Davenport students Use Project-Based Learning to Invent a Water Filtration System That Benefits thou

Students in Davenport West High School in partnership with Fishers of Men Ministries Inc., have designed a water filtration system — which will impact roughly 22,000 people. Fishers of Men is an international non-profit 501( c)(3) Christian missionary organization, headquartered in Davenport, that works to provide water wells, churches, schools and homes for children and families throughout Kenya.

Davenport West students taking the engineering, design and development capstone class have worked on the project for roughly six years. After brainstorming a few different project ideas, students chose to embark on designing, building and implementing a water filtration system to be placed in villages throughout Kenya.

Students finished the fully functioning water filtration system last year. Four students will travel to the eastern Kenya village of Muamba in January to implement it. The teacher, Mr. Greg Smith said that the curriculum his class follows focuses on project-based learning, opening opportunities for students to make an impact. “You might do something for a class and just take it apart when you’re done. This is something that’ll change people’s lives — maybe not directly here — but around the world,” he said. “Looking at some of those things we take for granted or issues we don’t typically have to deal with, it’ll definitely open students’ eyes, seeing that ‘Maybe I can do good.’