OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — For students at Tohopekaliga High School, learning about water conservation has included seeing firsthand how a local utility manages drinking water.
Students visited a Toho Water facility during the spring 2026 semester, connecting classroom lessons with the work involved in managing water resources and protecting the environment.
The visit highlights the hands-on learning accompanying conservation education in Osceola County, where about 3,000 students earned the Ducks Unlimited Ecology Conservation & Management Certification across the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, according to written responses provided on behalf of the school district.
Connecting science with conservation
The certification covers ecological principles, wildlife management and the conservation of habitats including forests, grasslands and wetlands. Ducks Unlimited uses iCEV as its certification testing platform.
The written responses identify participating schools including Celebration, Gateway, Liberty, Osceola, Poinciana, St. Cloud and Tohopekaliga high schools.
Photos provided by the district show Tohopekaliga students touring the water facility. Environmental science teacher Danielle Westfall and facility managers also participated, according to the accompanying information.
District reports higher biology scores
According to the written responses, the district compared biology coursework and exam results and found that students participating in the certification program scored higher on average than their peers.
The responses did not include numerical results, the size of the comparison groups or details about how the groups were selected. The information does not establish that the program caused the difference in scores.
The program introduces students to subjects relevant to conservation and natural resources careers. Earning the certification does not, by itself, establish that a student meets the qualifications for a particular professional position.
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