TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama Water Institute is establishing an educational partnership with Woodland Forrest Elementary School, providing the STEM-certified school with an advanced augmented reality sandbox system through a long-term loan agreement.
The TopoBox allows students to manipulate sand to create topographical features like mountains and valleys while computer sensors and overhead projection systems provide real-time visualization of elevation changes, water flow patterns and potential flood scenarios.
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Water Security Experts
This partnership reflects a fundamental understanding within the water research community: the challenges facing our world’s water resources require innovative minds. By engaging students at the elementary level, researchers are planting seeds for future environmental stewardship and scientific discovery.
“Woodland Forrest Elementary was selected specifically because of its STEM certification and commitment to hands-on science education” said Lanna Nations, AWI research education and outreach director.
The school is preparing to integrate the technology into their curriculum with a new STEM teacher joining the program this fall. Through the permanent loan agreement, the equipment will remain at the school long-term, creating a lasting resource for both students and the broader community.
“A topography sandbox will empower students to explore how design will shape meaning — blending creativity, literacy and visual expression,” said Teresa Bivens, Woodland Forrest Elementary principal.
Vision Beyond an Individual School
The institute’s vision extends beyond serving a single school or providing equipment. Other schools throughout the area will have opportunities to visit Woodland Forrest Elementary for special STEM field trip days, multiplying the educational impact across districts. This collaborative approach transforms one piece of equipment into a community educational resource.
AWI has developed K-12 curriculum materials to accompany the sandbox system and plans to conduct classroom visits to expand on lessons and demonstrate connections to the institute’s broader water security research.
“We are not just dropping off the equipment and wishing them good luck,” Nations explained. “We would like to interact with educators and tie this to the kind of work that we do.”
Marie Wilson, the institute’s education outreach coordinator who developed the accompanying curriculum, emphasized the importance of visual learning tools in science education.
“Beyond being inherently hands-on, which is the best way to instill deep learning, the TopoBox is also very visual, allowing for different modes of connecting with a complicated topic,” Wilson noted.
For students at Woodland Forrest Elementary—and the visiting schools that will benefit from this community resource—the augmented reality sandbox represents far more than an advanced toy. It’s a window into understanding the complex water systems that sustain life, shape landscapes and influence every aspect of human civilization.
Future Resources and Plans
This partnership serves as a blueprint for future collaborations as the institute works toward expanded K-12 programming and Saban Center exhibits. The model demonstrates how strategic partnerships can multiply research impact while fostering the next generation of scientific innovators.