JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL aims to provide access to clean water in rural under resourced communities through applying STEM skills. Global STEM TeleSquads work alongside our local teams in a live STEM case study to design and build a water storage tank in the rural communities, improving access to clean potable water and improving sanitation. Through this fundraiser, John Burroughs Schools students will be able to help implement their designed water project in the rural community of La Fortuna, Nicaragua. The community of La Fortuna, in Nicaragua, is home to 168 people and 37 households at the time of the most recent baseline survey. Throughout the year, La Fortuna reports insufficient water availability. 88% of those asked in the baseline survey reported the availability of water was “not enough” and almost 60% of the households surveyed relied on springs to supply their water, while others rely upon streams, rain, rivers and wells for the water supply, most of which go untreated or have minimal treatments. In the most recent baseline survey, 9 households reported water tastes bad, 7 reported that the water smells bad, and 8 reported that the water has a bad color. Additionally, La Fortuna has a lack of sanitation infrastructure. Of the families asked, 20 households had no latrine/use surrounding land, while 16 households had makeshift latrines. Because of this lack in proper infrastructure for sanitation, open toilet use (which the majority of those who participated in the survey reported) ends up back in the water. This along with the runoff from their agricultural practices, upon which they rely, has led to water borne diseases (diarrhea especially in children), and nutrition issues.