Expanding on the highly successful work of the Hands Across Waters program in schools in Israel, other countries have requested and been helped in developing their own educational curriculum dealing with problems of water conservation and improved technologies. The basis of this program has been the multidisciplinary STEAM approach as schools in Israel twin with schools in other countries.  The goal is to increase the latter’s awareness of the growing challenge of water scarcity and the potential solutions that science and technology can offer.

The twinning process includes the matching up of Rotary clubs with local schools to support the study of water issues and their relevance using teacher STEAM training together with local support from utilities, academic institutions and government agencies. These effort have included the Globe program sponsored by NASA, Jewish National Fund and other agencies, model schools like Donna Klein in Boca Raton, Florida, Hahoresh in Zichron Yaakov, 3 high schools in Naharia and schools in Begern County, New Jersey, and with Ajyal an Arab school in Jaffa, Israel.  A key focus of HAW in the twinning process has been peaceful collaboration of schools with different student compositions, i.e., Arab, Jewish, Arab Christian and Druze.

Over the past two years, HAW has worked with 65 schools, coordinating their water projects by offering guidance, equipment, transportation and training.  During the past years, the program held over 100 school field tours and worked With 25 events such as graduations and the major WATEC conference in Israel.

Given the rapid expansion of the twinning effort as well as maintaining the progress at existing schools in the program, more financial support is needed. Donations to the program can be made as shown below.