Why are water bottle fundraisers gaining popularity in schools? The answer might have something to do with the results of a recent study from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

The nationwide study found that more than half of children and teenagers in the United States may not be properly hydrated, and one in four kids drink no water during the course of their day.

Keeping youth hydrated is essential to their health and well-being, and experts have one resounding message: schools need to do a better job of providing kids access to clean drinking water, all day long.

Water bottle fundraisers encourage kids to break away from high-sugar drinks and get back to basics. By putting the bottle in their hands, and by providing easy access to water throughout the day, kids are picking up healthy habits that last.

For example, after New York school officials quietly introduced electronic drinking water dispensers near lunch lines, they discovered that the kids drank water nearly three times more because the dispensers made the water easier to get.

It’s simple. If kids are encouraged to drink the water that is available to them, they will. And water bottle fundraisers can create a buzz and get kids—and families—excited about it.