CAL WATER’S TAP INTO LEARNING WATER SMART GRANT (“Program”)
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR BE SELECTED
SPONSOR: California Water Service Company (“Cal Water”), 1720 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95112.
OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM: This is a Program providing funding to Teachers for teacher-led water projects for grades four through six (each a “Grant”) located in one of Cal Water’s regulated service areas (collectively, “Territory”). The Grant offers an opportunity for upper elementary teachers to supplement their students’ learning through water-based projects focused on caring for water, while addressing global and local California water concerns.
GRANTS: Grants will be awarded to a Teacher and the Grant shall consist of a gift card valued at $250.00 or $500.00 dependent upon the date of the application receipt. Each Grant will be issued with a Cal Water letter detailing the due date and content of the post-Grant award submission. Cal Water shall issue each Grant approved within thirty (30) days of Grant approval and Teacher agrees not to start the proposed project until receipt of the Grant; or if the Teacher begins before receiving funds, the Teacher does so at his/her own risk understanding that Cal Water has no financial liability (or any other liability) for the project. Any and all federal, state and local taxes associated with the receipt or use of a Grant are the sole responsibility of each recipient. Cal Water reserves the right to modify the terms of this section at any time.
ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible for this Program, a participant must be: [1] a Teacher engaged to teach in grades 4, 5 or 6; [2] teach at a school physically located within the Territory; and, [3] conduct a water-based project in their classroom focused on caring for water (conservation, quality, supply, etc.). All applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited. A Teacher shall not be excluded from eligibility if the Teacher is also a participant in any other Tap Into Learning sponsored program. A Teacher shall only be eligible to receive one (1) Grant in any given Calendar Year as defined below and may only submit one (1) application at a time.
ENTRY PERIOD: Grants will be awarded on a year-round basis and the entry period will be rolling throughout each year. This year’s Entry Period begins on July 1, 2026, and concludes on June 30, 2027.
APPLICATION: During the Entry Period, a Teacher may apply for a Grant by submitting a completed application found on the Tap Into Learning website http://challenge.calwater.com/. Each Grant application will be confirmed received by email to the Teacher at the email provided in the application. Teacher’s eligibility will require verification that Teacher’s school site is within the Territory and Cal Water reserves the right to reject any Application from an unverified location. There is no guarantee that an application will be awarded a Grant and Cal Water reserves the right to limit the number of Grants awarded in the Territory.
GRANT REQUIREMENTS: The award of a Grant shall bear with it the requirement that Teacher must complete a follow-up submission to Cal Water in accordance with the terms herein and the correspondence accompanying the Grant itself. Teacher has thirty (30) to ninety (90) days from the receipt of the Grant to submit the follow-up materials to Cal Water dependent upon the necessary time indicated in their application. The follow-up shall include at minimum: (i) a teacher reflection of no more than 500 words; (ii) up to five (5) student quotes/feedback of no more than 500 words; and, (iii) a picture of the teacher and/or project but no students depicted. All Submissions become the property of Cal Water and may be used by Cal Water in perpetuity.
PRIVACY: Cal Water will be collecting personal data about entrants. Cal Water will share this data in accordance with its privacy policy located on the internet at https://www.calwater.com/privacy-policy/.
GOVERNING LAW: By entering, each participant agrees that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, participant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Program, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of California.
USE OF SUBMISSIONS: Except as specifically provided for herein, by entering the Program, the Teacher agrees that all recordings, copyrights, trademarks, ideas, concepts, acts, poses and performances, including without limitation all material composed, added, created or interpolated by it, from the inception of creation and irrespective of stage of development or completion, that are embodied in the Submission (collectively, “Work”), are commissioned hereunder on a “work-for-hire” basis. In the event the Work is found not to be a work-made-for-hire, the Teacher hereby assigns, transfers and grants to Cal Water all rights, including all exclusive exploitation rights, of every kind and nature (including all copyrights and neighboring rights, to the extent such assignment is allowed by law), in and to such Work. Such grant includes the right to reproduce and publish the Work as set forth herein. By entering the Program, Teacher agrees to have their Submission displayed on the Cal Water website without any fee or other form of compensation and agree that Cal Water may use the Submission in non-commercial communications or provide the Submission to other individuals and organizations for non-commercial use, news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, and the like. Cal Water shall have no obligation (express or implied) to use any Submission, or to otherwise exploit any Submission, and Cal Water may at any time abandon the use of any Submission for any reason, with or without legal justification or excuse, and Teacher shall not be entitled to any damages or other relief by reason thereof.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Cal Water is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Program; any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access of the website; any injury or damage to participants or to any other person's computer(s) related to or resulting from participating in this Program, or downloading materials from or use of the website. Cal Water reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, modify or suspend this Program, should fraud, virus, bugs or other causes beyond the control of Cal Water corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Program. In no event will Cal Water be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of access to and use of the website http://challenge.calwater.com or the downloading from and/or printed material downloaded said site. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on this site is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement.
QUESTIONS: Questions or inquiries concerning these Rules should be submitted to Christy Colby at
[email protected]
