(11/10/2015--ATLANTA) --- Today, the E.P.A. announced The Urban Green Lab Mobile Sustainability Lab (UGL) as a recipient of an Environmental Education Grant. The Nashville-based non-profit was selected in the latest round of awards under the
Environmental Education (EE) Grants Plan.
UGL was awarded $91,000 in grant monies to launch their mobile Lab that will serve grades 5 through 12 of the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) system. The mobile lab will reach culturally diverse and underserved populations and enhance schools' science and technology curricula. The plan is designed to teach students how living a more sustainable lifestyle can enhance the local and global environment, one's health, and one's financial savvy. The lab will be outfitted with interactive exhibits and green technologies to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills among students. The lab will allow students to gain environmental awareness, translate that to action and, ultimately, become environmental stewards.
The agency funded 35 grants from across the country, ranging from $40,000 to $192,200, for a total of approximately $3.3 million.
Other grant recipients include organizations from 24 states as well as from Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. States include: Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Since 1992, E.P.A. has distributed between $2 and $3.5 million in grant backing per year, for a total of approximately $65.5 million supporting in excess of 3,600 grant projects.
This year, E.P.A. distributed 2 types of grants under the EE Grants Program. Plans awarded under the Model Grants Request for Proposals (RFP) are intended to serve as model, replicable projects; each plan will be implemented in at least 2 states. Local Grant awards fund locally focused EE projects. E.P.A. anticipates issuing a new RFP for Local Grants in the winter of 2015-2016.
The grantees were selected from in excess of 400 applications received in February and March of this year. This longstanding, highly competitive grants Plan supports EE Plans that increase public awareness about environmental issues and provide participants with the skills to take responsible 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 EE grant competitions, please visit
http://www2.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants.
