Summer 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to AWWA Water Equation’s Summer 2024 Newsletter
Anne Schmidt
Annual Fundraising Specialist Sr. Manager of Development
will bring stories to you each quarter to highlight how YOU are making a difference in the water sector through your gifts to AWWA’s philanthropy efforts.
What have we been up to in 2024?
January: Thanking YOU, our generous donors, for providing opportunities in 2023 to the water workforce
February: Reviewing applications for the Women for Water Circle of Giving Awards for STEAM programs
March: AWWA New Jersey Section Share the Love Campaign and the AWWA/WEF YP Summit
April: 2023 Donor Impact Report released
May: Academic Scholarships awarded
June: ACE25 golf tournament, WE Race for Water, Celebrate Scholars Luncheon
And throughout it, we have awarded:
• 24 One AWWA Operator Scholarships in partnership with AWWA Sections
• 4 scholarships to utility employees attending the YP Summit
• 5 scholarships to young professionals to attend the DC Fly-In
• 2 One AWWA Operator Scholarships to attend ACE25
• 5 Academic Scholarships and additional travel expenses to five recipients It has been a very busy year for AWWA’s philanthropy team and our volunteers!
Academic Scholarships
Celebrating student scholars has become a tradition at ACE. This year the students and sponsors gathered at the ACE24 Celebrate Scholars Luncheon to hear water stories from recipients. They were then recognized along with their corporate sponsors at the Water Industry Luncheon.
28 scholarships awarded totaling $178,000
Over 800 applications were received in 2023 for these scholarships. The Water Equation Scholarship Advisory Committee and AWWA (University Student Activities Committee) USAC read and ranked the scholarships for final approval by the sponsor.
Would you like to review and rank AWWA scholarship program applications in January 2025? This is a two-week volunteer opportunity that is essential to the program.
Please complete a volunteer application.
One AWWA Operator Scholarships to ACE24
Do you remember attending your first AWWA Conference?
Sabrina Khettouf, a water operator and trainer for the City of Montreal in Quebec, attended her first AWWA ACE on a One AWWA Operator Scholarship, offered by AWWA Water Equation.
“Being selected by AWWA is a source of great happiness for me. It’s a dream come true.” — Sabrina Khettouf
Justin Shaffer, from the Town of Monroe in Indiana, also won a scholarship to attend ACE24.
“Receiving this scholarship to attend ACE24 was a financial benefit to the town I serve. I am very blessed to have been able to attend ACE24, and receiving this scholarship was a very generous reward to my community.” — Jason Shaffer
Student Education
Double your donation with $15,000 in matching funds! The Dr. James K. Edzwald Endowed Scholarship fund has a new goal.
Joseph Ladouceur, a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa, received the inaugural Dr. James K. Edzwald Scholarship at ACE24 in Anaheim, CA. The $3000 award will provide Joseph with funds for his lab and technology materials. The plan is to now increase the scholarship endowment to $200,000 and award a $6000 scholarship at ACE25. Your gift will be matched up to $15,000 and put us on the path to reaching our goal of a $6000 award.
the Dr. James K. Edzwald Scholarship to $6000
Your Donation Today! Educate Young Professionals
Joseph Ladouceur and Dr. James K. Edzwald
Cole Benak, Pacific Northwest Section
Jeniece Neville, Illinois Section
Jeniece Neville, Illinois Section Torin Johnson, Pennsylvania Section
Sarah Burns, Florida Section
STEAM K-12 Funding
Women for Water Circle of Giving awards $15,800 to STEAM programs
Sustainable Engineering Academy (SEA), Pinellas County, FL
Birmingham Water Works, AL
Dunedin High School, FL Funducation, FL
GAWWA/GAWP Water Tower, GA
Illinois Section AWWA, IL
$2500
$5000
$2500
$1500
$2500
$1847
Women for Water Circle of Giving members donate $1000 per year and make the selections for the annual awards.
Georgia AWWA and the Georgia Water Professional Association received a $2500 award for the Joint Water Tower Modeling Committee.
August
Sustainable Engineering Academy —Pinellas County, FL
Water Equation Calendar
Ohio One Water Conference—Sandusky, Ohio Tri-Association Conference—Ocean City, MD
September Academic Scholarship Applications process is open!
Rocky Mountain Section AWWA Cornhole Fundraiser—Keystone, CO Water Jam!—Virginia Beach, VA
October Southwest AWWA Section—Norman, OK AWWA Council Summit—Denver, CO
Student & YP Scholarship Webinar
November WQTC Student/YP Networking Event—Schaumberg, IL
December Giving Tuesday
Florida Section AWWA Conference—Orlando, FL
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