February 26, 2025
The Everglades Foundation’s Everglades Literacy Program empowers the next generation of Everglades conservation stewards by providing free PreK-12 educational resources to teachers and schools across the state of Florida. Thanks to the dedication of our education team and the enthusiasm of hundreds of committed educators, the program’s impact and reach has continued to grow. Our Everglades Champion Schools program is a shining example of that growth.
What is an Everglades Champion School, And How Has Its Impact Expanded Across Florida?
Our K-12 Everglades Champion Schools program incentivizes and empowers schools to find their Everglades potential by focusing on curriculum, projects, and practices that become a part of their school culture. This year, we’ve seen a record number of schools participate in the program, making strides all year long to implement their Everglades literacy efforts to become a recognized Everglades Champion School.
Of the 122 schools across 17 counties that have participated to-date, 41 schools are new first-year participants, marking a significant expansion of the program’s reach.
This growth reflects increasing interest in environmental education and the protection of the Everglades in our state, as schools across grade levels engage students in hands-on learning and conservation efforts.
How Do Everglades Champion Schools Create Tangible Impacts for Their Communities?
The journey for middle schools and high schools participating in our 6-12 Everglades Champions in Action program involves several stages, beginning with teacher training and evolving into a school-wide movement. The Everglades Foundation’s education team prepares teachers and students to be informed, active citizens who can make positive changes in their communities.
Schools select their projects based on key issues in their schools and communities, then build a plan around the issue to enact change. For the 2023-2024 school year, 56% of Champion School projects focused on water quantity or quality, 25% on habitat degradation, 13% on endangered or threatened species in the Everglades, and 6% on invasive species of the Everglades.
A few examples of civic action taken by Everglades Champion Schools this year were led by students and teachers in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties – two of the largest school districts in the United States.
At American Heritage School in Palm Beach, middle school students received approval to deploy a floating wetland on their school campus. After carefully strategizing their action plan, students presented their proposal to the school’s leadership and sought approval from the local water management district.
The project aims to enhance water quality in the campus retention pond, with the added benefit of reducing nutrient pollution runoff that can negatively impact the Everglades ecosystem. By improving water quality locally, the floating wetland will help reduce the flow of harmful contaminants into the waterways, contributing to the long-term health and preservation of this critical natural resource.
In Miami-Dade’s School for Advanced Studies - Wolfson campus, students presented at the City of Miami Beach Youth Commission meeting on October 15, 2024. Student members of the school’s Environmental Club stood before the panel and made a motion requesting the Mayor and Commission to consider incentivizing local Miami Beach businesses to participate in composting pickup services.
The Commission passed a motion in support of the Youth Commission’s proposal by a 4-0 vote, and logistics for implementing the proposal are taking shape. This success marks an exciting step forward in fostering sustainability in the community, and the students are eager to see their efforts come to fruition.
Everglades Champion Schools Recognition at Statewide School Board Meetings
Along with the strides made in their local communities, Everglades Champion Schools across Florida have also earned recognition at School Board meetings, highlighting the program’s increasing impact.
Most recently, seven public schools from Palm Beach, three from St. Lucie, one from Hillsborough, five from Collier, one from Manatee, one from Osceola, and one from Charlotte counties have been recognized.
The growing recognition at some of the highest levels of our state’s education system reflects the meaningful opportunities that our Everglades Champion Schools program offers to teachers.
“These opportunities not only enhance literacy-based instruction, but also create a highly engaging learning environment… It is crucial for our students to develop a profound understanding of the source of our water supply, how to safeguard it, and how to further protect the diverse species that contribute to the ecosystem, which is vital for the well-being of future generations.” - Teacher from Floresta Elementary, a Silver-level Everglades Champion School.
To learn more about our Everglades Champion Schools program, visit https://www.evergladesliteracy.org/champions.
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