Imagine your high school being able to have an opportunity like no other. Located on the water, Riverview has it perks for instance, receiving the special grant they asked for last year.

Marine biology teachers Sharon Karasick and Gabe Wasserman applied for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant for watershed education on Dec. 18 in hopes of expanding their Stars to Starfish program. After applying for the non-repayable sum of money designed to help fund a new aspect of a program, they received $8,100 to purchase 20 kayaks and other equipment to use for educational purposes on the water and their program.

In order to receive a grant, teachers must have purposes that are educational, and for this specific grant, Karasick and Wasserman want students to collect and analyze data for Riverview's research about snook (a type of fish). They also plan to gather manmade solid material that has piled up in the creek over the years and collect data on it.

The teachers received their grant in the spring of 2020. Their plan is to have the program start this month. With the money they received they got 18 single-seat kayaks, 2 double-seat kayaks, 32 lifejackets and 2 lifeguard certifications.

Now that the program has the correct tools, teachers will be able to expand it to the program’s full potential.