An interdisciplinary and context-driven course focused on global water issues was developed and taught at the college level. Students designed a semester-long research project, collected and analyzed data, and ultimately presented their results and conclusions to the larger community. As a result of the course, students' science literacy improved as did their curiosity and confidence in the science field. Students self-reported that they were more interested in the topic and saw connections to the course and other disciplines and real-world issues. They concluded that their ability to think through a problem increased as a result of the course. Finally, students reported that their enthusiasm and appreciation for the subject increased over the semester. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)