AWRC Hosts Teen Leadership Students of Washington County, Arkansas

High school juniors from the Teen Leadership Program visited us at the Arkansas Water Resources Center earlier this month. We shared with them what we do at the Water Center and showed them how we analyze water samples in our laboratory.

“It was encouraging to have an engaged and enthusiastic  group of young leaders take interest in what we do in our water lab,” said Brina Smith, who works in the lab and led the tour.

One purpose of the leadership program is to provide students from rural school districts the opportunities to learn about issues throughout Northwest Arkansas and how communities make decisions and plan for the future. With this in mind, we talked about the value of our work at the Water Center in providing high-quality data to water resource managers, so they have the information necessary to help guide decisions.

Another purpose of the teen leadership program is help high school students gain some insight into what careers are available to them after high school or college. During their tour, we discussed opportunities that the Water Center provides, particularly related to student support through job opportunities and research funding. We also talked about the diverse partners we work with and the many career opportunities in water and environmental resources.

These students will help shape the future of our communities. We appreciate the opportunity to showcase the Arkansas Water Resources Center, and let them know about all the things we do in water resources and the many opportunities that are available.

Image caption: Brina Smith, with the Arkansas Water Resources Center, leads a tour of the lab with the Teen Leadership group of Washington County, Arkansas.