource topics. The team included geoscientists, a science education researcher, and environmental science educators.

RG Students, teachers and staff at all levels participated in educational activities focused on soils, water, and birds. Upper level students and their teachers received test kits and training to facilitate participation in the World Water Monitoring Challenge, evaluating water quality of the Nile River which bounds the community. The perceptions of students and teachers regarding science, scientists, and science teaching and learning were evaluated, as well as contextual factors that teachers perceived as impacting their effectiveness as science teachers.

Community engagement that crossed geopolitical borders was facilitated a few months after the trip via a Facetime^TM meeting between RG students and middle school students in Texas who had also participated in the World Water Monitoring Challenge. This allowed students and teachers to compare the Nile River and the Brazos River (U.S.A.), facilitating not only an increased awareness of global water quality but a lively cross-cultural exchange as well. This on-going case study illustrates how time spent on the ground involving the local community in research and education efforts is key to fostering long-term partnerships, broadening views, and increasing capacity to plan for and manage local hydrologic systems