[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17215]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND H2O FOR LIFE

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 15, 2013

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to take a moment to 
honor an individual who, for the last four years, has been inspiring 
the next generation of global water activists.
  Riverdale High School teacher Laurie LePore began teaching the ``H2O 
for Life'' course as a way to introduce a service-learning component to 
her students' education.
  At the beginning of each H2O for Life course, students select one or 
two schools currently lacking a proper, healthy, water source. The 
class is then divided into five student-led groups, each tasked with 
their own jobs to do, working together to raise funds for the building 
of wells, water purification systems, and restrooms for schools in 
need. Laurie also educates students about water issues in my home state 
of Oregon, including dam breaching, overfishing, and the impact of 
bottled water.
  This year, her class is assisting two elementary schools in South 
Africa to raise $5,000 to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene projects 
and practices to their schools--benefiting a total of 2,086 students. 
At the end of the year, eight schools from Africa, the Philippines, and 
India will have first-time access to water and sanitation facilities 
thanks to the H2O for Life class and Mrs. LePore's dedication.
  Bringing water and sanitation into schools is an essential part of 
having an effective education system. Without adequate sanitation 
facilities, young girls are embarrassed to attend school and too often 
stay away as a result. If there isn't water in their place of learning, 
many children are forced to choose between providing water for 
themselves and their family or their education. When it's a matter of 
life and death or learning, school always loses out.
  As the lead sponsor of the 2005 ``Water for the Poor Act'' and the 
current ``Water for the World Act of 2013,'' I applaud local efforts to 
highlight this ongoing challenge and am deeply appreciative of the 
impact this program has and will have not only on her students, but for 
the thousands of children they've helped around the world.

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