4empowerment is dedicated to making a positive difference in individuals and fostering life-long learners, leaders, and steward of our communities and the environment. 4empowerment’s flagship program, Cyberways & Waterways, is a virtual community based on innovative online and field activities surrounding our rivers, coastlines, and lakes. Through hands-on activities in water quality and garbology studies, students gain critical thinking skills and a solid understanding of how communities impact the environment. Using the Cyberways & Waterways online tools, students publish their findings and take action by learning to communicate results effectively to others.

Students engage in fun, TEKS-aligned activities that foster community service and pride in the environment. During garbology studies, students pick up trash and analyze ways to reduce sources of litter in order to beautify their local community. In water quality studies, students learn about healthy water systems and conduct tests on local lakes, creeks, and rivers to monitor the health of the local environment.

Cyberways and Waterways helps to build important leadership skills, such as the ability to think critically, solve problems, engage others, and communicate effectively. Students design and conduct team projects studying the quality of the local environment. Using the secure online collaboration tools, data from these studies is collected, synthesized, and concluded into a report published online to a broad local, state, and national audience. Students continue to take action by presenting their findings to school boards, city councils, and other influential bodies requiring strong communication skills and leadership energy.

Cyberways and Waterways can help you meet many of the required TASC projects. The Cyberways and Waterways program activities will directly help you qualify for Outstanding Student Council and the following projects types required by TASC:

1. IMPROVE PRIDE & PATRIOTISM by conducting a garbology (campus beautification) study of your campus or community to reduce littering, or by holding a current issues forum about you local environment
2. EDUCATIONAL PROJECT by raising environmental awareness at your school
3. HEALTH AND/OR SAFETY PROJECT through a study of the local water quality and garbology
4. PUBLIC RELATIONS PROJECT to raise awareness and increase participation in student activities involving the community and local environment
5. SCHOOL SERVICE PROJECT through trash pickup and garbology studies of your campus
6. COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT through garbology studies (with trash pickup) and water quality studies of the local environment and community
7. SOCIAL OR RECREATIONAL PROJECT through all-day field studies and outing to the adopted field site

The Cyberways and Waterways program activities will indirectly help you qualify for the following projects types required by TASC:

1. FUND RAISING PROJECT involving companies, government agencies and foundations inspired by your need for water testing equipment, trash bags, trash pickup gloves, training, etc.
2. LEADERSHIP PROJECT to train the lead/senior students who will peer mentor junior students to conduct the program from year to year