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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S REGION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2000 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS

Release Date: 09/12/2000
Contact Information: Benjamin Blair, (404) 562-8327

Atlanta, Georgia - Region 4 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced it has awarded 12 grants totaling $100,000 as a result of the 2000 competition for environmental education grants. John H. Hankinson, Jr., Regional Administrator of EPA Region 4, said, "The grants made under the National Environmental Education Act help further the public's appreciation of the environment and an understanding of the steps needed to protect it." The grants, authorized by the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) of 1990, are awarded to carry out environmental education projects. The winners were chosen from 120 proposals submitted by institutions and agencies in the eight southeastern states within Region 4. Proposals received by the Region sought a total of more than $1.6 million in grants of $25,000 or less. The Grants program is designed to stimulate the development of environmental education projects at the community level by local schools and environmental organizations, and to facilitate environmental education partnerships between governmental agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Projects are intended to motivate the public to be more environmentally conscious and make responsible and balanced decisions to protect the environment. Environmental education grants were awarded to the following: Alabama Mayors Corp. for Economic, Cultural and Education Development, Birmingham, Alabama to promote environmental career preparation among high school students through Environ-Youth Alabama, targeting 9th - 12th grade students, primarily minorities. The objectives of this project are to explore and study local environmental concerns and issues in communities and increase student interest in environmental careers. High schools in the communities will sponsor an environmental science fair focusing on local environmental issues. High-scoring projects and others will attend a one-day environmental career conference at Tuskegee University. $13,896.00 Chattahoochee High School, Alpharetta, GA. for the creation of an Active Riparian Commensal Habitat (ARCH) by the students at Chattahoochee High School. After observing an existing retention pond over several years, students came up with the concept for an environmental education center, the ARCH. The site will be transformed into a multi-use facility where the sciences and the arts can be collaborated. The goals are to participate in a real-world application of science and engineering through the design and construction of a wetland treatment system, environmental education and sampling stations, to build an amphitheater for students of art, drama, and other areas of study. The students plan to establish a network to promote and share the ARCH project with audiences of all backgrounds. $18,875. Piedmont Park Conservancy Atlanta, GA to adapt existing environmental education activities and curricula to the ecosystem of an urban park. During field trips to Piedmont Park, Atlanta K-12 students and their teachers will employ these outdoor discovery learning activities to investigate and learn about environmental issues. Through hands-on experiences, urban inner city school children acquire the ability to think critically about the interconnected relationships between human development and natural ecosystems. $4,500.00. The School Board of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, FLto educate students and the community to make connections between the importance of natural resources and the way mankind impacts the wetlands ecosystem. The goal is for students and the community to effectively plan for the future of South Florida. The objective of this activity is to create a four to six week integrated thematic unit and immerse the students in the study of the wetlands ecosystem. By enhancing teachers environmental teaching skills, students will be able to critically analyze environmental issues and utilize their problem solving skills to develop solutions to local environmental problems. $4,991.00. Murray State University, Murray, KY to introduce teachers to the EIC (using the Environment in an Integrating Context) teaching strategy. The objectives are to educate pre-service teachers about environmental issues and environmental education teaching strategies. The participants are preparing to become teachers in the multi-state Ohio Valley region that is rich water resources. They need to prepare their students to deal with the complex environmental management issues associated with future urban, recreational, and agricultural development of this region. The goal is to improve these pre-service teachers environmental education teaching skills. $4,815.00. Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY to create a green space for an Inner-City Elementary School. Project activities will involve creating artificial wetlands, outdoor learning labs, and physical fitness stations for students who live in urban apartments and government housing projects and who do not have their own backyards. They have neither worked in a garden nor had the opportunity to observe life cycles of plants and wildlife. This project will offer students the opportunity to have hands-on experiences with the environment and at the same time transform their urban, industrial school site into science and physical fitness learning labs. $4,956.00. JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Jackson, MS to focus on disseminating environmental curricula on preventing water pollution and what affect polluted water has on our environment. Approximately 3000 sixth grade students will participate in the project starting in this school year. Each school will be scheduled to bring their classes to the Environmental Learning Center twice during the school year. Some of the objectives will be to teach students about the water cycle, the causes of water pollution and how to prevent it, and how to test for certain pollutants: $9,260 WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, Wilson, NC to set up Project GLOBE(Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) within the Wilson County school system. GLOBE is a hands-on, international environmental program designed for use in schools. It brings together students, teachers, and scientists from around the world to study the environment. The goal of the project in the Wilson County Schools is to enhance students awareness and understanding of environmental issues while simultaneously improving student achievement. Instruction relating to GLOBE will be provided at all 12 elementary schools and 6 middle schools in the school system. Hands-on learning experiences, small group instruction, and integrated learning opportunities will characterize this enrichment program. $18,875 CITY SEEDS, Asheville, NC to implement edible forest ecosystems in city parks. Project is modeled after permaculture forest gardening, which mimics the design of natural forest ecosystems. The objective is to create model projects that will educate the public on environmental issues and solutions. Educational curriculum is being developed for educating students as they visit the parks. Workshops will be initiated to train interns from local colleges as instructors for younger students. In addition to providing a learning opportunity for the college students, these interns will take the knowledge and experience gained in this project into the professional world. $5,000. Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC to foster local appreciation and a conservation ethic toward our wetlands and water resources. Teams of local volunteers in Horry County will be trained to participate in a long term water quality monitoring program. Volunteers will be provided the equipment and trained to collect, review, and report data to formulate conservation recommendations to the community. Their efforts and results, in collaboration with those from Coastal Carolina University's high school River Project, will be highlighted at an education event open to schools and the public at the Playcard Environmental Education Center. $4,832.00. YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Nashville, TN to increase capacity building within Tennessee by bringing together students, staff and teachers involved in the YMCA Earth Service Corps (YESC) from across the state. Participants will attend two seminars that will challenge them in their pursuit of excellence in environmental service. The goals of the seminars are to teach participants how to do need assessments, learn about the environmental issues germane to their communities, and brainstorm project ideas and put them into motion. Participants will also learn how to utilize the YESC web site for recording their work and as a means of communication for networking. Training will also be offered in leadership development and team building. $5,000.00. Cumberland River Compact, Inc. Nashville, TN to allow middle and high school teachers from communities along the Cumberland River to participate in a two-part program, teacher training in water quality monitoring and a findings celebration. Teacher instruction will center on chemical monitoring, macro-invertebrate identification and importance, watershed concept activities, and local resource identification and utilization. After the training in the fall, teachers will be given a free water monitoring kit to use with their students on any local tributary of the Cumberland River during a specified time period. When collected, the data will be sent to the Cumberland River Compact where it will be dispersed to local, state, and federal partners and be posted on the organization's web site for students and the general public to see. In the Spring, teachers will be invited to bring their students and results to "The Splash Bash". Students and teachers will be able to compare results from throughout the watershed and share them with each other. In addition to student displays, there will be Native American river stories and dances, examples of archaeology finds from the flood plains, and a variety government agency booths. $5,000.00.