45 HEADLINE #WATERHEROES WATER HEROES Photos Courtesy: EarthEcho International All living things - plants, animals, and human beings - require clean water. As users of water and citizens of planet Earth, we must take responsibility for our impact on water quality. Recognizing that education and awareness are important first steps toward action, we challenge you to test the quality of your waterways, share your findings, and protect our most precious resource. Philippe Cousteau, Jr. EarthEcho’s STEMExplore highlights relatable voices and exciting life experiences to make careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) come alive. STEMExplore kindles youth interest in solving problems and becoming critical thinkers about the world around them. EarthEcho brings modern-day explorers and trailblazers to students and classrooms with a no-cost online destination, featuring dozens of relatable, day-in-the-life interviews with scientists and engineers from a variety of industries. EarthEcho’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC) is a platform for today’s emerging trailblazers and visionaries in the environmental space. Comprised of 19 diverse leaders from across the country, ages 15-22, each YLC member has demonstrated an ability to engage and mobilize their peers and their communities to change the world. Through EarthEcho’s platforms, YLC members are empowered to develop programs and conduct outreach to youth around the world. EarthEcho Expeditions is an annual program that brings the thrill of discovery to STEM classrooms by taking educators to the frontlines of our planet’s most pressing environmental issues in a new location each year. These teachers interact with leading experts who are solving or mitigating these complex issues. This first-hand experience with experts, thought leaders, and environmental advocates on the front lines is the basis for the creation of timely and exciting video and print- based classroom materials that are shared free of charge on EarthEcho’s digital platforms.