The project started in 2008 under an EPA P3 award around stormwater pond projects that involve local K3-8 schools, USF departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, USF Engineers for a Sustainable World and theHealth, Education and Social Services Committee in East Tampa, Florida.

The phase one EPA Grant Number: SU833946 (click here for more, including the Phase 1 Final report.)

Title: Water Awareness, Research and Education in East Tampa (WARE East Tampa): A pilot collaboration involving USF, Young Magnet Middle School and the East Tampa Community.

Florida established a system to reinvigorate communities in which 50% of property is in disrepair, that requires that any additional increase in tax revenue collected by the city or county go into a kitty that is used to reinvest in the community. The East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnernship serves as an organizational medium for the area’s 13 different neighborhood groups. Although the city has fiduciary responsibility for how money is used, the partnership has a lot to say about how funds are invested. The stormwater beautification project was one of the first funded and involved the redesign of 3 stormwater pond areas so that they became community friendly open areas as opposed to “eyesores where rubbish was dumped”.

Prof. Trent Green from USF’s department of architecture was contracted to redesign the areas and the community paid for two. The close proximity of the ponds to local schools provided a natural fit for building curriculum around the ponds that provided a field site location for students to not only learn about science and engineering, but to also provide a “service” to the community through monitoring and interventions to maintain pond health.

EPAP3WARE – Computer from Maya Trotz on Vimeo.

On April 18th-20th, 2009 the WARE project joined 42 other P3 teams in Washington on the national mall to take part in a national P3 EXPO and competition. The team won a Phase II award worth $75,000. READ MORE ON THE EPA SITE. CLICK HERE.