Rethinking Water Conservation by Marjan Amrollahipourshirazi

This Ripple Effects Place Project invites Grades 4–6 students across Winnipeg to explore the

deeper stories and responsibilities behind their everyday water use. While Winnipeg residents enjoy clean tap water piped from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, many are unaware that this water comes through a colonial aqueduct system that has long denied Shoal Lake residents’ equal access to safe water. This project helps students see that water is not just a utility, but a relationship, one shaped by history, justice, and environmental care.

The project asks: How can we help young learners understand the hidden histories, current

inequities, and ecological impacts of water use in Winnipeg?

Through a series of creative and community-based activities, students investigate their own water habits and reimagine more responsible futures. Students participate in nature walks, inspired by Gillian Judson’s A Walking Curriculum, to observe how water appears, disappears, or is wasted in their neighbourhoods and schoolyards. They document their findings with photos and track water use at home and school.

Writing becomes a tool for reflection and advocacy as students respond to prompts like “If your tap could talk, what would it say?” or “Write a letter from Shoal Lake to your family.” They share stories, letters, and creative pieces that link personal experience with collective responsibility.

Classrooms invite guest speakers, including Indigenous Elders, Shoal Lake water protectors, and members of local organizations such as the Green Action Centre and Manitoba Eco-Network. Students engage in workshops informed by The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop (Chavez, 2021), building supportive writing communities and developing critical literacy.

Families participate through interviews and conversations at home, connecting school learning to everyday life. The project culminates in student-designed poster campaigns, gallery exhibitions, digital newsletters, and a school-wide “Water Awareness Week” to celebrate and share learning. Rooted in the wisdom of Simpson’s Theory of Water (2025) and Donald’s (2024) ideas of kinship and walking as knowing, this project reframes water as sacred and relational. Its goals are to foster empathy, agency, and awareness; inspire conservation habits; and create space for youth voices to be seen and heard. Ultimately, this project challenges students to move from passive water users to active water stewards in their schools and communities.