3 Carrollwood Teachers Awarded Grants for Water Education Projects

Two Carrollwood public school teachers and one private school teacher have been awarded Splash! grants that will help educate their students about local water resources.

Awarded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District to help students learn about Florida water protection and conservation, teachers were required to state their objective using Sunshine State Standards to promote the use of science and technology.

In Carrollwood, Jennifer Fritz, Gaither High School, will receive $1,400. Students will conduct field studies, performing water quality and soil tests and taking biological surveys.

Kindergarten lab director Sara White, A.T. Jones Math, Science & Technology Academy, will receive $2,600. Students will conduct a field study, learning about the estuarine and freshwater ecosystems of Tampa Bay.

“This is our second year receiving the grant. It is only given to a select number of recipients,” explained White. “We are going to Tampa Bay Estuary for a field trip to study animals in the Tampa Bay body of water and effects on ecological development.”

Participating in this study will be 65 kindergarten students and five teachers.

“We do pre-test and post-test assessment results to show what the students have learned,” said White. “We are making a class book and publishing some of the students’ writing.”

In addition to the county’s public schools, Lee Academy for Gifted Education was the only Carrollwood private school to receive an award.

Science teacher Sharon Mejia, who teaches multiple levels of students, will use the $1,241 grant to further community spirit. She plans to have all grades participate in planting gardens in the spring and record water usage and plant growth.

“Students will then calculate the efficiency of each type of garden (traditional, Earthbox, hydroponic, etc.). Older students are in charge of physically building the garden and helping the very young students with planting in the garden,” said Mejia. “One group is in charge of composting which will produce fertile soil needed for the gardens.”

Older children will be responsible for growing and building their own gardens and Mejia hopes to have a farmer’s market the end of the spring where students can sell some of their harvest to the community. Other portions of the garden will be donated to the Food Bank of Tampa.

“This project will also entail field trips to test the soil, learn about gardens and how to use compost in the garden,” said Mejia. “Students will become scientists and farmers as they learn about problem- solving, pollution and becoming a more sustainable environment.”

To find out more about Swiftmud's Splash! grants, visit the district online.