Four easy steps

It´s easy to become a Waterschool. Just follow these four simple steps:

Step 1: Plan

Teachers, head teachers, parents, students: Whoever wants to implement a healthier drinking culture in school should start talking to others:

• Talk to the school management, your colleagues and your parent teacher representatives about the topic. 
• Inform and motivate your colleagues (e.g. as part of a educational conference).
• Decide to become a Waterschool and put some dates in the diary to help you plan your progress.

Step 2: Implement

In order to become a Waterschool, there are a few preliminary considerations:

• Ensure there is water available in all classrooms.
• Ensure the water is suitable for drinking.
• Organise drinking facilities (bottles, glasses, cups) for the pupils/students.

Step 3: Educate

Availability of water at school is not enough. To ensure that enough water is drunk, children might need to be actively reminded. Helpful activities might include:

• Launch drinking rituals in schools.
• Use nudging strategies to remind pupils to drink water.
• Inform and integrate parents.
• Address the topic of drinking water during lessons.

Step 4: Evaluate

Schools are often undergoing constant change: new teachers, change of leadership and new projects. It is important to reflect on your Waterschool work and to regularly evaluate the project by checking whether healthy drinking behavior is still being practiced at your school. Remember to check if:

• Pupils drink tap water at school.
• Pupils have a bottle/cup.
• Pupils are reminded to drink water.
• Water drinking is allowed during the lessons and drinking breaks are allowed.
• Teachers drink water in class to act as role models.
• Drinking water is encouraged during meals (e.g. by setting out water jugs).
• Waterschool is embedded into the school policies and or mission statement.
• Parents are being informed about Waterschool.

For answers to some frequently asked questions, there is a useful section here.

You can find further ideas, educational material and good practice examples by going to the “Become a waterschool” section.