California Water Service Group

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California Water Service (Cal Water) has given more than 400 students from Chico to Los Angeles a hall pass to take their education beyond the classroom this spring. As part of Cal Water’s Aqua Adventures, which provides environmentally focused field trips for 4th- to 6th-grade classrooms, the utility provided students from 12 classes an up-close look at water and the role it plays in the ecosystem to inspire the next generation to be good stewards of this finite, natural resource.

“These trips help students see that water is such a critical yet finite resource, and that no matter how old we are, we can make choices to care for it,” said Marty Kropelnicki, Cal Water Chairman and CEO. “We are pleased to partner with schools to extend education beyond the classroom with hands-on lessons that can make a lasting impact.”

Aqua Adventures is part of Cal Water’s conservation education program, “Tap Into Learning,” offered in partnership with DoGoodery. In its 11th year, the program offers multiple opportunities for students, classrooms, and school-based clubs in Cal Water service areas to engage in activities throughout the 2024-25 academic year.

Students from the following 12 schools spent their day trip exploring either Scout Island on the San Joaquin River in Fresno, Calif.; Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, Calif.; or California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco: 
-Beresford Elementary in San Mateo
-Bonita Street Elementary in Carson 
-Connect Community Charter in Redwood City 
-Del Rey Elementary in King City 
-Hamilton Elementary in Hamilton City
-Heritage Christian School in Bakersfield
-Houston Elementary in Visalia 
-KIPP Academy of Innovation in Los Angeles 
-Linford L. Anderson Elementary in Guerneville
-Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle School in Rancho Palos Verdes
-Wilhelmina Henry Elementary in Stockton
-Walden Academy in Willows

Grisel Ibarra’s King City 5th-graders spent the day on the San Joaquin River taking water samples and learning about water quality.

“My students often don’t get to go places outside of school, so I thought this would be a great opportunity for them to get outside of their little community,” Ibarra said. “After today, they have a new idea of where water comes from and what we do to our water to be able to drink it. Cal Water, thank you so much for this opportunity.”

Besides Aqua Adventures, Cal Water offers $250 Water Smart Grants to teachers proposing classroom water projects. Applications are open year-round to teachers in grades 4 through 6 working in a Cal Water service area. For more information about the program and eligibility requirements, or our Splash of Creativity art competition and H2Oath pledge also offered as part of Tap Into Learning, visit challenge.calwater.com.

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About California Water Service

California Water Service provides high-quality, reliable water utility services to more than 2.1 million people statewide through 499,400 service connections. Cal Water’s purpose is to enhance the quality of life for customers and communities. To do so, it invests responsibly in water and wastewater infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and community well-being. The company’s 1,200 employees live by a set of strong core values and share a commitment to protecting the planet, caring for people, and operating with the utmost integrity. The utility has been named one of “America’s Most Responsible Companies” and one of the “World’s Most Trustworthy Companies” by Newsweek, a USA Top Workplace, and a Great Place to Work®.  More information is available at www.calwater.com.

Contact: 
Laura Florez-McCusker, 559-356-1577 
Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434

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