Group Highlight: Water Association of Student Stewards Urban Program (WASSUP)
From the Inflow Newsletter 11/6/2014

The Water Association of Student Stewards Urban Program, better known as WASSUP, a student club on the Metropolitan State University of Denver campus, began in 2011 as a group of students who wanted to create a positive tool to engage students and connect them with internship opportunities and experiential learning to support their interests and careers.

Since then, WASSUP has worked hard to provide students interested in local and global water issues a variety of opportunities to not only educate themselves on a number of topics and career opportunities, but to have fun while they’re doing it. Their mission is to show tangible results of the educational benefits of the Water Studies Minor provided by the One World One Water Center (OWOW) for Urban Water Education and Stewardship. More information on OWOW can be found on their website.

With a number of dedicated members, other interested students, and partnerships with groups both on and off campus, they focus on 3 core activities:

1.       Creekside Cleanups: WASSUP hosts a number of Creekside cleanups near campus, along the Cherry Creek Corridor from Auraria Parkway to Colfax, in partnership with the Earth and Atmospheric Science Department of MSU Denver and Denver Parks District. Students and faculty are encouraged to join, as the cleanups also include an educational aspect. Members of WASSUP act as tour guides as they clean, talking about such things as the value of healthy environmental waters and the impacts of plastics and other waste on various biospheres. The next few cleanups will take place November 7, 11, and 19.

2.       Lunch & Learns: WASSUP periodically hosts Lunch & Learns, where a speaker comes in to talk about local or global water issues to students on campus. Students are provided with a nutritious, sustainable lunch while they are given the opportunity to learn from and network with experts on various water issues. Previous topics for Lunch & Learns have included soil erosion, stormwater pollution, plastic pollution, and water sacredness and scarcity. Through these events, WASSUP hopes students will gain an interest in a topic that could turn into a career or lifelong interest.

3.       Education and Outreach: WASSUP takes the time to educate their members and other students about such topics as water consumption, the value of water, infrastructure, and maintenance in a fun and engaging way. Beyond that, the group works to get their members and other students interested in jobs related to water. In February, they will be hosting a water internship and job fair on campus with up to 40 companies in attendance. If you would like to participate in the fair, please contact wassup@msudenver.edu.

WASSUP works hard to promote sustainable behaviors and environmental stewardship onthe MSU campus. If you would like to be involved with WASSUP, email wassup@msudenver.edu. For more information on the many events they have coming up (including a First Friday event tomorrow!) check out their Facebook page.