Colonias Program’s water project providing water to rural residents

The [Colonias Program] (http://colonias.arch.tamu.edu) at the Texas A&M College of Architecture is increasing the availability of potable water to residents of colonias, impoverished communities in the Texas border region, as a partner in the Texas Water Project.

The project, an effort to teach rural residents how to make ceramic water filters, received national exposure with a booth at the [Smithsonian Folklife Festival] (http://www.festival.si.edu) on the national mall in Washington D.C. June 27 – July 1 and July 4-8, where Colonias Program director Oscar Muñoz talked about the project in a Smithsonian [video] (http://www.festival.si.edu/2012/texas-am-water-filter-project/) .

Other water project partners at Texas A&M include the [Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture] (http://tlac.tamu.edu) , the Mexican American and U.S. Latino Research Center and the [Academy for Visual and Performing Arts] (http://academyarts.tamu.edu) ; more partners include [Joy Pottery] (http://joypotterytx.com) and [Mud Creek Pottery] (http://mudcreekpottery.com/MudCreek/Welcome.html) .

The annual Smithsonian festival, which draws more than a million visitors yearly, celebrates international cultural heritage with a series of themed programs.