We are excited to bring you the latest updates, insights, and news from the Arizona Water for All Network. |
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Our goal is to strengthen our collective effort in Arizona through a network of water stewards, professionals, and enthusiasts. |
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Inside our Winter Newsletter Launch of Communication Platforms AZ Water Innovation Exhibit Northern AZ Water Leadership Institute Highlighting Members in our Community Publication and Resources AW4A Network Photo Contest
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| Submit your updates for next season’s newsletter! |
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Launching the Arizona Water for All Network Website
As our network grows and reaches more communities across the state, the coordination team has worked to create a new hub for sharing resources, research, and collaboration around water sustainability. |
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On the site, you can Explore ongoing projects and initiatives Connect with partners and experts Stay updated on events and opportunities
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| Connect with us on LinkedInFollow us on LinkedIn and join our “LinkedIn Group” to connect with your community members, researchers, and partners across the state to collaboratively address water insecurity. What began as a focus on water security along the U.S.-Mexico border has grown into a statewide community of practice dedicated to innovative, holistic solutions. |
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Follow our page and network group to stay connected, share ideas, and be part of a growing network working toward a more secure water future for all. |
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Arizona Water Innovation ExhibitOpened November 6th, 2025 | On view at ASU through March 2026 Location: School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University |
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Photo credits: Faith Kearns |
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Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, in partnership with Arizona Water for All, unveiled its newest exhibit, Arizona Water Innovation, which officially opened on November 6th. This free, research-driven experience invites visitors to explore the past, present, and future of water in the Arizona desert through the lens of social science, engineering, history, and the arts. Designed as an immersive journey through time, the exhibit highlights the challenges and breakthroughs that have shaped Arizona’s water story. The exhibit, currently located on the Tempe campus, offers an open, public space for community members, students, and others seeking to learn more to experience thought-provoking exhibits and programming connected to university research. Stop by, explore, and be inspired to imagine Arizona’s next chapter in water innovation! |
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| Photo credits: Anahi Yerman |
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| Photo credit: Faith Kearns |
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A series of monthly events are planned at the exhibit, including gallery talks and a Story Slam! If you are interested in sharing a personal story on the theme of “water” on February 25, 2026, please contact Risa Aria Schnebly (rschnebl@asu.edu) ASAP! A small gift of gratitude will be presented to our storytellers. |
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| Water Leadership Institute celebrates second cohort in Southern Arizona |
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| The Southern Arizona Water Leadership Institute concluded its second cohort on December 6th, 2025. Graduation took place at the Wittner Museum in Nogales, AZ with participants from across the region coming together to define and build on their water leadership journey to bring back skills to their communities. We thank the partnerships between the Arizona Water for All Network, Environmental Defense Fund, Water For People, and Reconciliacion en el Rio Santa Cruz. |
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Updates on Planning for the Northern Arizona Water Leadership Institute (by Miriam Nelson) |
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The Northern Arizona fall has not only offered bright foliage, yellowing grasses, and a wintery wind, but also the continuation of exciting collaborative efforts on multiple projects. Facilitated by the Water, Society, and Policy Laboratory at Northern Arizona University (NAU), following the design of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and funded by Arizona Water for All (AW4A), the Water Leadership Institute is being brought to Northern Arizona for the Spring of 2026. |
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Advisory Board members participating in an activity to determine the skill focus of the WLI (photo credits: Lucero Radonic) |
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The goals of this initiative are to foster a new generation of diverse leaders who are equipped to collaborate and engage across different perspectives and backgrounds, highlight different pathways for water-related careers and forms of engagement in Northern Arizona, provide networking and mentorship opportunities for rising leaders, and provide a space to share knowledge and perspectives about water issues and water management in Arizona. Given the cultural and geographic diversity of Northern Arizona, it has been important to work with individuals from different water-related sectors and backgrounds to account for different regional needs and water management priorities. Throughout 2025, Working Group collaborators from AW4A, NAU, EDF, and Water for People have been collaborating with an Advisory Board to co-design and develop the WLI for Northern Arizona. The amazing members of the WLI Advisory Board possess a wide range of expertise surrounding water governance, management, and leadership, along with strong connections to the region. Together, this collaboration has resulted in multiple meetings to design the Northern Arizona WLI–including skill offerings and overarching structure–directing specific attention to regional needs and issues.
In mid-November, the Working Group met with the Advisory Board at Northern Arizona University to more concretely determine the skill focus of the WLI. Through engaging activities and focused discussion, board members reached consensus on the skill focus and structure of the WLI, in addition to beginning curriculum planning. In the coming months, the Working Group will continue working with Advisory Board members on the WLI’s development. Please check the AW4A Website for the application in early Spring! We greatly appreciate the support and insights of all of our partners and Advisory Board members! If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact the AW4A Program Coordinator, Miriam Nelson. |
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| Board members discuss the WLI curriculum (photo credits: Miriam Nelson) |
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Addressing Water Insecurity and Building Trust in Rural Arizona
ASU News highlighted AW4A and Arizona Water Innovation (AWII), sharing the important work underway with households in Yuma County to support access to clean water sources.
Check out the full article to learn more about how AW4A and community partners are creating pathways to water security in rural Arizona. |
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| Frontpage of the reports giving to community members |
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| Exploring Water Access in Desert Societies Featuring AW4A’s Amber Wuititch and Patrick Thomson, a workshop hosted by ASU's Humanities Institute brought together artists, journalists, and scholars to examine questions surrounding the desert region. The discussion highlighted the deep historical and contemporary links among desert-located societies such as Arizona, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, revealing how shared challenges, scarcity, growth, equity, and sustainability shape their interconnected futures. |
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Click on the images to watch the workshop recordings and learn more about the conversations shaping global water resilience. |
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Nutrire CoLab Podcast Hosted by Megan Carney, the Nutrire CoLab podcast brings together collaborative ethnographers examining food, eating, and chronic disease through an interdisciplinary lens. Produced in partnership with the American Anthropological Association and the UCenter for Regional Food Studies, the series weaves research with lived experience. Listen to the podcast to learn more about the social realities behind food and health. |
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The Future of Food and Social Justice Youth Storytelling Lab(by University of Arizona Lab Co-Directors, Megan Carney and Laurel Bellante)
Guided by a diverse steering committee of food activists and scholars, The Future of Food and Social Justice Youth Storytelling Lab is a paid internship program dedicated to creating food justice stories with, for, and by young people and their communities. We look to the power of storytelling to disrupt dominant food narratives and support historically underrepresented populations in achieving greater recognition and agency in their pursuit of justice. |
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The program pairs interns with an environmental justice mentor, provides bimonthly mentorship circles, and offers monthly workshops to train students in environmental justice and multimodal storytelling. As of Fall 2025, the lab has hosted two cohorts (22 students in total), and benefits from the input of a steering committee of community organizers with expertise in environmental and social justice. The stories presented herein were created by interns in the Spring 2025 edition of the lab, which was hosted in partnership with the Arizona Water for All Network and centered on the theme of water justice. |
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Water SIMmersive Project
Developed by ASU researchers and supported by the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative (AWII), the WaterSIMmersive Project features a collection of fun, educational, and immersive digital experiences designed to help people of all ages learn about Arizona’s water systems and sustainability. View a few of their experiences below.
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“Myth or Fact” Game
Test your water knowledge with this web-based game that challenges players to sort statements into “myth” or “fact.” Guided by a friendly water droplet character, players explore Arizona-specific water challenges and discover the truth behind common misconceptions. Each version of the game is customized to reflect local water concerns based on the location of the museum exhibit where it appears. |
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| Water AI Chatbot
Blue is an interactive, AI-powered tool that answers real-time questions about water in Arizona. Trained on over 400 Arizona-specific sources, the chatbot makes water topics accessible, engaging, and easy to understand for learners of all ages. |
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Build a Facility GameLearn how clean water is made! In this interactive game, players build a water treatment plant by putting each cleaning station in the correct order. The game highlights how water from different sources is collected, treated, and made safe for communities to use. |
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Household Water Impacts Game
Step inside a virtual home and see how everyday choices affect water use. Players earn points by finding ways to save water and protect the planet, turning conservation into a fun, hands-on challenge. |
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Advanced Water Treatment Virtual Tours and GamesExplore immersive journeys into the world of water treatment and purification. |
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Water Talk PodcastListen to AWII’s very own Dr. Faith Kearns, who co-hosts the podcast, a series that brings experts and community voices together to break down California and Western water issues. |
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Our network is excited to announce our inaugural photo and art contest! We invite all professional and amateur photographers age 18 and older to share their creative perspectives on your relationship with water, including anything related to nature, community, health, infrastructure, sanitation, and art. Winners will receive prizes (gift cards) and have their work featured on AW4A's website, in newsletters, and in other public-facing materials. |
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Submissions are due by February 16th, so do not miss your chance to showcase your vision and highlight the importance of water in our lives. By entering, participants grant AW4A permission to feature their photos for outreach and promotional use, with full photographer credit retained. |
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