THE PROJECT
What is the purpose of this project?
The purpose of this project is to provide a platform where student athletes in grades 9-12 from Newbury Park High Schools (NPHS) can share their opinions on the cleanliness and reliability of water fountains on campus through a survey so that their experiences can be highlighted on an interactive online map. Clean and accessible water fountains play a crucial role in the hydration, health, performance, and daily experience of student athletes, so it is important that they have a platform to voice their opinions and concerns on this matter.
Why are water fountain conditions an issue for student athletes at NPHS?
At NPHS, the entire school relies on just three outdated water fountains, none of which are equipped with water bottle refill stations. For student athletes who spend long hours at school, often arriving early in the morning and staying late after school for practice (even on hot days), access to clean and reliable water fountains is essential for their physical well-being and comfort (Bohl). This issue is exacerbated when student athletes are excluded from discussions in school board meetings and other administrative spaces that oversee infrastructure and facility upkeep (Dicklin and Gabrielsson).
What are the goals of this project?
- Provide a platform for student athletes at NPHS to share their thoughts and stories regarding water fountain conditions.
- Transfer ownership of this project to the NPHS Key Club so they can continue to work with current and future student athletes at NPHS.
- Connect student athletes with local community members through the NPHS PTSA to raise awareness and ensure that the voices of student athletes are heard.
How will this project be used in the future?
As this project will be handed over to the NPHS Key Club, we hope that in the future the organization can continue to share this mapplication with student athletes so they can learn about this issue and share any updates on the matter. We also hope this project can be used to empower current and future student athletes in being actively involved in discussions and decision-making processes that impact water fountain conditions on campus.
FOR STUDENT ATHLETES
How can NPHS student athletes participate in the survey?
NPHS student athletes can participate in the survey by navigating to the survey page on this website. Student athletes can also receive the survey link and learn more about this project by attending team meetings where representatives from the NPHS Key Club will visit to present this project. The survey is designed to be brief, taking no more than 10 minutes to complete. Participants must be in grades 9-12 and have the informed consent of a parent or guardian if under 18.
How will the survey responses be used?
Survey responses will be published online in the form of a public and interactive mapplication to visualize the diverse experiences of NPHS student athletes practicing various sports in different areas of the school.
How is personal information protected in the survey?
The survey does not ask for any personal or identifying information. Survey responses are also collected anonymously and are only accessible to project team members. If participants would like to review or edit their response after submission to remove any potentially identifying information, they can contact the project team members.
Contact information
- Michelle Zhao: miczhao@g.ucla.edu
- Sadhana Jeyakumar: sjeyakum@g.ucla.edu
- NPHS Key Club: newburyparkkeyclub@gmail.com, NPHS Key Club Website
- NPHS PTSA: President@NewburyParkHSPTSA.org, NPHS PTSA Website
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Professor Albert Kochaphum for his feedback, guidance, and support throughout this project.
References
- Bohl, Parker. “NPHS Reacts to Heatwave.” Panther Prowler, Sept. 2022, https://pantherprowler.org/nphs-reacts-to-heatwave/
- Dickin, Sarah, and Sara Gabrielsson. “Inequalities in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Challenges and Opportunities for Measurement and Monitoring.” Water Security, vol. 20, Dec. 2023, p. 100143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2023.100143