Blue School Grants Inspire Students to Protect Florida’s Water

What happens when you hand students a test tube, a field notebook and an opportunity to explore Florida’s water resources up close? You spark curiosity, build confidence and grow the next generation of environmental stewards.

The St. Johns River Water Management District’s (District) Blue School Grant Program does just that, and applications for the 2025–2026 school year open Aug. 1. Up to $60,000 in grant funding is available for K–12 public and charter schools across the District’s 18-county region.

Teachers can receive up to $3,000 for their school to bring water-focused STEM learning to life through projects, field trips and equipment that take science lessons from the page to the real world.

Since launching in 2016, the Blue School Grant Program has funded 115 projects, supported 85 schools and reached more than 15,500 students. These experiences help students connect what they learn in the classroom to the ecosystems right outside their door.

Just ask fourth grader Lucas Rivera from Galileo School for Gifted Learning in Seminole County. His class visited Blue Spring State Park to observe manatees and collect water samples, then built homemade water filters back in the classroom. Inspired by what he learned, Lucas later spoke to the District’s Governing Board about the importance of protecting water resources.

Students at Wekiva High School plant mangroves in the school’s aquaponic garden, funded by the Blue School Grant Program.

“Blue School Grants give students the opportunity to step outside the classroom and become scientists, observers and stewards of Florida’s environment,” said Ali Pressel, the District’s education and outreach coordinator. “It’s amazing to see how quickly their confidence and curiosity grow when they realize they can make a real difference in their local ecosystems.”

From aquaponics gardens at Wekiva High School to St. Johns River water quality research at Alfred I. duPont Middle School, these projects show students that their ideas and actions matter, not just for a science grade, but for the future of Florida’s water.

Teachers and schools may apply individually or as part of a teaching team from Aug. 1 through Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. For details, examples of past projects and application instructions, visit sjrwmd.com/education/blue-school.

Because when students see the impact they can have on the world around them, they don’t just learn about science — they become stewards of it.