Sept. 6 is deadline for District’s Blue School Grant Program applications

With a Blue School Grant, students from Sea Side Charter School–Beaches visited Guana Preserve and Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park to test water quality, sein for fish and become more familiar with local variations in ecosystems they have been learning about in class.

Up to $20,000 in funds budgeted

PALATKA, Fla., Aug. 7, 2019 — Teachers have just one more month, until Sept. 6, to apply for a Blue School Grant for education projects to enhance student knowledge about Florida’s water resources.

The St. Johns River Water Management District is offering up to $20,000 in grants for education projects that promote hands-on learning about water resources. Over the last three funding cycles, the district has funded 33 Blue School projects, for a cumulative total of $46,550. The program has directly impacted nearly 3,550 students.

Up to $2,000 per teacher per school will be awarded to middle and high school teachers to enhance student knowledge of Florida’s water resources. Public and charter school teachers within the district’s boundaries are eligible to apply.

Grants may be awarded in three areas: fresh water resources field study, water conserving landscape projects, or water conservation community/school awareness campaigns.

Examples of successful grant applications include:

• Water quality comparison of stormwater ponds on campus
• Field trip to Silver Springs for soil and water sampling
• Water unit in senior English class where students learned about water scarcity and created informative diagrams, flyers and presentations for the community
• Field trips to organic and conventional farms
• Seagrass restoration project
• Water conservation awareness posters and video

Teachers receiving grants will be notified on Oct. 1.

Information about criteria and deadlines and the online application can be found at www.sjrwmd.com/education/blueschool.

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