ATTENDING AS A STUDENT

The Clean Water Professionals of Kentucky & Tennessee (CWP-KT) and the Kentucky/Tennessee American Water Works Association (KY/TN AWWA) greatly value our student chapter members. We recognize that participation in this conference is an extension of your education and a valuable next step in your professional development. 

Accordingly, all student members are able to register without charge. Those who are able to volunteer (we have multiple options, including presenting a poster) can attend for the full program. For those unable to volunteer, we also offer a Monday-only option. Either way, we hope to see you there!

CLICK HERE FOR OUR WPC FAQs FOR STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

The Clean Water Professionals of Kentucky & Tennessee (CWP-KT) and the Kentucky/Tennessee American Water Works Association (KY/TN AWWA) will award four $2,000 scholarships to eligible students pursuing a degree relating to the water industry. Two scholarships will be awarded to Kentucky residents and two scholarships will be awarded to Tennessee residents.

The scholarships will provide reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees and will be distributed through the College/University bursar’s office for use during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Eligibility: Full-time students attending an accredited Kentucky or Tennessee institution and currently majoring in an area related to the water industry are eligible. Student must have accumulated over 65 credit hours.

Application Process: Please click here for our online application form. All applications are due by June 17, 2024.

Selection Process: Evaluation will be made on the basis of academic performance, work experience, community and civic activities, honors, involvement with AWWA/CWP-KT organizations, and career goals. Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Joint Scholarship Committee. The Committee will make a final selection of scholarship awardees by July 19, 2024.

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP

Memberships in CWP-KY and KY/TN AWWA provide access to a wealth of technical information, webinars, community programs, social events, professional networking, and more.

If you attend a university that has an active organization (UT-Knoxville, Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State University, University of Louisville, Western KY University, University of Kentucky), we recommended you be connected to that student group prior to signing up for the conference. They can assist with your membership if needed.

If you do not attend one of these schools, you can still become a member for free to both organizations by following these instructions:

• To join KY/TN AWWA, please email Michelle Schofield (our Member Services Coordinator) your name, email, permanent address, university or college, and Student ID.
• To join CWP-KT/WEF, please click here for more information and our online form (making sure to select Clean Water Professionals of Kentucky & Tennessee as your Member Association). On the payment screen, enter the following discount code: VHNJKL.

Registration Guidelines and Selection Criteria: Register using our WPC25 online registration form no later than May 15, 2025 Project abstracts will be used to pre-screen submissions for acceptance. Applicants will then be selected based on originality, relevance of topic, and technical content. Accepted submissions will be notified by email in July.

Competition Details: Presenters will be eligible for:

• Free admission to WPC25
• $150 Travel Stipend (limit one per poster)
• Cash prizes awarded to first ($300), second ($200), and third ($100) place winners

Poster Guidelines: Presenters must prepare a poster for display on a single poster board (36" tall x 48" wide; landscape layout). Posters should effectively communicate the following:

• Introduction
• Methods Used
• Results
• Analysis of Results
• Conclusions/Recommendations
• References and Acknowledgements

CLICK HERE FOR OUR WPC POSTER FAQs

Judging Criteria: Judging will be based on a comparison of scores from all judges. Students will have 5 minutes to give judges an overview of their work. Judges will then ask questions and score posters using the following criteria:

Visual Appeal (20%): Overall appearance of poster, attractiveness, draws the viewer in

• Poster text should be clearly readable from a distance of 4 ft.
• Figures, tables, and diagrams have descriptive title and a figure number
• Color scheme is not too distracting

Content (20%): Enough to describe the research but not so much it’s more an article than a poster; Effective use of visuals such as photos, graphs, charts, etc.

• Is sufficient background information provided to establish significance of study/problem?
• Is methods sufficiently understood?
• Do results address introduction question? Are results clear?
• Are appropriate conclusions drawn? Was research skewed in any way?
• References and Acknowledgments are cited and provided?

Organization (20%): Logical presentation with layout that adds to message conveyance

• Consistent format
• Poster appears well organized
• No spelling or grammatical errors

Abstract (20%): Accurately and succinctly summarizes the poster (may be in program and on poster)

Conversation (20%): Ability of student to describe and discuss work