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Seven Texas Education Projects Receive more than $108,000 from EPA

Release Date: 11/4/2004
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      Seven Texas projects received Environmental Education (EE) grants totaling $108,276 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The EE program supports environmental education projects that enhance the public's ability to make informed and responsible decisions about the environment.

      "The creativity, enthusiasm and commitment of these students and their adult sponsors will help ensure that our environment is protected for future generations. The projects are powerful examples of what can be accomplished when concerned individuals work together to improve their neighborhoods and communities," EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said.

      The National Wildlife Federation in Austin received $17,000 for its "Earth Tomorrow" project, an interdisciplinary after-school and summer program in environmental education and leadership for under-served high school students.  The project's goal is to increase environmental education and leadership in today's youth by increasing their environmental literacy.  

      Texas Southern University in Houston received $15,100 for its "Environmental Education for Environmental Justice" project to educate local residents and community leaders on environmental justice, environmental planning, and urban revitalization through six interactive, hands-on workshops. Workshops will give participants a foundation in environmental systems and the regulations which frame the field of environmental planning.  
      The Nature Heritage Society in Houston received $15,000 for its "American Naturetum Initiative" to help respond to increasing requests by urban public schools and the Texas Education Agency for environmental education curriculum fostering greater achievements on statewide standardized testing protocols.  The initiative will provide field trips for more than 500 youths, 30 teachers and park professionals who will be exposed to natural science, history, environmental technology and environmental careers.  The society will partner with the Houston Independent School District and the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

      The Center for Responsible Environmental Strategies in Austin received $15,000 for its "Reducing Water use Along the Border" project.  The center will provide residents along the Texas-Mexico border information on protecting their water supply, including recognizing the sources of water supply, consumption, conservation and how water quantity impacts water quality.  

      Pace University in White Plains, New York, received $12,095 for its "Power Scorecard and Education Outreach" project.  This web-based educational tool is designed to inform consumers about cleaner, greener electricity supplies.  Pace University will conduct workshops involving local community organizational partners in Texas to make Power Scorecard education resources useful to retail electricity consumers.  The workshops aim to build a network of partner organizations who will carry on grassroots consumer education.

      American YouthWorks of Austin received $16,381 for its "Traveling Bull Creek Wetlands Awareness Workshop" to raise wetland, watershed, and water quality awareness in the Austin and Round Rock area schools.  The project will combine outreach tools and materials, including a working wetlands model showing the dynamics of a wetland, to demonstrate how everyday lifestyles impact wetlands, watersheds and water quality.

      Keep Texas Beautiful of Austin received $17,700 for its "Stop Trashing Texas - It's the Law," project to promote workshops in geographically and economically diverse areas in Texas addressing the elimination of illegal dumping.  Efforts will concentrate on law enforcement representatives such as code enforcement, police officers and sheriffs' office representatives.

      Since 1992, Congress has annually appropriated almost $3 million to EPA to award EE grants.  The competition for EE grants is considerable, and about 200 grants are funded annually from among more than 1,000 applications received.

      More information on EE grants awarded this year in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas is available at http://epa.gov/region6/6xa/grants2004.pdf.  More information on the EE grant program and how to apply for grants to be awarded in 2005 is available at https://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html or by calling the Region 6 coordinator at 214.665.2204 or toll-free at 800.887.6063.  The deadline for applying for 2005 EE grants is Nov. 15, 2004.