KINGSTON, R.I. – July 23, 2026 – Students and their families representing communities from across Rhode Island waded into the Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering at the University of Rhode Island last week for an event hosted by URI’s College of Engineering and URI Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program.
The annual event, 4-H Water Week: Water Science & Engineering, focused on water science and included multiple experiment stations, a demonstration of water treatment and a chance for students to use the pools at the Tootell Aquatic Center for swimming. The goal of this year’s program was to familiarize students with the concepts of how water is treated and purified and introduce them to water filtration.
Among the activities that the students took part in were building their own mini water filtration systems using rocks and sand; designing and building their edible aquifers; and learning how different chemicals like chlorine can ensure water is properly treated through the physicochemical process.
The event is, in part, thanks to Joe Goodwill, the Carrol D. & Charles M. Billmyer Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Christina DiCenzo, the 4-H program coordinator at URI.
In 2021, Goodwill was honored with the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award for his work on water treatment in small and rural communities. The five-year, $500,000 award is dedicated to helping fund his research around water treatment and a key component of the funding surrounds community outreach programs. For Goodwill that meant bringing in middle and elementary school students and teaching them all about the water purification process. The 4-H Water Week is the final event in that annual series.
“The importance of teaching kids from a young age about the water filtration process can’t be understated,” said Goodwill. “Showing them how this process works in a fun and accessible way can get them thinking about their own water conservation, and how much engineering goes into that cup of water that they pour from the faucet.”
One of the event highlights was the opportunity for students to build their own edible aquifers using graham crackers, chocolate chips, and pudding. Aquifers essentially serve as natural underground reservoirs, collecting water that seeps into the ground. Students utilized each “edible” piece to represent the different layers of an aquifer—such as pudding being used as a stand-in for mud, or chocolate chips for sand or gravel.
“In 4-H, we provide youth with hands-on learning opportunities to build career skills, leadership, and civic engagement,” said DiCenzo. “Researchers like Joe are our favorite people to work with because they are passionate about making their knowledge accessible.”
As part of its land- and sea-grant mission, the University of Rhode Island, through URI Cooperative Extension, which is housed within the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, combines education, applied research and community outreach for the public good. URI Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Program offers projects, events, and opportunities for children and teens ages 5 to 18 as well as volunteer opportunities for adults. Part of the national USDA-funded Cooperative Extension system, 4-H has served as Cooperative Extension’s youth development branch since the early 1900s.
Following Water Week, URI’s 4-H program has several upcoming events scheduled through the rest of the summer and into the fall. In addition to multiple 4-H exhibits at the Washington County Fair in August, and later in the fall on the Kingston campus, 4-H will hold a public speaking contest and a “Spooky Science” night featuring Halloween-themed science activities and demonstrations.