Pasco County students at six schools will study the issues surrounding our freshwater resources thanks to "Splash! school grants":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/schoolgrants/ from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The Pasco County awardees are:
* Donna Hoaque Koljeski, *Energy and Marine Center*, was awarded $2,700. Students will learn what a watershed is and how humans contribute to pollution entering a watershed. Through literature and hands-on experiments, students will experience visual representations of how wetlands absorb and clean water.
* Mary Lou Jordan, *Moore-Mickens Education Center*, was awarded $2,372. Students will maintain various plants and gardens while learning about water conservation through the use of rain barrels. They will also learn the importance of healthy water quality by using fertilizing practices that do not harm water resources.
* Lisa Decker, *Quail Hollow Elementary*, was awarded $1,798. On a field trip to the Florida Aquarium, students will learn about estuaries, specifically Tampa Bay, the rivers flowing into the bay, and the plants and animals that live there. Students will also test water quality and learn about the water cycle and watersheds in the classroom.
* Josh McCart, *River Ridge High*, was awarded $2,140. Students will track and compare water used in hydroponic gardening to water used in traditional gardening methods. Students will also learn about water quality as they test the water entering and leaving the garden and they will make podcasts to educate other students.
* Margaret Higgins, *Shady Hills Elementary*, was awarded $1,225. On a field trip to the Crystal Springs Preserve, students will learn the importance of the aquifer as a supply of freshwater. Students will also study the aquatic species and water quality of the Hillsborough River.
* Natalie Edgeman, *Zephyrhills High*, was awarded $2,998. Students will visit the Energy and Marine Center and the Crystal Springs Preserve to compare the ecology of an estuary and a spring. Students will also complete water and soil testing.
The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District's core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply. Splash! school grants provide up to $3,000 per school on a reimbursement basis and are available to public school teachers.
Melissa Gulvin, the District's K-12 education coordinator, said the grant program is important because Splash! Grants provide funding teachers may not otherwise have to create water-resources programs specific to their students.
"For instance, if a school's campus is near a local water body, students may conduct hands-on water testing and clean-ups while learning how their actions affect the health of that local water body and the surrounding watershed," she said.
This year, 94 Splash! grants were awarded across the District's 16-county region to educate students on water resources. Splash! grant projects include student monitoring of local water quality, environmental field studies and school or community outreach campaigns designed to encourage water conservation.
In addition to Splash! grant funding, the District offers free teacher professional development workshops and curriculum materials. The publications are correlated to Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards and can be ordered on the District's website at "WaterMatters.org/publications/":http://www.WaterMatters.org/publications/.
The Pasco County awardees are:
* Donna Hoaque Koljeski, *Energy and Marine Center*, was awarded $2,700. Students will learn what a watershed is and how humans contribute to pollution entering a watershed. Through literature and hands-on experiments, students will experience visual representations of how wetlands absorb and clean water.
* Mary Lou Jordan, *Moore-Mickens Education Center*, was awarded $2,372. Students will maintain various plants and gardens while learning about water conservation through the use of rain barrels. They will also learn the importance of healthy water quality by using fertilizing practices that do not harm water resources.
* Lisa Decker, *Quail Hollow Elementary*, was awarded $1,798. On a field trip to the Florida Aquarium, students will learn about estuaries, specifically Tampa Bay, the rivers flowing into the bay, and the plants and animals that live there. Students will also test water quality and learn about the water cycle and watersheds in the classroom.
* Josh McCart, *River Ridge High*, was awarded $2,140. Students will track and compare water used in hydroponic gardening to water used in traditional gardening methods. Students will also learn about water quality as they test the water entering and leaving the garden and they will make podcasts to educate other students.
* Margaret Higgins, *Shady Hills Elementary*, was awarded $1,225. On a field trip to the Crystal Springs Preserve, students will learn the importance of the aquifer as a supply of freshwater. Students will also study the aquatic species and water quality of the Hillsborough River.
* Natalie Edgeman, *Zephyrhills High*, was awarded $2,998. Students will visit the Energy and Marine Center and the Crystal Springs Preserve to compare the ecology of an estuary and a spring. Students will also complete water and soil testing.
The goal of the Splash! school grant program is to provide teachers with funding to enhance student knowledge of topics that meet the District's core mission and teach students about their local watersheds, water conservation, quality and supply. Splash! school grants provide up to $3,000 per school on a reimbursement basis and are available to public school teachers.
Melissa Gulvin, the District's K-12 education coordinator, said the grant program is important because Splash! Grants provide funding teachers may not otherwise have to create water-resources programs specific to their students.
"For instance, if a school's campus is near a local water body, students may conduct hands-on water testing and clean-ups while learning how their actions affect the health of that local water body and the surrounding watershed," she said.
This year, 94 Splash! grants were awarded across the District's 16-county region to educate students on water resources. Splash! grant projects include student monitoring of local water quality, environmental field studies and school or community outreach campaigns designed to encourage water conservation.
In addition to Splash! grant funding, the District offers free teacher professional development workshops and curriculum materials. The publications are correlated to Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards and can be ordered on the District's website at "WaterMatters.org/publications/":http://www.WaterMatters.org/publications/.