<\/p>\n
Nine Lee County Public Schools were formally celebrated during the October 13, 2026, School Board meeting for their exceptional commitment to environmental education and conservation, earning designations as Everglades Champion Schools for the 2025\u20132026 school year.<\/p>\n
The Everglades Champion Schools Program, developed by The Everglades Foundation, honors Florida schools that embed STEM-based Everglades Literacy training, interdisciplinary PreK\u20135 curriculum, hands-on science projects, and environmental stewardship across their campuses.<\/p>\n
Among the honorees, three Lee County schools achieved the program\u2019s highest distinction: Gold Level Everglades Champion Schools.<\/p>\n
Hancock Creek Elementary School<\/p>\n
Hancock Creek Elementary earned the Gold Level distinction for the third consecutive year by weaving Everglades education directly into its school culture.<\/p>\n
The school implemented Everglades literacy lessons across all grade levels (K\u20135) and incorporated quality field experiences alongside interdisciplinary art and science initiatives. Fifth-grade “Everglades Ambassadors” led student-driven projects throughout the year, inviting families to sign an Everglades pledge and helping plan Earth Week activities. Highlights included an evening Everglades Musical written by art and music teachers and performed by second graders, as well as school-wide professional development for staff.<\/p>\n
“We are thrilled to be designated a Gold Level Everglades Champion school for the third year in a row\u201d said Hancock Creek Elementary Principal Dr. Cynthia Phillips-Luster. \u201cWe operate on the principle that students must learn to love the environment before they want to work to save it. Everglades education has become woven into the culture of our school. Our students demonstrate an eagerness to build upon their learning from previous years. Building this program into our school culture has fostered a love of the environment that is evident across our campus.”<\/p>\n
Hector A. Cafferata, Jr. K-8 School<\/p>\n
At Hector A. Cafferata, Jr. K-8 School, environmental education serves as one of three core magnet themes. Through outdoor learning and real-world conservation projects, students explore Florida\u2019s unique ecosystems and sustainability practices.<\/p>\n
“Being named a Gold Level Everglades Champion School is especially meaningful because it recognizes learning that extends far beyond the classroom,\u201d said Hector A. Cafferata Jr K-8 Principal Dr. Jason Kurtz. \u201cWe want our students to understand that they are part of something bigger, and they have the ability and responsibility to make a difference in the world around them. By developing an appreciation for the Everglades and Florida\u2019s unique environments, we are building the next generation of leaders and environmental stewards.”<\/p>\n
River Hall Elementary School<\/p>\n
River Hall Elementary earned top-tier Gold status by embedding environmental education and stewardship into every corner of its campus, demonstrating complete school-wide teacher participation and active student involvement in conservation projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarning the Gold Level distinction reflects our school community\u2019s deep commitment to empowering the next generation of environmental leaders,\u201d said River Hall Elementary Principal Jennifer Wilcken. \u201cBy embedding Everglades literacy into our classrooms, we give our students the tools and passion needed to understand, protect, and advocate for our unique ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four schools earned the Silver Level Everglades Champion School distinction:<\/p>\n
Harns Marsh Elementary School
\n Lee Virtual School
\n Pelican Elementary School
\n The Island School<\/p>\n
And two more earned the Bronze Level distinction:<\/p>\n
Bonita Springs Elementary School
\n Lehigh Elementary School<\/p>\n
The Everglades Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring America\u2019s Everglades through science, advocacy, and education, created the Everglades Literacy Program to empower educators and drive cultural change within local communities. As restoration efforts continue statewide, officials emphasize that long-term sustainability rests on the next generation understanding the ecological and economic value of Florida\u2019s wetlands. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nine Lee County Public Schools were formally celebrated during the October 13, 2026, School Board meeting for their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":428596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-428595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=428595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/428596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=428595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=428595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=428595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}