Southwest Florida Water Management District’s grant will benefit Bailey and Knights Elementary Schools and Plant City High School students.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has recently announced the allocation of $108,304 in grants to support water resources education projects in the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. Fifty-one educators within the district have been awarded grants of up to $3,000 each to facilitate engaging and hands-on learning experiences for students in four topics: water cycle basics, freshwater or estuary ecosystems, water quality and water supply and conversation.
The district has recognized and awarded grants to the following local schools and teachers:
Bailey Elementary School- Tara Vaughn
Knights Elementary School- Caylee Thompson
Plant City High School- Hayley Schemmel
Thompson, a third-grade teacher at Knights Elementary, was awarded $700 to provide a hands-on learning experience that correlates with grade-level standards regarding classifying plants and animals. She’ll be using the funds to purchase a half-day exploration program from Mad Science. “They will come out and give a hands-on demonstration for the entire third grade,” she said. “We were also able to get funds to purchase project consumables for the teachers to continue the learning in their classrooms- materials such as copy paper, binding for student passports and packs of markers.”
Bailey Elementary School science teacher Tara Vaughn said her school was awarded $2,251.49 to take third grade students on a field trip to Crystal Springs Preserve in Zephyrhills. “At Crystal Springs Preserve students will participate in a program called Hanging Out in the Habitat where they will explore wilderness areas and be introduced to native and non-native species found along the Hillsborough River and local springs,” said Vaughn.
As part of the grant students will participate in lessons provided by the SWFWMD ” Life in Florida’s Freshwater Wetland Communities,” which will provide students with background knowledge before going on the field trip. They’re also required to complete a post-activity to share what they learned. Students will create posters visualizing the importance of wetlands and a library display on wetlands and Florida habitats. “We are very excited for this experience, all of the activities and the program at Crystal Springs Preserve are academic-based and connect in some way to our Science standards,” said Vaughn.
Students will also receive a book, “The Florida Water Story: The Wetlands of Florida” to keep as a remembrance of the experience.
For more information about these grants and the water education programs they support, visit WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.
