Sarasota County students at eight 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 Sarasota County awardees are:
* Celestine Campbell, *Emma E. Booker Elementary*, was awarded $1,070. On a field trip to Emerson Point Preserve, students will learn about the habitats and wildlife adaptations of an estuary. They will also learn what a watershed is and the importance of protecting it.
* Kelly Griffith, *Gocio Elementary*, was awarded $104. Students will learn about the water cycle, watersheds and human impact on water resources through use of the watershed model, water-related books and other classroom resources. Students will create announcements for the morning news show and design posters to educate other students about water conservation.
* Mary Compton, *Gulf Gate Elementary*, was awarded $520. Students will complete classroom activities to learn about watersheds and water quality. They will learn more about these topics on a field trip to Oscar Scherer State Park where students will test water quality and analyze aquatic animal samples.
* Marilyn Schwartz, *Gulf Gate Elementary*, was awarded $1,755. Students will explore the different species interacting within the ecosystems at Oscar Scherer State Park. Students will learn the importance of these ecosystems to the health of water bodies and freshwater resources and will create projects to educate other students in the school.
* Kevin Feaster, *Lakeview Elementary*, was awarded $1,755. Students will learn how habitat restoration is important to water-resources management while on a field trip to Oscar Scherer State Park. Students will learn about animal species, most specifically the scrub jay, and learn to identify native versus non-native plants.
* Barbara Stella, *Laurel Nokomis School*, was awarded $1,064. On a field trip to Bay Preserve, students will learn what a watershed is and the importance of protecting it. Students will learn to test water quality and research practices in urban landscaping and development that may reduce human impacts to local watersheds and water quality.
* Lauren Watson, *Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences*, was awarded $1,980. Students will learn to test water quality and soils and conduct tests on field trips to Mote Marine Laboratory, Myakka River State Park and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Students will also learn about estuaries, mangrove habitats and wetlands, and they will create posters and brochures to educate others.
* Nina Henderson, *Suncoast Polytechnical High*, was awarded $2,999. On a field trip to Myakka River State Park, students will learn about their local watershed and the upland and wetland habitats within it. Students will discuss pollutants found during water quality testing and learn about the food web and native versus invasive species.
* Jennafer Slanger, *Toledo Blade Elementary*, was awarded $2,960. On a field trip to Mote Marine Laboratory, students will learn about the importance of estuaries and identify plants and animals that live in their local estuary, Sarasota Bay. Students will also learn about the water cycle and promote water conservation around their school.
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. Past 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 Sarasota County awardees are:
* Celestine Campbell, *Emma E. Booker Elementary*, was awarded $1,070. On a field trip to Emerson Point Preserve, students will learn about the habitats and wildlife adaptations of an estuary. They will also learn what a watershed is and the importance of protecting it.
* Kelly Griffith, *Gocio Elementary*, was awarded $104. Students will learn about the water cycle, watersheds and human impact on water resources through use of the watershed model, water-related books and other classroom resources. Students will create announcements for the morning news show and design posters to educate other students about water conservation.
* Mary Compton, *Gulf Gate Elementary*, was awarded $520. Students will complete classroom activities to learn about watersheds and water quality. They will learn more about these topics on a field trip to Oscar Scherer State Park where students will test water quality and analyze aquatic animal samples.
* Marilyn Schwartz, *Gulf Gate Elementary*, was awarded $1,755. Students will explore the different species interacting within the ecosystems at Oscar Scherer State Park. Students will learn the importance of these ecosystems to the health of water bodies and freshwater resources and will create projects to educate other students in the school.
* Kevin Feaster, *Lakeview Elementary*, was awarded $1,755. Students will learn how habitat restoration is important to water-resources management while on a field trip to Oscar Scherer State Park. Students will learn about animal species, most specifically the scrub jay, and learn to identify native versus non-native plants.
* Barbara Stella, *Laurel Nokomis School*, was awarded $1,064. On a field trip to Bay Preserve, students will learn what a watershed is and the importance of protecting it. Students will learn to test water quality and research practices in urban landscaping and development that may reduce human impacts to local watersheds and water quality.
* Lauren Watson, *Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences*, was awarded $1,980. Students will learn to test water quality and soils and conduct tests on field trips to Mote Marine Laboratory, Myakka River State Park and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Students will also learn about estuaries, mangrove habitats and wetlands, and they will create posters and brochures to educate others.
* Nina Henderson, *Suncoast Polytechnical High*, was awarded $2,999. On a field trip to Myakka River State Park, students will learn about their local watershed and the upland and wetland habitats within it. Students will discuss pollutants found during water quality testing and learn about the food web and native versus invasive species.
* Jennafer Slanger, *Toledo Blade Elementary*, was awarded $2,960. On a field trip to Mote Marine Laboratory, students will learn about the importance of estuaries and identify plants and animals that live in their local estuary, Sarasota Bay. Students will also learn about the water cycle and promote water conservation around their school.
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. Past 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/.