Blackburn Middle School students lead water quality study, win Brown University Community Partner Award
JANS – In a groundbreaking learning experience, Blackburn Middle School’s 6th and 7th graders are stepping into the role of environmental scientists – and they’re ready to share their discoveries. This initiative is part of Trusting the Source: How Intergenerational Environmental Education Empowers Community Trust, a collaboration between Community Noise Lab at Brown University and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE). Funded by the Rhode Island-based Ivy League university, the project empowers students to test their home tap water and communicate their findings to their families, positioning young learners as trusted messengers in their communities.
“Despite improvements in Jackson’s water system, many residents, particularly seniors, still don’t trust the water,” said Kimberly Hilliard, PhD, President & CEO of CSE. “By engaging students in water testing and having them report results to their families, we’re creating a ripple effect of trust and awareness throughout the community.”
At the beginning of the semester, staff at Blackburn Middle School sent students home with a pre-survey that aimed to capture current attitudes about Jackson’s water quality, water usage, and key demographic factors. Students collected samples of tap water from their homes and tested their samples for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and the presence of lead. After testing the water, each student created a personalized water quality report to take home to their parents/guardians. Following, parents/guardians filled out a survey after they received their tap water testing results from their children. The goal was to see if there were improvements in Jackson’s water once they read the water reports straight from their children. “This project is a perfect example of how we can make science relevant to our students’ everyday lives,” said Dr. Eric Jackson, Principal of Blackburn Middle School. “Not only are they learning valuable STEM skills, but they’re also playing a direct role in educating their families and strengthening trust in our community.”
“We often assume that adults lead the conversation on environmental health, but research shows that young people can be powerful educators in their own homes,” said Dr. Erica Walker, Director of Community Noise Lab and Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University. “This project shifts the messenger – and by doing so, changes perceptions about local water quality.”
On April 16, 2025, Brown University’s School of Public Health awarded Blackburn Middle School the Dean’s Community Partner Award.
Community Noise Lab will release the findings from its study on May 15, 2025. The report will be available at Blackburn Middle School and for download on Community Noise Lab’s website (communitynoiselab.org).
