Water Works for Kids is a mixed-media educational project for municipal tours and outreach programs. It was designed to make complex water treatment concepts easier for young visitors to understand. The project used video, animation, and short-form learning to translate technical engineering content into an engaging and age-appropriate experience.

Elementary and middle-school students visiting the municipal water treatment facility during educational tours. 

Translate complex water treatment engineering concepts into learning experiences that are clear, engaging, and appropriate for younger audiences.

• Mixed-media educational campaign

• Four-part video series + 24 micro-learning shorts 

• Live-action host + animated character (Dewey)

• Motion graphic info-cards explaining complex concepts 

• Content used during facility tours and outreach programs

Water treatment is an essential public infrastructure. Many of its processes are difficult for younger audiences to understand. The challenge was to simplify technical material without losing scientific accuracy. The content also needed to hold student attention during tours and public education events.

I treated this as a learning design problem. The goal was to turn dense engineering information into content that was easier to understand, easier to follow, and more meaningful for young learners.

The facility needed an educational tool that could explain infrastructure science more clearly. It also needed to improve student engagement during tours. Another goal was to support more consistent delivery across outreach settings.

Dense engineering documentation was broken into smaller learning segments. Complex processes were translated into visual explanations. Motion graphics, animated diagrams, narration, and short micro-learning clips were used to support understanding.

The content described real public infrastructure. Accuracy was essential. Explanations and visuals were reviewed with facility experts. This helped keep the simplified content reliable and clear.

The project was built for tours, outreach programming, and repeated use. The final materials were designed to work across different learning contexts.

The final learning package included several connected media pieces.

• A four-part educational video series

• 24 short learning clips

• Motion graphic concept cards

• An animated guide character, Dewey

• Visual assets for tours and outreach programming

This made it possible to present the same ideas in different formats. The materials could be used based on available time, audience, and setting.

This project was designed to make technical infrastructure concepts more understandable for younger audiences. It also aimed to make the experience more engaging and accessible. Animation, short-form learning, and character-driven storytelling helped create a more approachable introduction to water treatment and public infrastructure.

The project also created reusable educational assets. These materials could support future tours and outreach efforts. Dewey, the animated guide character, helped bridge the gap between technical engineering knowledge and student-friendly explanation.

This project reinforced the value of translating complex knowledge into visual and age-appropriate formats. It also showed how multimedia learning can support public education. Essential systems can be made easier to understand without removing the science behind them.

A future next step would be gathering more formal feedback. That could include student comprehension, engagement, and retention across different age groups and learning settings.