- April 4, 2025
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Thomas Williams said everyone in his row was talking about how elementary school didn't look like this for them on March 28.
As the Chief Collaboration Officer with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Williams was attending the presentation of the STEM Classroom Makeover Grant by Florida Power & Light.
The grant, for which the foundation served as the fiduciary partner, will transform a classroom at the school into a space said to bring innovative technologies to different subject areas.
The subjects covered, in this case, don't limit to STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math), but also include art, music, science and PE.
"I have students who, as a Title 1 school, don't always have access to the things that we wish they would have, and we're going to get them that access," said science teacher Andrew Jaffee.
Provided through FPL's charitable arm, NextEra Energy Foundation, the grants serve Title 1 public, charter or private schools, or schools serving a minimum of 40% economically disadvantaged students.
FPL says for 2025, the grant program's fourth year, it has quadrupled it in size, expanding it to 20 grants across the state for $1 million.
A media release from FPL says the grants provide "cutting-edge technological resources, modern equipment and hands-on learning materials."
"This is an opportunity for students who have very little, to have so much more," said Jaffee. "Our goal was to think about what happens when they leave Alta Vista and are offered choices in middle school and high school. Are they going to be familiar with 3D printing? Are they going to be familiar with the tablets and the robotics and the programming enough to say, 'Yeah, that's what I want to do'?"
Jaffee said the school would have a sand table with a projection system that will allow students to visualize earth features; a river table simulating weathering, erosion and deposition; and a renewable energy center where students can power a city through hydro, wind or solar energy.
Some of the other features include a life sciences area, coding opportunities, iPads, robotics, a 3D printing area featuring scanners and digital design, and tools covering other subjects, such as radar guns for PE.
"I was really, really surprised," said Isabella Rojas, a fifth grader at the school. "I was like, oh my god, this is going to make a big difference in our school, like, a really big one."
She said the equipment would really show students "how science works."
"What I really give them a lot of credit for, too, is the specials," said Williams. "You usually hear, very focused on the regular courses, the core curriculum courses, that for him to just say, 'Hey, how can we enhance the specials and make them bigger, that's really exciting."
"We strongly believe that STEM education is the cornerstone of a prosperous future, and these grants will serve as a catalyst for fostering innovation, curiosity and lifelong learning in our communities," said Pam Rauch, FPL's vice president of external affairs and economic development, in a statement." We are honored to be able to grow the program to the benefit of even more students."
