(Seattle - November 12, 2015) The E.P.A. has awarded 3 environmental education grants totaling $272,992 to non-profit organizations in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. These 3 plans were selected from a pool 48 grant applications submitted to E.P.A. Region 10.
"The plans that will be carried out as a result of these environmental education grants help increase public awareness about environmental issues," said David Allnutt, Director of the E.P.A. Region ten Office of Ecosystems Tribal and Public Affairs. "Not only will participants get firsthand knowledge about the environment and how to protect it, they will reach out to share their learning with others."
The
Children's Forest of Central Oregon, located in Bend, Oregon received $90,992 for the
Deschutes Watershed Student Stewardship Plans. Focused on restoring sections of 3 different streams in Central Oregon, the plan will provide classroom activities and hands-on, place based field trips, engage all participants in stewardship Plans that enhance habitat along the streams. In addition, the group will host 2 watershed summits where the students will present their projects; and develop 3 student-created outreach films focused on their local watershed and how community members can become stewards of that watershed. Additional organizations and agencies have contributed time and/or matching funds and will work together to align student stewardship activities with education standards.
The
Regents of the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho received $91,000 for the
2015 Confluence Plan. The Plan will serve a 200 high school students from 6 high schools in diverse communities. Following a summer field experience workshop for teachers, science classes will participate in 3 field experiences over the course of the year, each supported by pre- and post- lessons. The field experiences will focus on water quality, water quantity (snow science) and a service learning, restoration, or agriculture field experience as the final component. The students will devise their own investigations, propose solutions to problems encountered based on the data that they collect, and present their findings at the Youth Water Summit.
The
Pacific Education Institute, located in Olympia, Washington received $91,000 for
Students Engaged in Conserving the Columbia River Watershed. This Plan will train watershed facilitators as informal educators to support teachers of grades 3-12. In addition, it will hire an overall coordinator to recruit and select watershed facilitators focused on sustaining the health of the Columbia River watershed. The funds will also provide a five-day training in early 2016 to certify 10 watershed facilitators to then be able to provide a workshop for teachers in their area. This will enable teachers to provide at least one field experience to students during 2016-17 school year.
Each receiving organization contributes matching funds and/or time to their environmental education project.
For more information on the new awardees and on how to apply for future environmental education grant competitions, please
EPA's environmental education grants page.
Read
EPA's national news release.
