Last week, we had the privilege of delivering our Water Guardians to Ohio, equipping and training 14 schools with our water quality monitoring and education system. Thanks to the generous support of the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center at Case Western Reserve University, middle, high, and elementary schools across the region now have access to tools that make hands-on STEM education more engaging and impactful.
We conducted the training at the incredible Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, where 14 teachers and 5 undergraduate near peer mentors led by James Bader, Executive Director of the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center, participated in an interactive, hands-on session. Educators explored how Water Guardians could enhance STEM learning in grades 5–12, with experiments ranging from filtering wood ash to simulate the impact of forest fires, to quantifying chlorophyll levels, to using sensors as data loggers in the midst of an incoming snowstorm.
The excitement in the room was palpable as teachers and students experimented, generated real-time data, and discussed ways to integrate modern, affordable sensor technology into their classrooms. We were particularly inspired by the teachers’ enthusiasm for applying these tools beyond environmental science—into biology (salt tolerance, photosynthesis), mathematics, statistics, and laboratory best practices, all essential foundations for a future in STEM.
At GaiaXus, we are proud to partner with educators who recognize the power of hands-on learning and share our mission of making STEM education more accessible. We are deeply grateful to the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center for making this opportunity possible and for their commitment to fostering science education in their community. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education, whose SBIR funding empowered us to take bold steps in developing and refining our system.
Together, we are equipping the next generation of U.S. scientists and engineers with the tools and knowledge they need to tackle the challenges of the future. We look forward to seeing how these schools use Water Guardians to ignite curiosity, inspire discovery, and build a stronger STEM foundation for all students.
Here are some photos from the event!