Phoenix Academy team takes first in local water conservation competition

VICTORVILLE — A group eighth-graders from Phoenix Academy used a combination of innovation and creativity to solve a seemingly confounding question: How do you use a drop of water more than once at home or school?

Despite going up against high school teams, the Phoenix Academy squad was crowned the winners of the Mojave Water Agency's Curiosity Quest Problem Solvers program Friday, earning a $3,000 check in the process.

The announcement was made by Joel Green, the creator and host of the national PBS television series "Curiosity Quest," at the 2018 Innovators High Desert Water Summit at High Desert Church.

"We are up against some high school students, but are ready for the challenge," said Karen Haresky, Phoenix Academy teacher. "We are all super excited."

The group competed against teams from Montara Elementary, the Academy for Academic Excellence, Goodwill Education Center, Hesperia High School and University Preparatory School to solve the problem of reusable water.

The Phoenix Academy team worked together to construct a functioning water pump model, designed to take the run-off wastewater from a water fountain and recycle it for use in a toilet, according to Apple Valley Unified School District officials. They conducted research and met with Wilson So, a school board member, to brainstorm ideas.