Pinellas County students at 12 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 Pinellas County awardees are:
* Irene Seybold, *Cross Bayou Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Christoper Cartier, *Eisenhower Elementary*, was awarded $2,900. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Leigh Loveland, *Forest Lakes Elementary*, was awarded $2,998. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Jennifer Shuman, *Frontier Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Leslie Pohley, *Largo Middle*, was awarded $2,810. Students will learn about water-conserving gardening methods while visiting the Largo Botanical Gardens. Students will plant a garden at their school and sample water and soil. Students will also create water-saving messages to educate others at school and in the community.
* Natasha Coles, *Madeira Beach Fundamental Elementary*, was awarded $2,976. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Ted Anderson, *New Heights Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Carla March, *Ozona Elementary*, was awarded $1,800. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Denise Johnson, *Pasadena Fundamental Elementary*, was awarded $2,998. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Donna Blanton, *Pinellas Park Elementary*, was awarded $2,875. Students will tour Weedon Island Preserve and learn about upland and freshwater habitats and how their actions can affect these habitats and the watershed they live in. Students will design brochures and pledges to educate others on what they learn.
* Mistie Meditz, *Skyview Elementary*, was awarded $2,470. Students will visit Sawgrass Lake to learn about the surrounding habitats and journey of water and pollutants to and from the lake. Students will also visit Tampa Bay Watch to conduct water quality testing and study aquatic plants and animals.
* Megan Barnitz, *Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle*, was awarded $2,030. Students will learn how living and nonliving things affect the Tampa Bay watershed. Students will also conduct water quality testing at MOSI and build robotic sensors that move in and out of wetland areas to collect or test water in the MOSI Back Woods.
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 Pinellas County awardees are:
* Irene Seybold, *Cross Bayou Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Christoper Cartier, *Eisenhower Elementary*, was awarded $2,900. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Leigh Loveland, *Forest Lakes Elementary*, was awarded $2,998. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Jennifer Shuman, *Frontier Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Leslie Pohley, *Largo Middle*, was awarded $2,810. Students will learn about water-conserving gardening methods while visiting the Largo Botanical Gardens. Students will plant a garden at their school and sample water and soil. Students will also create water-saving messages to educate others at school and in the community.
* Natasha Coles, *Madeira Beach Fundamental Elementary*, was awarded $2,976. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Ted Anderson, *New Heights Elementary*, was awarded $3,000. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Carla March, *Ozona Elementary*, was awarded $1,800. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Denise Johnson, *Pasadena Fundamental Elementary*, was awarded $2,998. On a field trip to Fort De Soto Park, students will learn about water quality while discovering how water drains across a watershed and picks up pollutants before draining into a larger water body such as Tampa Bay.
* Donna Blanton, *Pinellas Park Elementary*, was awarded $2,875. Students will tour Weedon Island Preserve and learn about upland and freshwater habitats and how their actions can affect these habitats and the watershed they live in. Students will design brochures and pledges to educate others on what they learn.
* Mistie Meditz, *Skyview Elementary*, was awarded $2,470. Students will visit Sawgrass Lake to learn about the surrounding habitats and journey of water and pollutants to and from the lake. Students will also visit Tampa Bay Watch to conduct water quality testing and study aquatic plants and animals.
* Megan Barnitz, *Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle*, was awarded $2,030. Students will learn how living and nonliving things affect the Tampa Bay watershed. Students will also conduct water quality testing at MOSI and build robotic sensors that move in and out of wetland areas to collect or test water in the MOSI Back Woods.
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/.