R.J. Murray Middle School Receives FPL Grant to Enhance STEM Programs
ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida (April 9, 2025)—When R.J. Murray Middle School teacher Justin Matthews took on the school’s STEM program, he knew he would need to be creative in providing his students with the best experience and outcomes. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) NextEra Energy Foundation, Matthews can take STEM programming at Murray to the next level. The grant was officially presented by FPL at R.J. Murray Middle School on Wednesday, April 9th, at 9am.
“The STEM program started from very humble beginnings,” says Justin Matthews, STEM Teacher at R.J. Murray Middle School. “The equipment we did have was outdated, and funding was extremely scarce. We’ve done our best, but many of our STEM projects have experienced interruptions and setbacks due to a lack of resources. This grant will help transform our classroom into an actual STEM lab to inspire our students to learn through hands-on exploration and dynamic learning experiences.”
“At RJ Murray Middle School, we believe when students are empowered with opportunity, knowledge, and inspiration – they rise,” said Dr. Esther Seward, R.J. Murray Middle School Principal. “We are extremely grateful to FPL and honored to be the recipient of this grant.” The STEM Classroom Makeover Grant from FPL’s charitable arm, NextEra Energy Foundation, is intended to provide transformational learning opportunities for students in K-12 public schools and eligible charter or private schools designated as Title 1 or serving a minimum of 40 percent economically disadvantaged students. The grant is part of FPL’s commitment to support innovation and technology in schools. The grant was awarded to only 20 schools in FPL’s service area.
Matthews’ approach was noticeably innovative in that students will learn by participating in the classroom makeover. With these much-needed funds, Matthews and his students will convert the classroom into a STEM lab by updating equipment like sinks, monitors, refrigerators, cameras, and Sphero Bolt+ robots and creating storage to protect the classroom’s robotics materials. The school will also expand its hydroponic gardening capabilities, which, in the past, have suffered from hurricane damage. The St. Johns County Education Foundation, Inc., operating as Investing in Kids (INK!), will serve as the fiduciary agent for the grant funds.
“We’re thrilled to see Mr. Matthews and the students at R.J. Murray Middle School receive such a prestigious grant award,” said Cathy Newman, INK!’s Executive Director. “This investment will help secure resources that support STEM programming and bolster educational opportunities for our children.”
ABOUT INVESTING IN KIDS: The St. Johns County Education Foundation, Inc., which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), promotes success for all St. Johns County public school students and teachers by providing innovative programs, teacher support, classroom resources, and scholarships to benefit more than 52,000 students and approximately 3,200 teachers. INK! is a 501(c)3 education foundation with offices at 1 Christopher St. in St. Augustine. Photos to accompany this release may be found here. Learn more at ink-stjohns.org and follow along on Facebook @InvestingInKids and Instagram @INK_InvestingInKids
