Blue School Grant sparks passion for water in fourth grader Lucas Rivera

The Governing Board listens intently as Lucas shares his passion for water.

At the most recent St. Johns River Water Management Governing Board meeting, fourth grade student Lucas Rivera from Galileo School for Gifted Learning lit up the room with inspiration as he shared heartfelt thanks for the Blue School Grant—and the powerful impact it has had on his education.

Lucas traveled from Sanford to Palatka to personally thank the board for funding the grant that made his classroom’s hands-on learning experience possible. Assistant Principal Mrs. Samantha Patterson, teacher Ms. Jill Singh-Gill and his proud parents joined him in support as he spoke about the experience that ignited his passion for clean water.

The Blue School Grant program aims to provide students with a lasting appreciation for Florida’s water—and in Lucas’s case, it did just that and more. After receiving the grant, Lucas and his classmates visited Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida, where they collected their own water samples for testing, measured tree trunks and observed manatees floating in the spring and St. Johns River.

Before addressing the Governing Board, Lucas toured the District’s lab, where water samples from across the District’s waterways are tested for quality.

Back in the classroom, students became environmental scientists. Using supplies the grant funded, they built water filters from plastic bottles, charcoal, rocks, coffee filters and sand. They tested water from the spring, their school, puddles and even their own homes. The experience opened Lucas’s eyes to how fortunate his community is to have access to clean, drinkable water—something many communities around the world lack.

“Water is life,” Lucas told the board. “We cannot live without water, so we have to protect it and keep it clean.”

Ali Pressel, the District’s education and outreach coordinator who oversees the Blue School Grant program, was thrilled to see how deeply Lucas connected with the lessons made possible by the grant. “Seeing a student travel to thank our board in person and speak so passionately about what he learned is exactly why the Blue School grant program exists,” Pressel explains. “It’s about sparking curiosity, promoting hands-on science and helping students understand the value of our water resources.”

Thanks to the dedication of educators like Patterson and Singh-Gill—and the opportunities made possible by the Blue School Grant—students like Lucas aren’t just learning about water quality. They’re developing a lasting appreciation for natural resources and gaining the tools and inspiration to become tomorrow’s water stewards.

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.