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EPA AWARDS $2.1 MILLION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS - Connecticut

Release Date: 10/24/1996
Contact Information: Frank McIntyre, Office of External Programs, (617) 918-1095

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $2.1 million in grants to states, tribes, schools, universities, and non-profit organizations nationwide for environmental education initiatives.

There are 23 recipients of grants totaling $167,474 in EPA's New England region, including two in Connecticut. The New England recipients were selected from 153 proposals totaling requested funds of more than $1.6 million. Twenty-two proposals seeking $179,802 came from Connecticut.

"These grants represent our smartest investment in the future," said John P. DeVillars, regional administrator of the EPA-New England. "There is nothing more important we can do than educate people about their role in protecting the environment to ensure future generations will inherit a cleaner world.

"Whether it's focused on the streets of South Boston or the wilderness of Maine, environmental education provides us with the most valuable tool in protecting our natural resources," added DeVillars. "I commend the recipients of these grants for their good work to infuse greater environmental awareness into the lives of New Englanders."

The Connecticut winners of 1996 Environmental Education grants are:
(Note to editors: A contact for grant recipient is also listed)

Environmental Issues Traveling Exhibit -- Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Hartford $12,500
In conjunction with the University of Connecticut's Museum of Natural History, DEP is creating a traveling for display at public venues statewide. The goal of the exhibit is to communicate two primary ideas to exhibit viewers: 1) that the communities in which we live are the product of natural and cultural processes, which, when understood, can help us make more informed choices about how to use the land in the future; and 2) that the choices people make in their everyday lives affect the quality of life in their communities. (James Murphy 860/424-3641)

Long Island Sound Watershed Workshops for Connecticut Elementary School Teachers -- Save the Sound, Inc., Stamford $5,000
Save the Sound, in conjunction with the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, proposes to train 100 upper-elementary school teachers from communities within the Long Island Sound watershed, how to integrate information about preservation and restoration of the Sound into their curriculum. At each of five locations within the watershed, 15-30 teachers will receive ten hours of training, involving them in hands-on learning about the Sound, its watershed, and water quality to help them feel comfortable teaching this subject matter with their students. (Robin Brown 203/327-9786)