PlayPumps International Launches 'KnowH2O' Website

WASHINGTON -- Today, PlayPumps International launched KnowH2O, a website designed for schools and
community organizations to build student awareness of global water issues and how they can work to help address the world's water crisis. The organization developed KnowH2O.org in response to the interests expressed by the increasing number of schools working with PlayPumps International to bring access to clean water to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

The site offers a variety of ways for students and teachers to learn about and understand how people throughout the world are impacted by a lack of clean drinking water. The website contains teacher-tested tools and interactive resources such as online videos, water resource maps, web banners, and games that help students truly understand the impact of the water crisis.

PlayPumps International partnered with the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) and a committee of dedicated teachers to develop the lesson plans featured on the website. The lessons plans are offered for grades K-12 and use various subject areas to educate students on water issues.

"The KnowH2O campaign is an exciting way to help students to 'think locally; act globally,'" said Maddy Wegner, Communications Director for NYLC. "In the lesson plans, teachers can address core learning objectives in literacy, civics, and science through service-learning, while young people apply their academic skills to the real needs of people who lack access to water in sub-Saharan Africa."

The website also features an interactive "Water IQ" quiz and will feature forum tools for educators to share their experiences and lessons learned from teaching water issues. Links to social networking websites such as Facebook and ThinkMTV are also included on the site to enable students to become more active in addressing water issues. In addition to
schools, the site should also be of interest to service-learning providers and leaders of faith-based and civics groups working within a community.

"Many people still do not realize the issues and challenges that face more than 1.1 billion people who lack basic access to water," said Dale Jones, CEO of PlayPumps International-U.S. "It is our hope that through KnowH2O, we can create awareness of these challenges and harness the power and importance of youth involvement to improve the lives of people around the world by providing access to clean drinking water."

About PlayPumps International
PlayPumps International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping improve the lives of children and their families by providing easy
access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play
equipment to millions across Africa. To date, PlayPumps International has
donated more than 900 PlayPump(R) water systems in South Africa,
Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia. In 2007 and beyond, PlayPumps
International will help bring the PlayPump system to Ethiopia, Kenya,
Lesotho, Tanzania, and Uganda. The organization's goal is to provide the
benefits of clean drinking water to up to 10 million people by 2010. For
more information, visit http://www.playpumps.org.

SOURCE PlayPumps International