Aquaculture comes to the classroom
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Marine Fisheries Enhancement Center has been working with school administrators, teachers and students to bring Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement Research into the classroom for more than two decades, according to an FWC news release.
The Aquaculture program is designed for students from fifth grade through college, and aims to teach students the basic principles of aquaculture, marine research and how stock enhancement plays a role in supporting Florida’s marine fisheries.
Over the past two years, the FWC has partnered with the Duke Energy Mariculture Center and the Coastal Conservation Association that provided hatchery-reared red drum fingerlings to several participating schools, along with the Energy and Marine Center in Pasco County, the release said.
Through the partnership, school classrooms participating in the Aquaculture program were provided with the fingerlings, starter feed and technical advice on how to raise the fingerlings. Information on system development and grant opportunities also are provided.
At the end of the school year, the fingerlings are harvested and transferred to another facility or returned to the FWC to be used for outreach and education exhibits.
Through the program, FWC biologists work with teachers to develop curriculum that meets Florida Sunshine State Standards and provides students the opportunity to design aquaculture (fish-raising) systems, perform daily animal husbandry (care) routines, and conduct research projects such as salinity tolerance tests, feed studies, and water quality/chemistry investigations, the release said.
To learn more about the program, or to refer a teacher or school, email ">.
Student achievement
Kali Christie, of Dade City, has been named to the fall Dean’s List at the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Scholarship applications
Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley is now accepting applications for the Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) Scholarship.
Applications for the scholarship can be accessed online at PascoVotes.gov, and are due in the supervisor’s office by March 10.
The association will award four $1,200 scholarships statewide to a political science, public or business administration, or journalism/mass communications major.
Applicants must be registered Florida voters and have lived in the state for at least the preceding two years. Those applying also must be at least a junior in college.
Students must be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida and have at least a C average or above for the previous year.
Additional requirements, guidelines, and eligibility information can be found at PascoVotes.gov by selecting the 2023 FSE Scholarship Application under “Noteworthy” on the homepage.
Applicants will be personally interviewed by Corley, who will then select one finalist from Pasco County for consideration by the FSE Scholarship Committee.
Financial aid tips
The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) offers these financial aid tips for students and their families:
- Net price calculators can be used to estimate college costs. Graduating high school students can get an idea of how much it may cost to attend a college or technical school by using the school’s net price calculator. The calculator gives families a clearer idea of expenses at each school, so they can compare, plan and save. Students and parents must enter information about the student’s academic record and the parents’ finances to get a net price estimate for the cost of attending a trade school, two-year community college or four-year school. Families should look at the net price, not the net cost. The net price is how much a family can expect to pay toward a student’s technical or college education, including loans.
- Know your school’s satisfactory academic progress standards. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is an important phrase in the language of student aid, according to KHEAA. The SAP comes into play after a student has taken college or technical school classes and is applying for student aid for the next school year. All colleges that award federal student aid must have SAP standards, which are based on three areas: GPA, pace and maximum time frame. The GPA students may vary by school, major and whether a student is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. To meet the pace standard, students must pass a certain percentage of classes they take in a given period of time. Maximum time frame means students have to finish their degree within a given number of attempted credit hours.
KHEAA is a public nonprofit agency that helps to improve students’ access to college, by providing information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students or parents.
For more information, visit KHEAA.com.
