David Mann, a science teacher at Santa Maria High School, first found out about Seeds of Hope when he went to a local science fair competition. He was competing against Ben Ayers, a junior high student who had designed and built a fiberglass prototype for a plastic biosand filter for Seeds of Hope. David was inspired by Ben’s idea because it was a project that could lead to saving people’s lives. David began learning all he could about the biosand filters, introducing the concept in his high school science classes and showing students how they can use science to make an impact on the world. In 2006, David was involved in a summer project with UCSB, which gave him a chance to research and test the biosand filter with high-tech equipment, and he was astonished by the results. In one experiment he tagged virus sized particles with a fluorescent tag and put them through the filter, expecting the filter to not trap such small particles. Instead, no virus sized particles made it through the filter in any of his tests; the biosand filter proved to be 99% effective in removing disease-causing bacteria from the water. In addition to using the biosand filter in his high school classes, David has also developed an elementary school 5th grade curriculum that is designed to familiarize students with the process of water filtration to clean water for drinking.   The goal is ultimately to also create a curriculum that can be used in Zambia to teach children about water quality and sanitation. David has taken his skills as a teacher and his passion for science and dedicated himself to a project that will impact many lives both at home and across the world.  
Chemistry Teacher Brings Nanofiltration to His Classroom
Check out David's Elementary Sand Filter Curriculum 2.pdf