The UC Davis CalTeach/MAST (Mathematics and Science Teaching) program addresses the critical shortage of STEM teachers by preparing undergraduates for careers in K–12 education through experiential learning, mentorship, and classroom-based teaching. AguaEd is a partnership between UC Davis and the nonprofit Eco-Alianza in Loreto, Baja California Sur, bringing Spanish-speaking STEM students to Loreto to teach water science.

Loreto is facing a series of pressing water-supply challenges, including over-extraction of the San Juan Londó aquifer, saltwater intrusion, aging infrastructure with high water loss, limited water metering, and climate-driven stressors such as rising temperatures and declining precipitation. These challenges underscore the need for early, community-centered water conservation education grounded in hydrological and geoscience principles.

In its inaugural year, AguaEd launched a place-based, bilingual STEM education partnership in Loreto, Baja California Sur, addressing local water sustainability challenges through classroom instruction. Four Spanish-speaking UC Davis STEM majors taught water conservation concepts at Escuela Secundaria Modesto Sánchez Mayón, connecting geoscience principles to regional aquifer dependence. The program established strong local partnerships, creating a foundation for sustained international engagement.

In its second year, AguaEd brought five first-generation Mexican American UC Davis students—each a Spanish-speaking STEM major—to Loreto as instructional leaders. Their cultural and linguistic connections strengthened student engagement, classroom communication, and collaboration with local teachers. The program expanded from one to two middle schools, adding Escuela Secundaria Benito Juárez,increasing participation to five local STEM teachers, significantly broadening AguaEd’s reach within the Loreto community.

UC Davis students designed and delivered hands-on, inquiry-based lessons focused on the water cycle, groundwater systems, water quality, and conservation. Activities focused on filtering systems for contaminated water, conducting week-long household water-use monitoring projects, and performing experiments examining pH and water cycle dynamics in fresh and saltwater systems. Across both schools, more than 500 students were engaged in water conservation and environmental instruction, extending the program’s impact beyond the classroom and into households and the broader community.

In year 2 AguaEd  impacted both students and teachers, strengthening geoscience education capacity while fostering community awareness of sustainable water practices. The program continues to serve as a scalable model for culturally responsive, place-based STEM education that simultaneously supports future STEM educators and addresses critical global water challenges.