(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. is awarding a $91,000 environmental education grant to the Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to enhance environmental education for students island-wide.
The Universidad Metropolitana was one of 3 recipients to gain grants from E.P.A. Region 2, which is responsible for Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, New York, New Jersey, and 8 tribal nations. A total of $273,000 was awarded in E.P.A. Region two for the 3 grants, and backing nationwide for this round of grants totaled approximately $3.3 million.
"It is important that we give young people in Puerto Rico the education they need about critical environmental issues facing the Island - particularly climate change," said Judith A. Enck, E.P.A. Regional Administrator. "Environmental education is essential to protecting human health and the environment, and this grant will result in better environmental education for students across Puerto Rico by providing training for teachers and establishing model environmental education programs at several schools."
Specifics of the grant is as follows:
Universidad Metropolitana - San Juan, PR - $91,000
The plan will train science teachers to teach junior high school students about climate change and other environmental issues, such as coastal issues and air quality. The Universidad Metropolitana will hold 4 professional development workshops for educators on topics including climate change impacts on coastal areas and air quality. The workshops will provide information on integrating climate change into class curriculum, and ways to enhance student's research and critical thinking. The Universidad Metropolitana will launch model education programs at 10 public schools in Puerto Rico. This plan will support climate change education for students and encourage them to enter into careers in science and the environment.
Since 1992, E.P.A. has distributed approximately $65.5 million supporting in excess of 3,600 environmental education plans nationwide.
The grantees were selected from in excess of 400 applications received in February and March 2015. This longstanding, competitive grants plan supports environmental education plans that increase public awareness about environmental issues and provide participants with the skills to take actions to protect the environment. The plan provides financial support for plans that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques.
For more information on the new awardees and on how to apply for future environmental education grant competitions, please visit: http://www2.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants.
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