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Federal Government Grants $24,700 To Technological College of San Juan For Lagoon-area Education Project

Release Date: 08/19/1999
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(#99139) New York, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it has granted $24,700 to the Technological College of the Municipality of San Juan for a project that will educate parents and teachers of young children living near the San Jose lagoon about the potentially harmful health effects of pollution. The grant is part of EPA's environmental education program, and is one of several grants that are awarded annually to non-profits, educational institutions and local and tribal government agencies that demonstrate the ability to help communities understand and care about what are often complex environmental and human health issues.

"This year's grant recipient has displayed an outstanding commitment to educating residents of San Juan about the very real effects the environment can have on their lives," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Regional Administrator. "The EPA environmental education program relies on local organizations like the Technological College to bring home the message that a clean environment means safer and healthier children and adults, and the preservation of Puerto Rico's ecosystems for all to enjoy. We look forward to seeing the results of this group's good work."

The College's Getting a Head Start on Environmental Education project will provide environmental health education in the form of two eight-part workshops for teachers and parents of pre-school children who live in the vicinity of the highly-contaminated San Jose lagoon. Participants will develop educational materials designed for Puerto Rico's tropical environment that will teach children about the connection between pollution, environmental health and human behavior. Activities will include identifying specific risk factors and behaviors in the participants' immediate communities and developing a guide dealing with these health issues for communities and Head Start centers. The Head Start staffs will in turn develop activities to help children that use the centers develop healthy life habits.

EPA's New York City office received 139 applications for environmental education funding this year, and awarded 19 grants including Getting a Head Start on Environmental Education. For information on how to apply for an environmental education grant, contact Teresa Ippolito, EPA Regional Environmental Education Coordinator, at (212) 637-3675. EPA will hold information sessions in Puerto Rico during the week of September 20, 1999 for local organizations interested in the agency's community grant programs including environmental education and environmental justice. The sessions will provide background on the grants programs and tips on grant application preparation. For information, please call Jose Soto at EPA's Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, (787) 729-6951 ext. 240.

For more information contact:
Nina Habib Spencer, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3670 FAX: 212-637-4445 E-Mail: [email protected]