BURLINGTON, ON – The Halton Children’s Water Festival is an annual educational event that teaches students in Grades 2 to 5 about all aspects of water. This year’s four-day festival will welcome over 3,600 children to Kelso Conservation Area from September 26 to 29.
Co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region in partnership with the Halton District School Board (HDSB), Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB), Conservation Halton Foundation, City of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Oakville, and Wilfrid Laurier University, the event will provide 60 unique activity stations for hands-on learning. In 2022, the festival also introduced a complementary virtual module that is running again this fall.
“The festival inspires children to learn through inquiry, problem-solving, and lots of great teamwork,” said Brenna Bartley, Education Manager, Conservation Halton. “With activity stations like ‘Molecules in Motion’, ‘Waste Not, Want Not’, and ‘Go with the Flow’, children are exploring curriculum-linked concepts in fun and memorable ways. It’s an event that has an incredibly positive impact on young learners, so much so that we see many of these same students returning years later, as volunteers.”
Each year, more than 400 high school students volunteer their time as activity leaders. This experience helps youth build communication and time management skills while acting as positive role models to the younger cohort.
“The Halton Children’s Water Festival is a unique, educational field-trip experience for students in our watershed,” said Hassaan Basit, President and CEO, Conservation Halton. “We’re delighted to be working with our partners to host this event once again at Kelso Conservation Area. Over the course of the four-day festival, thousands of children will learn about the importance of healthy watersheds and the steps that everyone can take to help steward our lakes, creeks, rivers, and streams.”
“The Halton Children’s Water Festival is an exciting and interactive environment for learning about the importance of water conservation and protection,” said Kiyoshi Oka, Director of Water and Wastewater System Services at Halton Region. “This festival educates and inspires young residents in our community to become environmental stewards of water, one of our most precious natural resources. At Halton Region, we play an important role in providing safe and high-quality drinking water to over 637,000 residents and businesses, as well as protecting our water resources for the future. We are proud to be a partner in the festival and are thankful for the generosity, dedication and collaboration from community partners who help us make this event possible each year.”
Since its launch in 2006, the festival has reached over 50,000 students from HDSB and HCDSB schools. It runs at a minimal cost to students ($8/child) thanks to the generosity of partners, sponsors, and community and student volunteers. This year’s generous sponsors include DSEL, City of Burlington, Wilfrid Laurier University, GEO Morphix, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Oakville and R.V. Anderson Associates.
To learn more about the upcoming festival, visit www.hcwf.ca