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Seven New England Groups Selected for EPA Environmental Education Grants

Release Date: 10/07/2010
Contact Information: Kristen Conroy, (617) 918-1069

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 7, 2010) – Seven organizations throughout New England have been awarded environmental education grants from EPA totaling $190,000.

EPA funds environmental education projects that focus on educating teachers, students, parents or the general public about human health problems. These issues range from pollution; improving teaching tools and techniques for educators through workshops; building state or local capability to develop and deliver environmental education or public outreach programs; or promoting environmental careers and stewardship among students through hands-on activities.

The program also encourages projects that educate members of a community through community-based organizations, or educates the general public through print, film, broadcast, or other media to be more environmentally aware and make environment friendly decisions in their day-to-day lives. This years grant winners are:

Connecticut
Soundwaters, Inc.
$14,980
Fairfield, Conn.

The Stamford Partnership for Environmental Education and Stewardship includes Soundwaters, Rogers International School and Stamford’s Environmental Protection Board. These partners educate 6^th grade students to study spawning and nesting behaviors of horseshoe crabs and to conduct annual census and tagging program for educational purposes. The students learn about coastal ecology, migration, nesting and spawning behaviors of horseshoe crabs which will enhance the science curriculum. Soundwaters, Inc will use this money to increase knowledge of coastal habitat through hands-on learning, develop stewardship of their local environment.

Maine
College of the Atlantic
$18,503
Bar Harbor

MaineCollege of the Atlantic will use their grant to educate upper elementary and middle school teachers in sustainable energy and energy conservation. The teachers gain knowledge to initiate or expand energy conservation projects and service learning opportunities for students. The teachers devise lesson plans and activities to educate their students and develop energy literacy among young people.

Massachusetts 
Needham Public School
$44,510
Needham, Mass.

The Eco-Explorers creates the Environmental Education Leadership Team (EELT) comprised of the local science center, school staff, and community volunteers. This group becomes better educated in their local environment issues (soil, water, weather, plants, animals, habitat, and humans affect on nature) through inquiry based exploration. The group link existing school curriculum to include ee topics and provide teachers with materials for a school-based outdoor space exploration. The group educated 20-40 elementary teachers to incorporate their lessons.

Walden Woods Project
$12,293
Lincoln, Mass.

The World Wide Waldens curriculum educates high school students on global and local environmental issues. Teachers use a web-based platform to guide students in completing environmental stewardship projects and sharing their work/experiences with other students. This project partners with organizations throughout New England to host educator workshops and expand the World Wide Waldens curriculum. Approximately 200 educators are expected to participate in the workshops throughout New England and approximately 16,000 students educated on the curriculum.

New Hampshire
Northeast Resource Recovery Association
$41,010
Epsom, N.H.

This organization, partnering with Association of VT recyclers, will use this grant money to continue to provide its year-long program to educate school systems and its students on solid waste issues. At the end of the program a youth education summit is planned which allows teenage youth from New England to discuss and tackle solid waste issues. Also planned is a gathering of teachers and administrators to discuss solid waste issues.

Rhode Island
Audubon Society of RI
$20,124
Smithfield, R.I.

The Schoolyard Science for Urban Ecosystems teacher training was created for underserved urban educators at the elementary level in Pawtucket, Central Falls, Providence, East Providence, and Woonsocket. This program educates 20-25 educators on urban air and water pollution, recycling and limited natural spaces. The grant money will be used for the programs series of 5 workshops, each its own theme, provide materials (tool kit) and create a more environmentally literate staff and student body.

Vermont
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
$38,580
Burlington, Vermont

The Renewables Now! Program educates students and teachers to understand what renewable energy is, how to use it efficiently, and make energy-usage choices that result in a sustainable and healthy environment. The program will use its grant to continue to provide in-service training and in-classroom delivery and support to science teachers in middle and high school classes. 

More information:

- How to apply for EPA environmental education grants: (www.epa.gov/enviroed)

The 2011 Environmental Education Grant Solicitation Notice is expected to be released in this fall with an end of the calendar year deadline. Sign up for email notification of its release at www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html. 

- New England environmental education resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/region1/education/index.html)

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