Kuna TCP students sample for macroinvertebrates along the Boise River at Barber Park.

Youth Water Summit Expands to Southern Idaho, Inspiring the Next Generation of Water Leaders

Boise State student uses high school project to inspire a career path, showing the lasting impact of hands-on science education Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — Presenting to North Idaho community members during the Youth Water Summit as a Lake City high school junior in the spring of 2021, shaped the course of Lucy Mendez’s future. Today, as an environmental science undergraduate at Boise State University, Lucy is drawing on what she learned about Coeur d’Alene Lake to explore real-world water solutions,…

OUR GEM: Local Students Find Excitement with Hands-On Science

OUR GEM: Local Students Find Excitement with Hands-On Science

by Woody Wood, IWRRI Education and Outreach Coordinator It’s a cool fall morning, and I’m standing at the intersection of Burnt Cabin and Ohio Match Roads waiting for a bus load of Venture Academy students to arrive. While I wait here with my colleagues, travelers stop and ask why we have dozens of pairs of rubber boots lined up next to our vehicles. We tell them about the incoming students and the work they are about to do, and they…

University of Idaho and North Idaho College Team Up to Celebrate Youth Scientific Leaders

University of Idaho and North Idaho College Team Up to Celebrate Youth Scientific Leaders

The University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene’s Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) partnered with North Idaho College (NIC) to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Youth Water Summit. This annual event empowers high school students to investigate and address real-world water issues in their communities through hands-on research, innovation, and public presentation.

The Confluence Project Is Making Science Fun!

The Confluence Project Is Making Science Fun!

There weren’t programs like this in schools in the past. This program is unique to North Idaho. The curriculum was created by graduate students at the University of Idaho. The TCP committee works with teachers in the Panhandle to prepare students with this curriculum, and then they accompany them on field trips offered throughout the year. Scientific experts help students collect accurate data and work with them understand its importance.