In 2023, Pennichuck Water Works (Pennichuck) worked with the Nashua School District and the Amherst School District to implement the 9th year of the Watershed Education Program. The purpose of the program is to increase awareness about watershed protection by teaching students about the water cycle, the Pennichuck Brook Watershed, and storm water pollution prevention. The program was developed during 2013-2014 to fit smoothly into the Nashua School District`s education curriculum and to meet the State`s science standards. The program consists of classroom presentations, including a hands-on groundwater model used to demonstrate groundwater movement and pollution pathways, and a poster contest. The 1st year of the program was intended to be a pilot for only the 6 elementary schools with students that live within the Pennichuck Brook Watershed.
Our 9th annual poster contest in 2023 included 13 elementary schools in Nashua, NH, Amherst Middle School in Amherst, NH, and Hollis Upper Elementary School. The poster contest theme continues to be pollution prevention and cash prizes were awarded for first, second, and third place winners from each school and one grand prize winner. The education program reached 38 fifth grade classes in Nashua, totaling about 588 students, 6 fifth grade classes in Amherst, totaling about 150 students, and 150 students from Hollis Upper Middle.