It was a picture-perfect Thursday morning; 72 degrees, clear skies, and sunlight dancing across the crystal-clear spring water. The bus pulled in right on time, and for a group of students from Plantation Oaks Elementary, the day ahead promised something new…an up-close glimpse into one of Florida’s most iconic natural treasures.
Students from Plantation Oaks Elementary School in Clay County were about to experience Silver Springs State Park, many for the very first time, as part of their Florida’s Spring Life unit. It was also a first for their teacher, Ms. Lapinski. Though she had long wanted to teach the unit, this was the first year she was able to bring it to life.
Ms. Lapinski guides students through a map of Silver Springs State Park, helping them navigate and better understand the landscape around them.
“If I’m going to teach about the springs, it’s integral for students to experience them,” said Lapinski, who teaches the gifted program. “It’s an abstract idea; you explain the aquifer, layers of rock, and how water flows through it. But to be there and actually see it helps make it real. It brings the abstract to a concrete level.”
To make that experience possible, Ms. Lapinski applied for and was awarded the Blue School Grant from the St. Johns River Water Management District. The grant covered the cost of the field trip for her third- through fifth-grade students, as well as access to Dr. Lesley Gamble’s professional underwater videos. Students first explored the springs from their classroom through the footage, then experienced them firsthand during a 90-minute glass-bottom boat tour at the park. For many students, opportunities like this would not be possible without the support of the Blue School Grant.
On the tour, students spotted manatees, alligators, otters, and a variety of birds as they cruised through the springs, listening closely as their guide brought the ecosystem to life.
“I kept hearing the students say, ‘I’ve never seen that,’ so many times,” Lapinski recalled. “It’s a dream come true for me to be able to share this experience with my students.”
Students observe a bug up close, connecting classroom learning with hands-on exploration in nature.
After the tour, students walked the boardwalk, examining the plants and wildlife they encountered along the way. Their curiosity was constant, with questions coming at every turn, pointing out turtles in the water, identifying bugs in the trees, and pausing to take in the serene space they got to spend the day in.
“Ms. Lapinski did exactly what we hope to see,” Education and Outreach Coordinator Ali Pressel explained. “She took a strong classroom concept and expanded it into a real-world encounter her students will remember for years.”
Each year, the Blue School Grant helps connect classrooms across the District’s 18 counties to Florida’s natural systems, removing barriers and bringing environmental education to life.
Thanks to the dedication of educators like Lapinski, and the opportunities made possible by the Blue School Grant, students aren’t just learning about water quality. They’re gaining the knowledge and personal connection needed to understand and protect Florida’s water resources.
The Blue School Grant program is open to kindergarten through 12th grade public and charter school teachers within the District’s 18 counties. The application period opens on Aug. 1. To learn more, visit the District’s website at www.sjrwmd.com/education/blue-school or explore an interactive StoryMap.
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