By Edmond Ortiz
Thanks to a collaboration between the Harlandale Independent School District and the San Antonio Water System, HISD students can dive into water-centric career opportunities in a specialized classroom.
What is happening
Officials from Harlandale ISD and SAWS gathered Aug. 27 to unveil the HydroCore Mission Control Center, an immersive, hands-on lab that the water system designed and developed at the Makerspace at the Jewel C. Wietzel Center, a former HISD campus.
Modeled like a water operations training facility, HydroCore allows students to become “AquaScouts,” work through five mission stations, and engage science, technology, infrastructure and the concept of teamwork towards making water service safe and reliable.
According to a SAWS press release, it took nearly 18 months of collaboration between Harlandale ISD educators and SAWS to make the HydroCore Center a reality.
HISD teachers now can start incorporating HydroCore into their curriculum. Participating students will have access to 3D printers, coding kits, drones and more to gain a better understanding of the different types of careers available in water, such as water quality testing and water treatment.
What they are saying
SAWS officials said HydroCore was inspired by a storyline created by SAWS’ education team.
“Our education team then took that story and spent more than a year fleshing it out to fit an interactive classroom where local students can learn more about water careers in a way that’s exciting and engaging,” Gavino Ramos, SAWS’ senior vice president of communications and external affairs, said in a statement.
In addition to the opening of the HydroCore Center, Harlandale ISD leaders dedicated two murals at the district Makerspace, recognizing HISD’s ongoing partnership with local employers Toyota Texas and JCB.
