The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $108,304 in grants to 51 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.
Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county.
The District awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in its northern region:
- Brooksville Elementary School - Amanda Cunningham-Rud (Hernando)
- Bushnell Elementary School - Jessica Hamilton (Sumter)
- Central High School - Rachel Kingdom (Hernando)
- Dunnellon Elementary School - Nancy Garvin (Marion)
- Inverness Middle School - Deanna Hadley (Citrus)
- Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School - Ashley Davin (Sumter)
- South Sumter High School - Thomas Allison (Sumter)
- South Sumter Middle School - Tiffany Ward (Sumter)
- Webster Elementary School - Christiane Horn (Sumter)
- Wildwood Intermediate School - Morgan Hansen (Sumter)
- Williston Elementary School - Ashley Hart (Levy)
- Wyomina Park Elementary School - Beth Lazar (Marion)
Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation. For more information, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.