Together, we've pledged to save

1,835,208,378

gallons of water!

Win Prizes for your Class and School

Click Here for complete rules

Water is everywhere. But only three percent of water on earth is fresh water. And only a fraction of that is available for people to use. The National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation invites teachers and students to learn more about this valuable limited resource and take a series of classroom pledges on behalf of your community to use water wisely.

Take the Pledge

Choose the appropriate option for your educational setting.

Teachers! Pledge on
behalf of your class.

Take the Pledge!

How it works. It's as easy as:

1. Take the pledge as a class activity*
2. Use our pledge benefit resource with tips from EPA, US Forest Service, and other experts to start a discussion about why each pledge matters
3. Share your results with your students
4. Encourage your students to take the pledge with their parents

Students! Take the fun
and educational pledge

Take the Pledge!

* Data is not saved for individual
students who take the pledge.

About My Water Pledge
Classroom Edition

My Water Pledge is a friendly competition between cities across the US to see who can be the most "water-wise" Mayors nationwide will challenge their residents to conserve water, energy and other natural resources on behalf of their city through a series of informative, easy-to-use pledges at mywaterpledge.com.

We've created this companion site for teachers to engage their classes about the many ways water conservation benefits our community. Not only will students learn about the importance of our natural resources and engage in a fun classroom activity, their pledge will go towards their city's standings which will help their city claim the title as the #1 '"water-wise" city in the US.

Win Prizes for Your Class and School

Teachers who complete the pledge with their students at mywaterpledge.com/students will be divided up into five regions: Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast and Southern and are entered to win a $250 gift card for classroom supplies - and another $250 gift card for their school. There will be one teacher/classroom selected per region for a total of 5 winners.

Click Here for complete rules

A message from Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in support of the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation.

Make the Water Pledge a
Group Activity

Take the Pledge!

"As a huge follower of the Wyland Foundation, I challenged my students to take the water pledge with their families for extra credit in my social studies classes. I put the water pledge website on my teacher homework calendar and the results have been amazing!! Poway, Calif., moved into first place for their population group and the kids were thrilled!! Thank you for the wonderful work you continue to do and also enlisting our future ambassadors of our planet, KIDS!!"

— Cyndi Mills, elementary school teacher,
Poway Unified School District

Activity Corner

Each year, the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation introduces new classroom activities about the many ways water shapes our lives. From the water-energy nexus to the story of our nation’s watersheds, we encourage you to share these educational journeys with your students.

Eutrophication

What is Eutrophication?

Students will learn what an estuary is, and the upstream process of nutrient loading known as eutrophication. Students will conduct an experiment of their own on nutrient loading and undertake a water runoff audit on campus.

Time needed for activity: approximately 1 hour class prep, with a 30 experiment/data collection (depending on campus and sample size).

Download Lesson Plan

Watershed

Waterway Report Card

Show your students what makes a watershed healthy or unhealthy. Your class will learn what contributes to the health of species living in or around watersheds and what they can do to promote watershed health.

Time needed for activity:
Approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes (1 Hour class prep, background research and video viewing; 1-1/2 hour lab activity)

Download Lesson Plan

What Happened Here?

The Story Behind California’s Salton Sea. Between 1905 and 1907 the Salton Sea was accidentally created when the Colorado River broke through diversion canals of a local irrigation systems, flooding, and eventually becoming a 525 square mile lake in the California desert. This activity shows how efforts to manage a watershed can often have many different perspectives.

Time needed for activity:
Approximately 60-90 minutes

Download Lesson Plan

M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I

Testing the Waters
See how data collection helps people stay informed about the health of the Mississippi River Basin.

Time needed for activity:
Approximately 90 minutes

Download Lesson Plan

Irrigation

Photosynthesize Me - Water, Please

Students will understand the difference between photosynthesis and respiration. Students will learn that when these two processes entail and how plant and animal kingdoms are connected. Students will learn the crucial importance of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water in both processes.

Time needed for activity: Approximately 30-45 minute class prep and Introduction; 45 minute lab.

"Sponge City" Engineering Design

Students will understand the importance water conservation and of the saying, “Every Drop Counts”, as they build a model city to capture water, not shed water, and will learn the difference between an aqua duct and an aquifer. Students will learn that when a city is built to harness water, store and reuse it, the architecture and design of that city will need to change. Students will learn the importance of designing a waterproof city vs. a “sponge city."

Time needed for activity: Approximately 30-45 minute class prep and Introduction; 45 minute lab.

Download Lesson Plan

Irrigation Nation

Students will understand the process of irrigation and the difference between distilled water, tap water and salty water. Students will learn the importance using water that does not contain a lot of dissolved minerals, and how using irrigated water can lead to waters high in dissolved minerals.

Time needed for activity: Approximately 30-45 minute class prep and Introduction; 45 minute lab.

Download Lesson Plan

Water Energy

Planet H20 - Go With the Flow

Water is everywhere, but will there be enough for us in the future? Take a journey with Maria in this activity as she and the students explore how water is shared around the community - and around the world. Adaptable to all grade levels.

Time needed for activity: Approximately 45-65 minutes

Download Lesson Plan

Where Does Our Water Come From?

We all live in a watershed. But we often don't understand how we impact our local water systems. This activity shows students where there watershed is and where their local water comes from. Adaptable to all grade levels.

Time needed for activity: Approximately 140 minutes.

Download Lesson Plan

Water, Energy, Efficiency

Moving, heating, and cleaning water takes lots of energy. Just ask Maria. This math-based activity shows exactly how conservation of resources adds up. Adaptable to all grade levels.

Time needed for activity: Approximately 60-120 minutes.

Download Lesson Plan

Special thanks to all of the great
folks who are making a difference
for water conservation.

National Presenting Partner

In Association With:

Local Media Partner:

Together, we've pledged to save

gallons of water!

Win Prizes for your Class and School

Take the Pledge

Teachers! Pledge on
behalf of your class.

Students! Take the fun
and educational pledge

About My Water Pledge
Classroom Edition

Win Prizes for Your Class and School

Make the Water Pledge a
Group Activity

Activity Corner