Environmental Education Grant Descriptions

Since 1992, a total of 3,960 environmental education (EE) grants have been awarded by EPA nationwide for a cumulative total of $95,104,287. The table below provides information about each of those EE grants.  See also: National Statistics

Columns shown below:

• Year: The year in which the grant was awarded by EPA.
• State: The state in which the recipient organization is located.
• Region: The EPA Region in which the recipient organization is located.
• Grant Project Description: Includes the recipient organization, the value of the EPA grant, the title of the grant project, and a brief description of the grant project.

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Explore Environmental Education Grants

Year	State	Region	Grant Project Description
Year	State	Region
2013	AL	4	Alabama Clean Water Partnership -- $171,436 Allison Randle, 95 Jimshill Rd., Wetumpka, AL 36093 Cleanwaterpartnership.org Eco-Action: Waters to the Sea The Eco-Action: Waters to the Sea project uses innovative multimedia learning and data-gathering technologies in computer kiosks deployed at popular nature centers, museums, and informal science centers, plus related web-delivered multimedia content developed for teachers and students, to realize the goal of increasing non-point source pollution-reduction behaviors in citizens throughout Alabama's Mobile Bay watershed.
2013	AZ	9	Mesa Community College, -- $81,600 Peter Conden, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85202 Center for Urban Agriculture This assistance agreement provides federal funding to support the grantee's cutting-edge environmental education program that works with Kindergarten through 8th (K-8) grade schools to teach STEM skills through urban agriculture and aquaponics in their greenhouse classroom and gardens. The grantee offers an Associate in Applied Science and Certificate of Completion in Sustainable Urban Agriculture, as well as train-the-trainer workshops. Volunteers help five to seven schools receive sub-grants to develop aquaponics systems that serve as a learning experience for 1,000-1,500 K-8th grade students.
2013	CO	8	Groundwork Denver, Inc. -- $150,000 (HQ Grant) Wendy Hawthorne, 3050 Champa St., Denver, CO 80205 Take Charge Energy Ambassador National Model for Climate Change Education The Take Charge program aims to serve as a national model of community projects that educate high school and college students, as well as other youth and adult members of the community, to become Energy Ambassadors. These educated and trained Energy Ambassadors then help members of a variety of communities (in settings that include urban areas, college campuses, rural town centers, underserved and diverse populations) make informed decisions that lead to increased energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
2013	CO	8	Yampatika Outdoor Awareness Association -- $80,273 Sonja Macys, 925 Weiss Dr., Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 Replicating Successful K-5 ELP in NW CO The focus of this project is to replicate Yampatika's already successful Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP) model in Northwest Colorado, and provide funding, training and technical assistance to Northwest Colorado (NW CO) kindergarten through 5th grade (K-5) environmental education (EE) providers and school districts wishing to adapt it to their own needs. Yampatika's ELP is a standards-based EE program that reaches Kindergarten through 5th grade students in the classroom and the field with three place-based experiences. Its curriculum was deigned to support teachers in meeting academic standards. Third party evaluations show that students who participate in the ELP have improved academic achievement and increased propensity to participate in activities that promote environmental stewardship. With support from the EPA, Yampatika will deliver the program to 73 elementary school classrooms in the school year.
2013	HI	9	Children's Defense Fund -- $199,978 Liliana Grace, 25 E St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 Mountain to Sea (Mauka a Makai) This grant agreement provides federal funding to The Children's Defense Fund to implement the Mountain to Sea (Mauka a Makai) environmental education project that increases student, educator and community understanding of environmental issues impacting Hawaii. This project expands student, educator, family, and community knowledge of critical Hawaiian high elevation mountain, native forest, coastal, coral reef, and deep water marine ecosystems; explores the impact climate change may have on vulnerable ecosystems; studies diverse water quality, habitat and wildlife topics; and highlights the local, regional and national importance of these natural resources.
2013	IL	5	Chicago Horticultural Society -- $137,948 Jennifer Schwartz, 1000 Lake-Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022 Connecting Climate to Communities Initiative (C3I) The goal of the Connecting Climate to Communities Initiative (C3I) is to increase knowledge, leadership and engagement in climate action among diverse communities by building on local assets to connect community life to climate change and climate action. C3I's target audience includes community organizations broadly defined (schools, social service providers, small businesses, senior centers, congregations, youth groups, etc.) and their members in diverse communities across EPA Region 5, including individuals in both formal and informal settings.
2013	LA	6	Lafayette Parish School Board -- $125,000 Burnell LeJeune, PO Drawer 2158, Lafayette, LA 70508 H2Know The H2Know project expands student, educator and community understanding of environmental issues, such as wetland and coastal ecosystems, diverse water quality, habitat and wildlife topics, impacting southern Louisiana. Teachers and students complete 6 field study excursions in a Bayou side Classroom to study wetland, coastal and marine ecosystems. Partnerships with The Smithsonian Associates provide 3 two-day professional development workshops for Lafayette K-12 environmental educators to enhance their ability to convert all curriculum to nature and environmental learning. University of LA-Lafayette presents 8 career development seminars to students/families to increase knowledge of postsecondary education and career opportunities in diverse environmental fields. This is important as the majority of the students are first time high school graduates and postsecondary entrants in their families. LPSS links participants to community projects which emphasize environmental restoration and community engagement in order to reinforce a deeper understanding of local natural environments and national environmental issues while strengthening K-12 academic programs for underserved, academically underperforming youth. H2Know improves community awareness of environmental issues while strengthening a community-wide imperative to protect vulnerable, valuable, and irreplaceable natural resources. Project evaluation includes improved performance on state administered academic assessments; increased environmental content in classroom instruction across all grade levels K-12; and improved community commitment to environmental protection and stewardship.
2013	ME	1	Island Institute -- $100,000 Ruth Kermish-Allen, 386 Main Street, Rockland, ME 04841 Energy for US This project establishes and supports community energy teams, providing them with high quality, user-friendly energy action guides, energy investigation tools, and mini-grants to empower them to promote and measure energy-saving behavior changes and investments, and quantify savings in dollars, kilowatt hours and pounds saved on greenhouse gas emissions. The goals of the project are to empower multi-generational community energy teams to change behaviors by increasing community awareness, stewardship and action in energy efficiency and renewable energy, to define strategies for communities to achieve measurable reductions of energy consumption, money and greenhouse gas emissions and for community energy groups to measure and document these reductions, and to develop and test a replicable model for a "K through Gray" place-based informal after-school environmental education program resulting in increased energy literacy and stewardship behaviors.
2013	MD	3	Living Classrooms Foundation -- $75,000 Christine Truett, 802 S. Caroline St., Baltimore, MD 21231 Livingclassrooms.org Living Classrooms Foundation The goals of the program include: providing meaningful watershed educational experiences for approximately 600 Baltimore City students throughout the academic school year; enhancing students' academic achievement through administration of periodic, standards-based assessments that will identify areas of need and shape classroom instruction; creating public awareness in the schools' communities about storm water runoff pollution issues and solutions; and attaining a positive change in attitudes towards their environment for both students and adults in the community.
2013	MI	5	Great Lakes Fishery Trust -- $150,000 Julie Bennett, 230 N. Washington St., Suite 300, Lansing, MI 48933 Place-based Models for Stewardship Education in K-12 The Great Lakes Fishery Trust, on behalf of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI), conducts a model program for creating behavioral change that benefits the environment by demonstrating, documenting, and disseminating a variety of methods for establishing and sustaining quality place-based environmental education in diverse kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) settings. The purpose of the GLSI is to create the next generation of Great Lakes stewards. This project targets 9 to 12 teams of educators in diverse communities, distributed across elementary, middle, and high schools. They anticipate reaching approximately 30 teacher and 750 student participants.
2013	MT	8	University of Montana -- $168,969 Beth Covitt, 32 Campus Dr., 4104, Missoula, MT 59812 Montana Groundwater Academy The Montana Groundwater Academy (MGA) is a 2-year program that engages high school students in place-based, data-driven science investigations. Students develop knowledge of western Montana hydrologic systems, the ability to undertake water research investigations, and the capacity to participate in informed decision-making about water issues. 1,000 students participate in a 3-day learning unit that includes a half-day field trip to a groundwater education field site where students collect firsthand data to use in water science investigations. The field site comprises a network of monitoring wells and surface water features accessible to learners for data collection (e.g., water elevation, etc.). The project also makes use of archived data (e.g., from USGS) to support water investigations.
2013	NE	7	Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance -- $200,000 Kara Eastman, 5006 Underwood, Omaha, NE 68132 Omahahealthykids.org Grassroots Latino Environmental Education (GLEE) The Grassroots Latino Environmental Education (GLEE) program focuses on indoor environmental education (i.e., on topics such as indoor air, toxins, chemical safety, and healthy housing) within the Latino community by training local residents as promotoras. Promotoras are lay Latino community members who receive specialized training to provide basic health education in the community. Subject matter such as the topic of environmental health is more readily accepted and accessible when provided through promotoras, whose trust and local connection within the community is often immediate.
2013	NY	2	Onondaga Environmental Institute -- $134,392 Edward Michalenko, 102 West Division St., Third Floor, Syracuse, NY 13204 Oei2.og Watershed Community Mapping and Environmental Planning Education This project has the goal of reviving Onondaga Lake and Watershed through a community-based, experiential environmental education model for raising awareness, enhancing critical thinking, and promoting expanded and improved stewardship.
2013	NY	2	Syracuse University -- $200,000 Mary Ellen Gilbert, 113 Bowne Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244 Syr.edu Generating a Replicable Environment Education Network in Puerto Rico Generating a Replicable Environmental Education Network in Puerto Rico (GREEN-PR) will work toward three main goals: (1) launching an Environmental Education (EE) Stewardship Program in PR schools, (2) establishing four model EE Network Hubs, and (3) facilitating an EE Stewardship Mini-Grant Program.
2013	OR	10	Corvallis Environmental Center -- $200,000 Carly Lettero, 214 SW Monroe Ave., Corvallis, OR 97339 Classrooms Take Charge This project serves as an innovative model for creating behavioral change that benefits the environment. By modifying an existing online tool that was developed as part of an EPA Climate Showcase Communities award, educational components for high school students are now included. The educational components build on the curriculum, Carbon TIM (Transfers in Matter and Energy). The focus is working with Oregon Green Schools and the Seattle School District. Students are able to see real-time data about how their individual actions reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and how their school-wide participation in the program collectively reduces CO2 emissions. Teacher workshops are conducted, and the students learn through in-class, on-line, and service learning. Sub-awards are given to high school districts for teachers to attend workshops and to receive support to implement the curriculum and service learning projects, with four sub-awards given to high schools with diverse populations. The program can be replicated by using materials available online.
2013	PA	3	National Nursing Centers Consortium -- $175,000 Tine Hansen-Turton, 1500 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 Asthma, Climate Change and Health Environmental Education Model GrantProject The National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) project is a replicable model that will encourage behavioral change and strengthen the field of Environmental Education. NNCC expands its existing Healthy Homes curriculum to include information on how climate change will affect those with asthma. A primary audience reached in this project is health and social service providers serving low-income, minority, and vulnerable populations, as well as nursing students. The goals of the project are to: 1) increase knowledge and awareness of the issues inherent in 3 out of the 5 EPA environmental priorities; 2) build the skills formal and informal educators such as health and social service providers need to offer environmental education to others; and 3) encourage active environmental stewardship across the Region.
2013	RI	1	Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island -- $150,000 Julian Rodriquez-Drix, 1192 Westminster St., Providence, RI 02909 Community Environmental College The Community Environmental College (CEC) is a summer program engaging primarily youth of color, ages 13-19, from low-income communities in Rhode Island's core urban areas. The main goals of the project are to enable urban youth to build the knowledge, skills and personal commitment necessary for effectively improving environmental conditions in the areas disproportionately affected by environmental concerns; prepare students to grow their leadership capacity through hands-on experiences with environmental education and program coordination, creating a new generation of environmental leaders while increasing the capacity of the communities to understand, mitigate, and adapt to climate change; and develop interest in pursuing careers in the environmental sector. One of CEC's central themes, around which the curriculum is built, is growing students' and their communities' understanding in addressing climate change. Also emphasized are the effects of toxics on the human health and ways to make personal, healthier choices to improve quality of life and reduce environmental health disparities.
2013	SC	4	South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium -- $78,564 Richard Devoe, 287 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401 Scseagrant.org Sowing the Seeds of Estuary Health This project seeks to leverage the success of the From Seas to Shoreline (S2S) program for expansion throughout EPA's Region 4 and the concurrent development of tidal creek-salt marsh educational materials that will be used in conjunction with the program. The vision of the program is to increase the stewardship of tidal creek-salt marsh habitats, thereby protecting coastal waters and reducing human health risk. The primary goal of the program is to develop a tidal creek-salt marsh environmental education model that includes three levels of engagement - environmental information, outreach, and stewardship - to increase understanding and care of these ecosystems.
2013	TX	6	Today Foundation -- $125,000 Gary Endsley, 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1900, Dallas, TX 75206 Paddlefish Reintroduction Education Initiative The Paddlefish Reintroduction project networks scientists with teachers and students to address local environmental issues. The project serves as a model for creating behavioral change that benefits the environment by providing Kindergarten through postsecondary students, their teachers, volunteers, and youth and adult event attendees with content knowledge, scientific process skills, and real-world practice to make informed environmental decisions. Pre-Kindergarten through postsecondary students in ten school districts track the progress of the reintroduction of the American Paddlefish while performing community projects to improve the habitat for other aquatic species and terrestrial plants and animals. Students also monitor surface water quality and determine the effectiveness of the aquatic and land-based habitat restoration. The Paddlefish project provides a template for community projects that emanate from prior, existing, and new scientific investigations of environmental issues.
2013	WA	10	Educational Service District #101 -- $75,000 Erik Wolfrum, 4202 S. Regal, Spokane, WA 99223 Climate Connections Northwest This project provides environmental education (EE) professional development workshops to teachers across six school districts in rural eastern Washington and involves 4th through 8th grade students in hands-on community environmental projects. The five, day-long teacher professional development workshops include instruction on EE fundamentals, teaching skills, methods and strategies, and on climate change indicators, causes and impacts. The student audience is reached through classroom instruction, classroom presentations by environmental professionals, field trips to relevant environmental sites, and hands-on environmental stewardship projects based on student interests, cultural considerations, and local environmental issues or concerns. At the end of this project, a regional workshop is open to additional teachers within the educational district (seven counties). This regional workshop is focused on fundamental characteristics, implementation, integration and goals of EE. Sub-awards are given to the participating school districts to help with their classroom projects and field trips.
2014	TN	4	Urban Green Lab Mobile Sustainability Laboratory -- $91,000 Erin Luce, 1502 Long Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206-2134 Mobile Sustainability Laboratory UGL will launch a mobile laboratory to serve grades five through twelve 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 project is designed to teach students how living a more sustainable lifestyle can improve 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.
2014	AL	4	Auburn University-AL Cooperative Extension System -- $91,000 Mona Dominguez, 310 Samford Hall, Auburn, AL 36849-5131 Increasing Environmental Literacy and Watershed Stewardship through Youth-focused Citizen Science Project The goal of this 2-year project is to build capacity within the Alabama Cooperative Extension System 4-H Alabama Water Watch Program to provide educators including teachers, volunteers, and 4-H agents with the training, materials, and support needed to increase environmental literacy for youth (ages 9 – 18) in Alabama which will enable them to actively take part in watershed stewardship in their local communities and ultimately make informed and responsible decisions about the environment.
2014	CA	9	Los Angeles Unified School District -- $50,000 Yi Hwa Kim, 333 South Beaudry Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90017-1466 "One Water LA" Curriculum Implementation Los Angeles Unified School District will develop and implement curriculum focused on water sustainability in a changing climate. Five middle schools and five high schools in Southern California – a total of 20 classrooms will learn to reduce water use at schools and home and learn about water conservation, recycled water, and storm water run-off management. The project includes training for teachers and staff. LAUSD has partnered with the Los Angeles Sanitation District, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the Metropolitan Water District on the project under the One Water LA educational initiative.
2014	CO	8	Cloud City Conservation Center -- $91,000.00 Lynne Westerfield, 119 W 9th Street, Leadville, CO 80461 Lake County Compost Initiative This project empowers Lake County youth to be the environmental leaders of their community and expands Lake County's capacity for environmental stewardship. The Lake County Compost Initiative increases the environmental understanding and environmental stewardship behavior for 1,100 Lake County K-12 students through daily composting and experiential education opportunities. The project also develops student leadership in community environmental projects which increase compost by 75,000 pounds, decrease community greenhouse gas emissions by 172,777 pounds, and ultimately reach 10,670 community members, students and visitors. Ultimately the project increases capacity in each Lake County School to reduce waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and establish a model program for the community as a whole.
2014	DC	3	Better World Fund -- $85,312 Chris Whatley, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite #300, Washington, DC 20006 http://www.unfoundation.org/ The Road to Paris Leads through the Classroom United Nations Association (UNA) and its partners provide 25,000 students with the unique educational experience of a classroom-based simulation of the UN Climate Summit. Through Model United Nations (MUN), students are placed into the role of an ambassador negotiating solutions to the world's greatest problems. By participating in simulations of climate negotiations, students do more than receive content. Students are able to actively interact with the subject in a way that no lecture, article, or video could ever produce. Close to 100,000 American middle and high school students participate in a life changing international experience through MUN without ever leaving the United States.
2014	DC	3	The Mountain Institute, Inc. -- $91,000 Vicki Fenwick-Judy, 3000 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite #101, Washington, DC 20008 http://www.mountain.org Appalachian Watershed and Stream Monitors The Appalachian Watershed and Stream Monitors (AWSM) program provides participating teachers with the opportunity, over two years, to gain the knowledge and skills required to perform successful local stream monitoring; incorporate AWSM into their curriculum; and recognize the benefit of AWSM in student's engagement and academic performance. Overall, AWSM introduces teachers to the environmental education pedagogy through a citizen-science curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving, provides teachers with the knowledge and skills to implement the curriculum, and assists teachers in implementing the curriculum.
2014	GA	4	Captain Planet Foundation -- $91,000 Karan Wood, 133 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA, 30303 Grant in a Box Thirty teachers from two or more states in EPA Region 4, working in small cohorts of 2-4 per district, will field-test in the "Environmental Stewardship Grant in a Box" model by attending a three day professional development workshop in Atlanta, followed by monthly meetings in their cohorts to participate in HOWs: Hands on Webinars with activities related to online content. In a scaffolded approach that challenges teachers to progressively build capacity for facilitating environmental stewardship, they will begin engaging students in inquiry investigations and stewardship projects for which supplies and directions are included in one of four "Grants in a Box," each of which is designed around an EPA environmental priority area. After successfully completing and reviewing these projects with their classes, teachers will work with students to design an innovative environmental stewardship project that addresses an authentic local need, for which a -- $1000 EPA sub-grant will be awarded.
2014	HI	9	Malama Learning Center -- $91,000 Pauline Sato, P.O. Box 75467, Kapolei, HI 96707-5467 Nanakuli Wetland Restoration and Community Partnership The Nanakuli project works to improve environmental literacy in the Hawaian community by restoring the Nanakuli Wetlands –commonly known in the community as "stink-pond". The Malama Learning Center and its partners will reach at least 700 teachers, students, and community members around a shared ethic of caring for the aina (land) through engaging, hands-on education activities that contributes to a healthier environment and people. Activities include water quality monitoring, wildlife and plant assessments, and removal of invasive plants. Local schools will be used as nurseries and will grow the native Hawaiian plants used to restore the Nanakuli Wetlands. Lesson plans will also be developed to educate the students about the importance of wetlands.
2014	HI	9	Pacific American Foundation -- $80,000 Derek Esibill, 45-285 Kaneohe Bay Drive, #102, c/o Bay View Golf Park, Kaneohe, Honolulu, HI 96744-2366 Wisdom of the Watershed (WOW): Environmental Education Program for 6-12 grade students of Windward Oahu, HI The WOW project will help Hawaiian sixth through twelfth grade students explore and compare three different watersheds in Hawaii with different land management practices. Students will take field trips, partnered with research scientists and will measure water quality in the three watersheds using scientific instrumentation. The microbial and sediment environments will also be sampled. Students will analyze the collected data and use this to develop and engage in service learning projects to improve environmental quality throughout the watersheds.
2014	ID	10	Regents of the University of Idaho -- $91,000 Dr. Brant Miller, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 3020, Moscow, ID 83844 2015 The Confluence Project The goals of the Confluence Project include improving environmental science education in urban, rural, and tribal areas of Idaho and building community capacity to protect and restore local water resources. The project serves a total of 200 students, 10th-12th grade, across six high schools in diverse communities. High school science classes participate in three field experiences over the course of the year, each supported by pre and post lessons. Additionally, the project holds a summer workshop for teachers in field experiences. 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. Students devise their own investigations and propose solutions to problems encountered based on the data that they collect, and present their findings at the Youth Water Summit through individual and small group projects.
2014	IN	5	The Lutheran University Association Inc., Valparaiso University -- $90,980 Julie Peller, 1700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383 Building Bridges for Environmental Stewardship: Schools, Universities and Community Collectively Embracing the Health of a Local Watershed The 4 goals of the project to be led by Valparaiso University for the community of Portage, Indiana are: (1) cultivate local awareness of the watershed; (2) initiate greater environmental stewardship; (3) create a sustainable watershed monitoring program in the schools (curriculum development) and community and (4) realize a cleaner watershed and city through actions and informed decision-making. These goals will be met by engaging students and teachers (grades 6-8), community participants, nonprofit organizations and local university students and faculty in a program that will emphasize the importance of protecting local fresh waterways and their connection to the water quality of Lake Michigan. The target audience for the proposed project will focus on two Portage middle schools located in the Lake Michigan watershed. Over 220 students, 8 middle school teachers, many interested community members, and over 100 undergraduate students from Valparaiso University and Indiana University Northwest will monitor and study the watershed's waterways in Portage. College students will serve as educators and mentors. Curriculum will be developed, which can be utilized by other middle schools. Not only will this lead to productive environmental science discussions between these students, these interactions will form relationships with higher education, not fully present in the Portage community.
2014	IN	5	Trustees of Indiana University -- $90,982 Brian Plankis, 980 Indiana Avenue, Lockfield 2232, Indianapolis, IN 46202 Building a Sustainable Urban Environmental Education Collaborative in Indianapolis for High Needs K-8 Learners This project has three goals: (1) establish collaborative partnerships among non-profit organization partners who are interested in leading an environmental educational structured youth-based program in inner city schools in Indianapolis; (2) provide sustainable agriculture literacy to urban K-8 schools with high needs learners who are seeking to improve the environmental and ecological awareness of their students and (3) use experiential learning to successfully formulate community based projects that will improve the quality of the environment while providing participants opportunities to practice skills needed for environmental sustainability and environmental careers. The project will take place in Indianapolis and its surrounding central Indiana communities. All of the participating schools are urban schools with predominately high need minority or low-income students. Two teachers from each of the four schools (a total of eight) will be trained on EE Project Based Learning and will participate in their schools' Environmental Education clubs for two years. Approximately 20-30 students from grades 4-8 will participate in the Environmental Education club at each of the schools resulting in 80-120 students per year (160-240 total) reached over a two-year period.
2014	IA	7	University of Iowa -- $68,952 (funded at -- $90,952 when including FY 15 funds) 2 Gilmore Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1320 The CLEAR4 Project: Clean Air in the River Valley Project This project by the University of Iowa develops a coordinated set of EE activities around the theme of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution and air quality on the upper Mississippi River Valley. The communities of the affected area are learning about air quality, how to use new technology to measure air quality, and will be implementing a comprehensive "EPA PM Advance" (PMA) Advance Forward plan to improve air quality, maintain compliance with the Clean Air Act, and minimize episodes of impaired air quality.
2014	LA	6	Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA and St. Bernard Parish -- $91,000.00 Brad Klamer, 2900 Peoples Ave., Room 215, New Orleans, LA 70122 Ripple Effect Ripple Effect builds water literacy across the Gulf Coast region and demonstrates a new model for design-based environmental education on water resources and management. This project works with 15 teachers to give 1,500 students the knowledge and intellectual tools with which to protect themselves, their communities, and the environment in an era of climate change and sea level rise. In partnership with Tulane University's Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, Ripple Effect gathers and analyzes data about teacher facilitation of design processes in primary school settings, student acquisition of water content and design skills, and recommendations for best practices moving forward. Strengthening and growing connections between neighboring delta cities and communities, starting with New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, this project ultimately aims to achieve 100% water literacy across New Orleans and southeast Louisiana in 15 years, so each citizen is conversant in the region's geology, geography, hydrology, history, and public policy as they pertain to water.
2014	ME	1	Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Jane Disney, P.O. Box 35, Salisbury, ME 04672 Building School and Community Collaborations to Eliminate Arsenic from Drinking Water in Maine and New Hampshire: A Model for the U.S. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory's model environmental education program facilitates schools and community organizations working together to address the public health risks of exposure to toxic contaminants in drinking water, with a particular focus on arsenic. Between 80 and 280 students in 4 communities in Maine will be involved in the project, and 60 to 300 students in 10 communities in New Hampshire will be involved in community events, website activities, collaborative projects, and the piloting of the model, replicable program.
2014	MA	1	"e" Inc. -- $88,000 Dr. Ricky Stern, 114 16th Street, Rm 1030, Charlestown, MA 02129-4404 Afterschool Planet Protector Teams "e" Inc partners with community centers and local schools in the Boston area to provide weekly in-residence after school science-and-action programs that educate urban youth about an environmental science topic of their choice -Climate Change & Impact on Our Community, New England Habitat Investigation, or Ocean and Watershed Explorers. The 33 week program includes 540 urban students, K-5th grade, divided into teams that take part in hands-on science activities and action engagement lessons aligned with State and Next Generation Science Standards. The students develop a final team stewardship project, along with a short educational video about their project.
2014	MA	1	New England Environmental Education Alliance Inc. (NEEEA) -- $81,000 Adrian Ayson, 5D Walnut Street, Deven, MA 01434-5000 Environmental Education with Collective Impact New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) Inc. creates 8 highly coordinated summits designed for environmental and educational professionals and organizations to advance the reach and effectiveness of climate change education in New England. Through NEEEA's and each state environmental education associations' network and partnerships, upwards of 1,000 professionals come together to attend these combined summits. With 2 regional conferences in each New England state, each summit focuses on a different climate change education topic. Additionally six projects are created to identify, promote and facilitate the replication of the top climate change education programs and resources in each state.
2014	MO	7	Kirskville R-III Schools -- $40,000 Karen Keck, 1901 East Hamilton Street, Kirksville, MO 63501 Environmental Education and Local Food System Project This project incorporates lessons about the full food-cycle into already-existing programs for Ray Miller Elementary School students grades 3 and 4, Early Childhood Learning Center students ages 2-4 and low-income residents of Kirksville. The program promotes waste reduction by increasing financial and volunteer support for composting operations at the Kirksville School District and Truman State University, and at the Housing Authority. Additionally, the program aims to reduce nutrition deficiency and increase access to healthy, locally grown food in Kirksville, Missouri by working to expand community garden outreach.
2014	MO	7	River Relief, Inc. -- $91,000 Jeff Barrow, 812 East Broadway, Suite 200, Columbia, MO 65201 Building Capacity for Missouri River Environmental Education Through this project by River Relief Inc., communities along the lower Missouri become more actively involved in stewardship of the Missouri River. River Relief Inc., assesses the community's current stewardship activities, and solicits ideas and finding opportunities for increasing involvement. The project provides skills, training and resources that communities can use to increase and sustain river stewardship.
2014	MO	7	Stonelion Puppet Theatre -- $91,000 Heather Lowenstein, 2025 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64141 Stonelion Puppet Theatre As a two-phased project, Stoneline Puppet Theatre develops young educators to teach environmental sustainability practices through art and to deliver that curriculum to preschool and elementary aged students within Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska).
2014	NE	7	CNL World -- $91,000.00 Dr. Catherine Lockwood, 343 Morehead St., Chadron, NE 69337 Watershed to Wetland The Watershed-to-Wetland Institute is an intense ecology classroom and field-based experience for an underserved area of the Flathead Reservation of northwest Montana. Two five-day Watershed-to-Wetland Institutes are offered in the summer of 2016 and 2017. The Institute includes 2 V2 days field experience and 2 V2 days of in-class training on skills and techniques, applications, topic-specific mini lectures by regional and national experts on wetlands, water quality, watersheds, restoration issues, species of concern, mid explanation of how to integrate materials, field experiences, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the teachers' curricula and application for students within an environmental science field of study. A Watershed-to-Wetland website houses Institute content (including pre- and post-information), collected field data, and a monitoring database for continued support of field Observations and data recording of water quality and species of concern.
2014	NV	9	Great Basin Institute -- $63,957 Gwen Bourne,16750 Mt. Rose Hwy, Reno, NV 89511 http://www.thegreatbasininstitute.org/ Climate Change Environmental Education for Academically Low-Achieving High School Students During this one-year project, middle and high school students from Nevada will study climate change, ecosystems and earth systems through classroom environmental modules. This includes participation in field study trips to local natural ecosystems. Students develop reports and presentations based on their findings. Teachers participate in 16 hours of professional development training for delivery of this environmental, STEM based curriculum.
2014	NM	6	Bosque School (BEMP) -- $83,332.00 Audrey Kruse, 4000 Learning Rd., Albuquerque, NM 87120 Digging Deeper with BEMP Watershed Education The Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) develops and delivers a model "whole watershed" curriculum that follows a drop of water as it falls in the New Mexico Mountains, travels through upland forests, sweeps over agricultural areas, runs through urban landscapes, then travels down through 300 miles of the Rio Grande. Targeting middle and high school students, BEMP employs both traditional in-class sessions as well as citizen science monitoring at selected research sites so that students can test how the riparian zone or "bosque" responds to ecological drivers such as drought, flood, fire, human alteration, and climate change. Students in five project areas along the river utilize new technology to perform ecological monitoring through a partnership with Intel Corporation, while at the same time work alongside environmental professional scientists and engineers who analyze environmental impacts and develop solutions based on the data.
2014	NY	2	Queens College -- $91,000 Mr. Peter Schmidt, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367-1597 Metropolitan Monarch Alliance (MMA) Project The Queens College Metropolitan Monarch Alliance project establishes and conducts a community-based program to study and protect Monarch butterflies in New York City. Queens College presents Monarch-butterfly workshops to 150 elementary school teachers and 100 community members and establishes Monarch butterfly "way stations" at five EE centers in Queens, Brooklyn, and The Bronx. Queens College also helps teachers from 25 schools to establish Monarch butterfly way stations that will involve students in learning about and caring for Monarchs.
2014	NY	2	Warwick Valley School District -- $91,000 Mr. James Yap, 225 West Street Extension, Warwick, NY 10990-0595 The Envirocation Project: Environmental Education in the Warwick Valley Central School District and Community Warwick Valley Central School District partners with the non-profit organization Sustainable Warwick to reach at least 900 students with "The Envirocation Project: Environmental Education in the Warwick Valley Central School District and Community." This two-year project develops and implements new curricular units, offers new classes for students, and implements two major initiatives: a comprehensive recycling program and a composting program in every district school building by August 2017.
2014	OR	10	Children's Forest of Central Oregon -- $90,992 Katie Chipko, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR 97701 Deschutes Watershed Student Stewardship Projects This project develops and implements a comprehensive watershed education program focused on restoring sections of three different streams in Central Oregon. The project provided classroom activities and hands-on, place based field trips, engages all participants in stewardship projects that improve habitat along the streams; hosts two watershed summits where the students present their projects; and develops three student-created outreach films focused on their local watershed and how community members can become stewards of that watershed. The project aims to provide engaging watershed education and stewardship activities; restore healthy habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms for three streams in the Deschutes Watershed; and develop a model in which multiple organizations and agencies work together to align student stewardship activities with education standards.
2014	PA	3	Allegheny College -- $89,693 Kerstin Martin, 520 N. Main St., Meadeville, PA 16335 Environmental Education in Agriculture's Role in Human and Environmental Health for Public Middle School Students Allegheny College provides educators with training to create and implement middle school-level science and Family Consumer Science (FCS) class modules that meet PA state standards and are focused on the environmental and human impacts of food and agriculture. This project installs teaching tools to offer place-based, experiential learning opportunities that promote a culture of environmental stewardship in growing food at the connected campuses. Educators create and deliver a pilot program of modules for 7th grade science and FCS classes focused on connecting the environmental and human health impacts of food and agriculture.
2014	PR	2	Universidad Metropolitana, -- $91,000 Dr. Carlos M. Padin, Chancellor PO Box 21150, San Juan, PR 00928-1150 Place-based environmental education for earth science teachers in Puerto Rico Universidad Metropolitana implements an island-wide, place-based environmental education project in Puerto Rico using the best practices developed by its graduate School of Environmental Affairs. The project prepares science teachers to teach junior high school students about climate change and other environmental issues such as coastal issues and air quality and includes a series of four professional development workshops for the teachers on topics such as Climate Change and Coastal Areas, Air Quality, curriculum integration strategies, research skills, critical thinking skills, and GIS and technology-related skills for environmental education. Additionally, Universidad Metropolitana models education programs at ten public schools.
2014	TX	6	EcoRise Youth Innovations -- $190,000 (HQ Grant) Gina LaMotte,4900 Gonzales St, #129, Austin, TX 78702 Sustainable Intelligence Pilot The Sustainable Intelligence Pilot program inspires a new generation of leaders to design a sustainable future by providing classrooms with a K-12 Sustainability Platform, a suite of original online standards-aligned K-12 curricula (some with English to Spanish translation and cultural adaptation), teacher collaboration tools and professional development resources that serve as a central hub for environmental education (EE) providers around the world to market and distribute their products, programs and initiatives. The pilot project connects teachers in 45 schools across 4 cities in the U.S. (Boston, Washington DC, and Austin, Texas) and Mexico and cultivates critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills among 11,500 students and 145 teachers.
2014	TX	6	Northside Independent School District -- $91,000.00 Nancy Kreth, 5900 Evers Road, San Antonio, TX 78238 ACORN (Alamo-Area Children Organizing to Replant Natives) Project ACORN improves environmental literacy for participating PreK-8th grade students through hands-on, inquiry-based science activities and increases community involvement in environmental service activities by addressing plant biodiversity in the San Antonio River watershed. Through ACORN, 16 teachers complete training with topics including GLOBE protocols, data-collection technology, and native plants species. Additionally, students complete 216 GLOBE database uploads, 300 students visit natural areas in the San Antonio watershed for environmental education activities; and 720 parent and community volunteers engage in 48 community planting events including native trees, vines, shrubs, annuals, and ground cover. Project ACORN not only addresses awareness and knowledge of the environment but brings students to analyze environmental data (Critical Thinking/Problem Solving), decide which native plants to cultivate (Decision Making), and implement community planting events (Action), resulting in students developing a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.
2014	UT	8	Utah State University -- $91,000.00 Kellie Hedin, 1415 Old Main Hill Room 64, Logan, UT 84322 Educational Tools The Remote Sensing/GIS Laboratory and the Bioregional Planning Program at Utah State University partner to develop an educational tool for environmental planning for a Utah community in need of planning assistance. The educational tool for environmental planning consists of a planning support program and an instructional tutorial. The planning support program and instructional tutorial are presented to high school students as an educational module within a classroom setting and to citizens and stakeholders as a community workshop. This project serves as a pilot study for other Utah communities in need of planning assistance.
2014	VT	1	Vermont Energy Education Programs, Inc. (VEEP) -- $91,000 Cara Robechek, 43 Liberty Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 VT Climate Change Education & Action Project The VT Climate Change Education & Action Project educates K-12 students and teachers throughout Vermont on climate change and climate science by providing in-class workshops, climate education resources, and project based learning and service learning opportunities. The workshops, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, target 75 middle and high school classes while the Service Learning Program provides 75 teens with the opportunity to teach K-3 students about energy as a precursor to climate education. Additionally, "A Whole School Energy Challenge" brings students together in teams with adult members of their school communities to make school buildings more efficient. As a whole the program works to enhance the critical thinking and problem solving skills of at least 400 students.
2014	WA	10	Pacific Education Institute -- $91,000 Dr. Margaret Tudor, 724 Columbia Street NW, Suite 255, Olympia, WA 98501 Students Engaged in Conserving the Columbia River Watershed This project expands Columbia River Watershed focused K-12 STEM EE by training regional based watershed facilitators to support local teachers and training their students to conduct impactful field experiences to sustain the health of the Columbia River Watershed. The project trains Watershed Facilitators (informal educators) to support teachers of grades 3-12. An overall Coordinator recruits and selects Watershed Facilitators focused on/certified in PEI Field STEM focused on Columbia River. Pacific Education Institute provides a 5-day training in Feb 2016 to certify 10 Watershed Facilitators to then be able to provide a workshop for teachers in their area. A total of 10 Watershed Facilitators each provide a 6-hour Field STEM workshop to at least 12 teachers. Afterwards, teachers give at least 1 field experience to students during the 2016-17 school year.
2014	WI	5	St. Croix Valley Foundation of the St. Croix Watershed -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Jane Hetland Stevenson, 516 Second Street, Suite 214, Hudson, WI 54016 St. Croix Watershed Certificate Pilot Project The St. Croix Master Watershed Stewards Pilot Project is a two year project that combines environmental education, leadership development, and civic organizing in a comprehensive watershed steward curriculum with a capstone service-learning project. The long-term goal is to dramatically increase environmental stewardship ethic and activities in the St. Croix watershed in Minnesota and Wisconsin by recruiting and certifying not less than 36 Mater Watershed Stewards and having them enlist small work teams of 3 to 10 additional volunteers to implement watershed protection projects that include education of the community served by the watershed.
2014	WI	5	University of Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum -- $91,000 Cheryl Bauer-Armstrong, 21 North Park Street, Suite 6401, Madison, WI 53715 Colaboracion Ambiental – Latino Earth Partnership (LEP) The two primary goals of this project are: (1) to strengthen the capacity of formal and informal educators to partner with Latino communities in the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Cleveland and (2) to integrate culturally authentic resources and citizen science process skills to be used as models for environmental stewardship in 18 diverse schools and communities. Reaching 70 teachers from 18 schools; 2,700 students from K-12; and 20 community-based partners, LEP curriculum involves youth in the decision-making process of siting, designing, and planting a rain garden at their school and provides an example of how students can play an important role in reducing stormwater runoff in schools and communities. Through planting a rain garden and connecting with citizen science water quality monitoring of waterways affected by stormwater pollution, students bring these ideas back to their families and communities and encourage others to implement similar projects.
2015	AK	10	Alaska Songbird Institute -- $90,631 Tricia Blake, P.O. Box 80235, Fairbanks, AK 99708 Alaska Swallow Monitoring Network – Fairbanks and Native Villages, Alaska The Alaska Swallow Monitoring Network recruits and trains approximately 290 Alaskans, including students, teachers and other volunteers, over two field seasons to collect, analyze and present ecological data on climate change impacts to nesting tree swallows. The primary tasks during the first field season (2016) are to recruit and train six interns, 20 students ages 10 to 17, and 70 additional community volunteers (teachers, senior citizens and Alaska Native Elders) to monitor four existing swallow nests and establish and monitor six additional swallow nesting sites. Participants also enter data into a project website and present their findings to their communities using a variety of outreach methods and presentations at professional conferences. The primary task during the second field season (2017) is to recruit and train three additional interns, 40 students, and 151 volunteers to continue and strengthen the project across the 10 nesting sites within the eight targeted rural and urban Alaskan communities. The participant training utilizes a multi-tiered mentoring structure whereby project partners mentor interns, interns mentor students and volunteers, and students and volunteers educate their communities.
2015	CA	9	Merito Foundation -- $91,000 Rocio Lozano-Knowlton, 1501 Cardigan Ave., Ventura, CA 93004 Energy Efficiency to Mitigate Climate Change & Ocean Acidification The Merito Foundation project provides high-quality energy, climate and ocean literacy programming for students in grades 8 to 12. Students design, demonstrate and present energy efficiency practices or initiate ocean acidification awareness campaigns at their schools and beyond. The project produces an Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, Ocean Acidification Activity Guide – a collection of energy, climate and ocean literacy lesson plans and supporting on-line resources. The project and the activity guide are designed to increase knowledge and capacity of five educator participants, guide 400 students in development of energy efficiency proposals for their schools, and increase awareness among minority youth about careers in environmental sciences.
2015	CA	9	Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation -- $91,000 Megan Snedden, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940-1023 Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats (WATCH) The Monterey Bay Aquarium Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats program (WATCH) is a year-long environmental education experience that reaches at least 160 teens over the 2-year grant period. Each year, 70 teens from three high schools participate in an intensive 2-week summer experience and subsequent year-long academic course. Through the program, teens build their knowledge about environmental issues in their community, carrying out research on these issues, and implementing conservation projects. After the program is complete, at least 20 alumni continue to be active in their schools, working together to involve their peers, teachers, and families in conservation activities. In collaboration with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, the Monterey Bay Aquarium builds deeper connections within the community and extending resources to underserved populations.
2015	CA	9	The Energy Coalition -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Melanie Peck, 47 Discovery Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92618 PEAK Plus The Energy Coalition's (TEC) PEAK Plus program recruits, trains and continuously supports elementary educators to successfully implement innovative, hands-on environmental education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and career development lessons. Through existing relationships with school districts and County Offices of Education, TEC reaches 50 under-represented (urban, low income, rural and minority) school in grades 4 through 5 in California and Nevada. Standards-aligned, high-quality curriculum engages students and provides them with the knowledge and skills to engage in behaviors (and engage others in their home communities to take actions) that address climate change and improve air quality. Students view a career awareness video or a virtual visit from an E-STEM (Environmental Education, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) professional and participate in activities that create a real-life connection to environmental careers and their impact on the environment. Students learn what educational background is required in these jobs and how to ask the right questions about these careers or fields of work. PEAK Plus partners with a growing network of E-STEM and green professionals who are a resource of encouragement and knowledge for these students.
2015	CA	9	Tuolumne River Preservation Trust -- $91,000 Meg Gonzalez, 829 Thirteenth St., Modesto, CA 95354-0901 Water Ways: an Environmental Education Pathway Towards Water Literacy in Stanislaus County The Tuolumne River Preservation Trust project improves water literacy among 2,150 Stanislaus County youth by creating a water education pathway. The educational program reaches kindergarten through grade 12 students and 100 of their teachers through a cohort progression model that infuses environmental science and locally relevant environmental issues related to water at every grade level. Students in the program are also exposed to a range of potential careers in water-related fields.
2015	CO	8	EForce - Earth Force Inc -- $91,000 Dr. Lisa Bardwell, 2555 W. 34th Avenue, Denver, CO 80211-3335 GreenSchoolsConnect (GSC) GreenSchoolsConnect (GSC) is a groundbreaking program that engages sustainability professionals to train and support school districts as they implement sustainable policies and practices. Through GSC, Earth Force convenes an uncommon, yet willing, set of stakeholders who are committed to supporting youth and building a culture of sustainability within school districts. GSC achieves this goal by (1) linking school district teams with sustainability leaders and practitioners from corporate, higher education, nonprofit, and government organizations that all commit to a year-long partnership to identify and implement specific sustainable practices within schools and school districts, and (2) providing professional development to educators to engage young people in an inquiry-based process whereby they identify and implement sustainable practices in their schools.
2015	CT	1	New Haven Ecology Project, Inc. -- $76,668 Joel Tolman, 358 Springside Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515-1024 TEACH CITY Five urban high schools are engaged as part of the New Haven Ecology Project to develop a new generation of environmental stewards equipped to make a difference in communities across the country. This project strengthens the capacity of these schools to teach and empower high school students to work with community organizations and residents to turn the urban environment into a classroom for city students. The schools and their students address issues related to urban waters, air quality, toxins and other environmental issues of concern to local communities. Each high school makes a commitment to identify a potential capacity-building project with the most pressing environmental challenges and develops a school-specific strategy to fulfill the literacy and stewardship goals of the community project identified. The high schools host visits with each other to share best practices, learn about community issues in the other high schools, and share how those issues were addressed.
2015	FL	4	Florida Gulf Coast University -- $90,800 Mr. Lou Kirk, 10501 FGCU Blvd South, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565 Creating Learning Experiences and Addressing Needs of Watersheds and Aquifers Through Entrepreneurial Research (CLEAN WATER) The CLEAN WATER program improves environmental literacy among 7th grade classrooms in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties in south Florida. The program integrates classroom and virtual learning experiences, hands-on models, physical and virtual field trips, and culminates in an entrepreneurial research and design project to enhance student understanding of watersheds, aquifers, and wetlands. It further challenges students to create potential solutions to improve water quality in south Florida.
2015	ID	10	Friends of the Teton River, Inc. -- $91,000 Amy Verbeten, P.O. Box 768, Driggs, ID 83422 Teton County WaterWise Initiative - Driggs, Idaho The Teton County WaterWise Initiative educates students and adults in Teton County, Idaho, on the importance of maintaining clean drinking water as part of a WaterWise Community Education program. At least eight adult educational events and workshops over the 2-year project focus on what the 3,500 households in Teton County can do to protect drinking water—such as testing for nitrates in drinking-water wells, preventing backflow from residential irrigations systems, and properly using and maintaining individual residential septic systems. In addition, biology students in grade 10 at Teton High School learn about water quality and how to take field water quality measurements, including how to test specifically for nitrates. Students organize and advertise one nitrate testing event per year at the high school, where they provide free testing kits and instruct adult community members on how to do their own testing. This project also entails development of a Common Core State Standards Curriculum for a Water Awareness Program for all students in grade 6 in the Teton County School District, implemented through a series of classroom lessons and field trips and culminating in an annual Water Awareness Festival. The project reaches 440 students in grades 6 through 10 over the 2 years. Also under this project, Friends of the Teton River work with Teton County representatives and the Teton County Drinking Water Protection Committee to develop and implement a best management practices and incentives program to reduce the risk of drinking water contamination, distribute drinking water education materials throughout the county, and ensure that a diverse segment of Teton Valley's population is engaged in the Initiative.
2015	IL	5	Board of Education City of Chicago 299: Service Learning Initiative Environment Program -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Samantha Ozik, 501 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60626-3507 Calumet Is My Back Yard (CIMBY) Calumet is My Back Yard (CIMBY) trains and engages more than 700 predominantly minority, low-income students and their science teachers from 13 Chicago Public High Schools and three Northwest Indiana High Schools in the Calumet Region of Chicago's far Southeast side and Indiana's Northwest side. Teachers are trained each September in the CIMBY curriculum and students learn science using the interactive, place-based curriculum, which meets Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Standards and 21st Century Learning Outcomes. The CIMBY Program emphasizes building knowledge, skills and sense of connection to nature during a total of more than 2,000 on-the-ground restoration and stewardship volunteer hours on more than 40 field trips in local natural areas. There is a disproportionate impact of air and water pollution on low-income, minority populations living in the Calumet region. The intent of CIMBY is to generate curiosity, empathy and a sense of accomplishment among this population through the powerful experience of service to improve the community.
2015	KS	7	Wichita State University and the Environmental Finance Center -- $91,000 Angela Buzard, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 7, Wichita, KS 67260-0007 Careers in Water Stewardship The Careers in Water Stewardship project fosters interest in careers related to water and wastewater utilities among high-school students across the State of Kansas and ultimately grows the labor force for both sectors. The program is delivered to 200 students in eight high schools across the state. Sub-grants are awarded to municipal water or wastewater treatment utilities to fund student summer internships. School career counselors and teachers are involved in helping promote occupations in the field, while professionals and associated organizations provide expertise and assistance in marketing these professions to high-schools throughout the state.
2015	KY	4	Kentucky Association for Environmental Education -- $91,000 Ms. Ashley Hoffman, 1448 Cypress Street, Paris, KY 40361-1259 Addressing Climate Literacy through Concerted Community-based Initiatives The Addressing Climate Literacy through Concerted Community-based Initiatives project creates a Center for Environmental Education (CEE) to address the gap between scientific and popular understanding of climate change. CEE supports community climate stewardship projects, provides professional development in climate change education to formal and non-formal educators in the area, and expands the reach of the climate literacy program.
2015	LA	6	University of New Orleans -- $90,800 Rebecca Drake, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148 Headwater to the Delta Connection in Louisiana More than 25 teachers will receive the training needed to deliver content-rich lessons to more than 1,000 students in the New Orleans area through the Headwater to the Delta Connection in Louisiana project. The process involves critical thinking, problem solving and stewardship. Through the grant, funding and professional resources are provided to teachers to attend a summer workshop and implement watershed- and delta-related stewardship activities for their students in their local environments. Additionally, the project supports and expands the network of educators trained via the Headwaters to the Delta Connection as well as development of local Delta Rivers Institute workshops that will take place in St. Bernard and Orleans Parish. Participants are provided the pedagogical tools, content knowledge, confidence and professional support system to deliver environmental education experiences in their schools. Participants also explore specific science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) strategies that enrich and deepen science investigation relevant to local river, watershed and delta environments.
2015	ME	1	Bates College -- $90,000 Sally Slovenski, 220 College Street, Lewiston, ME 04240-000 Community Colleges for Environmental Stewardship The Community Colleges for Environmental Stewardship project prepares a diverse pool of low-income students for a lifetime of environmental stewardship. The program creates and sustains changes in delivery of local community college courses to include ongoing environmental education in all fields of study. It furthers this goal by having students complete locally focused environmental stewardship projects in New England communities to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and protect water. Under the grant, community colleges in northern New England provide training and support to at least 20 faculty from diverse disciplines to embed environmental community projects into their courses. Participants include more than 360 low-income and non-traditional community college students. Each state involved in the project hosts field seminars to share best practices, expand networking of community colleges, and support community environmental stewardship projects.
2015	MD	3	Izaak Walton League of America -- $91,000 Leah Miller, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 Creek Freaks Camps and Afterschool Program The Creek Freaks program addresses each of the components of the environmental education continuum. For example, lessons are designed to create awareness of and communicate knowledge to children. The children participate in hands-on activities that require them to evaluate and create innovative solutions to environmental issues using critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. Activities are focused on engaging the participants in outdoor, place-based and experiential learning activities that teach the children about stream ecology and conservation, which in turn, increases public stewardship of America's waters. The students also learn about careers in environmental fields. The project increases the capacity of camps and after-school programs to provide quality environmental education programming.
2015	MA	1	Greenagers, Inc. -- $36,700 Will Conklin, 33 Rossetter St, Great Barrington, MA 01230-0000 Crafting the Landscape In collaboration with two local middle schools and a cooperative grocery store, Greenagers, Inc., implements an environmental education project in an after-school and summer program. Approximately 100 underserved youth develop a working relationship with their forests, watersheds, and "foodsheds" by creating virtual communities and environmental goals in the video game, Minecraft. These virtual goals are translated into real, actionable service projects in their community. Middle school students participate in 2-hour after-school sessions twice a week and also attend a 5-week summer program, where they learn to identify a community need and then create a service project to address the issues. The service projects focus on climate change, taking action on toxics, and protecting water. Each student receives nearly 200 hours of program time and contributes about 40 hours of direct environmental community service to the community.
2015	MA	1	Massachusetts Audubon Society -- $69,632 Kris Scopinich, 208 South Great Rd, Lincoln, MA 01733-4800 Building Climate Action Communities Massachusetts Audubon Society develops a regional model to enhance the climate literacy of staff, which in turn increases staff capacity to integrate education on climate change and its effects on local ecosystems into their programs. The project partners — Massachusetts Audubon Society, Connecticut Audubon Society and Audubon Society of Rhode Island — infuse climate change into existing community-based environmental education programming at each organization. The three partners also work with community-based organizations to develop, test and disseminate a model that integrates the study of New England ecosystems and the effects of climate change on local plants, wildlife and people into a pedagogically based curriculum. Trained staff and community organizations then implement more than 40 climate literacy program pilots into existing informal environmental education programs across the region, which reach nearly 1,000 people. The community organizations implement about 30 community-based programs and events, expecting to reach nearly 600 people on climate change issues.
2015	MI	5	Michigan State University -- $91,000 Kay Gross, Hannah Administration Bldg, 426 Auditorium Road, Room 2, East Lansing, MI 48824 Teaching Science Outdoors: A Pathway to Enhancing K-5 Teacher and Student Environmental Education Teaching Science Outdoors develops a program in EE for elementary (urban and rural) school teachers from southwest Michigan that increases their ability to integrate EE into their classroom teaching and showcase how the outdoors—whether in their schoolyard, neighborhood, or community—can be used as part of the classroom. The project aims to increase the ability of teachers to use the outdoor environment to teach about the water cycle and about protecting water resources. The project develops curriculum and learning experiences that improve knowledge of aquatic habitats through place-based, hands-on experiences in the outdoors. These programs align classroom teaching with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning about the water cycle and environment. Ultimately, Teaching Science Outdoors aims to translate classroom experiences into action to protect local water resources.
2015	MN	5	Minnesota Humanities Center, -- $91,000 David O'Fallon, 987 Ivy Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106 Smithsonian Water Project: Minnesota Humanities Center Six rural Minnesota communities are selected to host a Smithsonian Water Exhibition as part of the Minnesota Humanities Center, which equips Minnesotans with the knowledge, attitudes, motivation, and skills to become more actively involved in their environmental stewardship. Participating communities host the exhibition at a county museum (or library or community center), with related programming at churches, libraries, parks, schools, and senior centers and other civic spaces. Through a year-long engagement before the exhibition arrives, these communities convene leaders across sectors and participate in workshops and trainings that deepen their knowledge, understanding, and commitment to water issues. They will be supported to create companion exhibitions; develop high-profile programs, events and stewardship projects; and conduct local story-collecting initiatives. When the 6-week exhibition begins, the broader community will be reached through the exhibition itself and the rich educational programs created for and by the community. When the exhibition leaves, more community members are participating in local water organizations, citizen science programs, voluntary water quality programs, and water stewardship projects at home. Overall, the project trains 36 community leaders, involves 250 volunteer community members, and reaches 18,000 members of the public, including 2,000 students.
2015	MO	7	St. Louis University -- $91,000 Dr. Jack Fishman, 3642 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108 St. Louis Ozone Gardens Project The St. Louis Ozone Gardens Project expands an existing, successful environmental education program that educates students about the impact of global air pollutions (surface ozone) on vegetation, crops, and human health. As part of this project, students collect data on ozone impacts to ozone-sensitive plants growing within the garden. Students also learn how to collect data using an ozone monitor and a weather station. Participants are empowered to engage in stewardship activities that reduce the emissions leading to photochemical smog and surface ozone. In total, 132 teachers and 1,320 students, primarily elementary and middle school, are served in the St. Louis area.
2015	MT	8	Montana State University -- $91,000 Barbara Bunge, 309 Montana Hall, PO Box 172470, Bozeman, MT 59717 Empowering Community Stewardship in the Headwaters The Empowering Community Stewardship in the Headwaters project expands and advances a statewide water quality education program that encourages adult and youth civic community organizations to adopt a local river or stream reach. This project combines water quality monitoring, river cleanups, and enhancement projects by community organizations. The organizations engage in water quality investigations that lead to better understanding of local watershed issues and that identify local actions to improve water quality. Five Adopt-a-Reach pilot water stewards groups receive training and support through water monitoring training, on-site visits, water quality collection days, and river-reach cleanups. Each organization must adopt at least 1 river-mile for the duration of the grant. Within each reach, the community organizations identify locations to conduct water monitoring, riparian visual assessments, and river cleanup events based on safe and legal access and areas of concern by.
2015	MT	8	Montana State University -- $91,000 Barbara Bunge, 309 Montana Hall, PO Box 172470, Bozeman, MT 59717 Pursuit of Educational Advancement toward Careers in Environmental Fields (PACE) for Montana Tribal College Students Pursuit of Educational Advancement toward Careers in Environmental Fields (PACE) for Montana Tribal College Students is located in seven Tribal communities. Montana Tribal College student participants (PACE Participants) increase their awareness and knowledge of specific local environmental issues identified as a concern by their community and where the community desires a solution. Inspiring and encouraging interest in environmental stewardship and environmental careers, the program increases the environmental literacy, knowledge of sources of information, and evaluation skills of the PACE Participants in relation to the environmental issue identified. Additionally, the program increases awareness of institutions of higher learning in Montana and the degrees they offer in environmental fields and mentorship and support programs; scholarships and grants; internships and fellowships; and other opportunities.
2015	MT	8	The Watershed Education Network -- $91,000 Deb Fassnacht, 315 So, 4th East Suite 203 , Missoula, MT 59801 Western Montana Place-Based Watershed Education Program Western Montana Place-Based Watershed Education Program educates tribal and non-tribal student groups and community members on the environmental issues in their local watersheds and the possible solutions to those issues, as well as potential stewardship opportunities in those watersheds. The project provides environmental education on issues relevant to the Clark Fork and Flathead watersheds to grades 5 through 12. The program protects the local watersheds through educating and empowering watershed-literate citizens. Additionally, it builds a connection between what is learned in the classroom and the real-world applications through investigative, immersion learning at the river's edge.
2015	NJ	2	Greater Newark Conservancy -- $91,000 Ingrid Johnson, 32 Prince Street, Newark, NJ 07103 Education Programming for Newark Public Schools Under this grant, the Greater Newark Conservancy expands its existing environmental education program to reach 1,750 students in kindergarten through grade six students throughout Newark Public Schools in New Jersey. Using outdoor, placed-based, hands-on learning as a primary learning tool, the students are learning how to become environmental stewards. Students visit the conservancy's 1.3-acre Outdoor Learning Center to learn about native plants, as well as its 2.5-acre Hawthorne Avenue urban farm.
2015	NM	6	Asombro Institute for Science Education -- $90,000 Stephanie Bestelmeyer, PO Box 891, Las Cruces, NM 88004-0891 New Mexico Climate Champion The goal of the New Mexico Climate Champions project is to train 500 students to become climate "champions" by gaining knowledge and critical thinking skills related to the regional effects of climate change on water and agriculture and mitigating those effects through stewardship action plans implemented in their schools and communities. The program creates locally relevant climate change education modules for educators; increases students' and educators' knowledge about climate change effects on water and agriculture; enhances students' motivation and skills in creating voluntary action plans to improve the environment; increases students' consideration of environmental careers for themselves; and provides opportunities for the public to learn about regional climate change effects along with actions they can take to mitigate and adapt to those effects.
2015	NY	2	Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County -- $40,000 Stephanie Graf, 203 North Hamilton Street, Watertown, NY 13601-2948 Onsite Organics Diversion for Youth Camps Cornell Cooperative Extension's project establishes sustainable composting and recycling programs at three rural youth camps that serve low-income populations in northern New York. The program's camp counselors are trained to educate campers on how to reduce waste, compost and recycle, and why it is so important to do so. Each camp develops an environmental stewardship plan and establishes recycling infrastructure and on-site composting systems. Under this project, approximately 3,800 campers participate, most from low-income families, guided by 60 camp counselors.
2015	NY	2	Syracuse University -- $91,000 Amy Graves, Office of Sponsored Programs, 113 Bowne Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-1200 Using the Thanksgiving Address to Advance Environmental Literacy and Environmental Stewardship Through this project, Syracuse University focuses on teaching students about the Onondaga Lake watershed in a way that includes Haudenosaunee history and cultural attitudes toward nature as a complement to scientific environmental knowledge about the physical world and as an activating force toward cultivating gratitude, responsibility and stewardship. Educational materials and tools are developed that allow students of various ages to compare traditional and scientific teachings about species and landscapes native to the Onondaga Lake watershed. The students are also provided opportunities to gather their own information about these topics. Faculty at Syracuse University test the developed materials at a summer workshop attended by 20 teachers.
2015	OH	5	Columbus State Community College -- $91,000 Jeffrey Bates, 550 East Spring Street, Columbus, OH 43215 Green Infrastructure Educational Program Columbus State Community College and its sub-grantee partners implement a green infrastructure educational program to educate 60 low-income, inner city residents on green infrastructure concepts. The project, which is aligned with the City of Columbus initiative to improve sustainable, environmentally friendly storm water retention, empowers disadvantaged populations with skills to earn a livable wage as landscaping and grounds keeping workers. The 6-week course provides local residents with the entry-level skills to implement environmentally friendly alternatives to the current Wet Weather Management Plan required under an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency consent order that consists of wastewater treatment plant upgrades, storage tanks, tunnels, and piping augmentation. The environmentally friendly alternatives involve installing rain gardens, porous pavements, gutter and downspout improvements on private property, and other more sustainable measures. The project goal is to offer a Green Infrastructure Educational Program that enables the City of Columbus to implement an environmentally friendly program titled "Blueprint Columbus. Clean Streams. Strong Neighborhoods" to maximize rainwater retention and minimize runoff into the wastewater sewer system. Participants also gain hands-on training and experience that can be applied toward an associate degree at Columbus State Community College. Entering and rising in the career pathway is a means for breaking the cycle of poverty while infusing environmental literacy through education.
2015	OK	6	Oklahoma State University -- $91,000 Justin Moss, 203 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74074 Incorporating Water and Environmental Education into Oklahoma City Charter School Curricula Oklahoma State University plans to improve environmental education for the Santa Fe South Charter School—located in a disadvantaged minority urban area—by including urban agriculture in the curriculum for more than 1,500 students. The project will increase environmental and conservation awareness for school-age children and parents through school-farm and community activities. Local environmental efforts are combined with concerns for disadvantaged families by using the Santa Fe South Charter School as an environmental and experiential learning location. Environmental education will be introduced as a year-round theme for a variety of subjects (for example, in math, English, social studies, science and art) in the school—helping teachers introduce environmental concepts into their lesson plans. Students will also grow native plants in the school garden to reflect the ethnic makeup of the students who attend Santa Fe South Charter School. The garden enables the students to understand the importance of water-efficient crops and the use of those crops in landscaping, erosion control and native habitats.
2015	PA	3	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania -- $90,166 Paul William Scanlon, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057-1326 Healthy Planet, Healthy People Summer Camp and Community Project Incubator Slippery Rock University (SRU) hosts a week-long "Healthy Planet, Healthy People" environmentally themed summer camp on a college campus. The camp is designed to not only provide high school students with fun and educational outdoor experiences, but also to act as a community project incubator by preparing the students to develop and lead environmental education and stewardship projects when they return to their local communities. Through this project, the students are gaining a better understanding of and enjoying the benefits of our natural environment. The project is intended to increase student awareness of local environmental problems, and it will also increase their awareness of the environmental organizations working within their local communities to solve environmental problems. Through a combination of formal leadership training and informal mentoring, the students become more knowledgeable about the scientific principles of ecological sustainability and enhancing their critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making skills.
2015	VA	3	Friends of the Rappahannock -- $90,799 Bryan Hofmann, 3219 Fall Hill Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA 22401-9998 Rappahannock Regional River Student Stream Team The Student Stream Team (SST) project increases the environmental literacy of students and teachers who participate in the program and prepares them to make informed decisions and choices that benefit the local environment, specifically local water resources. The student and teacher participants gain knowledge about water quality issues through a series of science lessons and local field investigations that help them understand and personally witness the impact humans have on their local environment. The SST project empowers students not only by giving them the knowledge and ability to make personal choices and behavior changes that benefit the local environment, but also by giving them the opportunity to participate in a restoration activity that shows the immediate results of stewardship efforts.
2015	VA	3	Marine Science Consortium, Inc. -- $90,999 Elise Kathryn Trelegan, 34001 Mill Dam Road, Wallops Island, VA 23337-0000 Educating for Sustainable and Resilient Communities The site of Accomack County's first living shoreline project, the Chincoteague Bay Field Station's Greenbackville campus, becomes an outdoor classroom and public model under the Educating for Sustainable and Resilient Communities project for enhancing coastal resiliency on the Eastern Shore. Through development, demonstration, and implementation of best practices, the project educates and empowers students, teachers, families and university faculty about coastal ecosystems and climate change. Participants engage in hands-on and inquiry-based field experiences that leads to a collective community environmental stewardship behavior and positive attitude about shoreline protection.
2015	VA	3	National Recreation and Park Association -- $53,815 (HQ Grant) Jessic Culverhouse, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd, Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 Creating Opportunities for Meaningful Environmental Education in Park and Recreation Out-of-School Time Programs The Wildlife Explorers out-of-school-time program hosted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) provides hands-on environmental education activities and meaningful learning experiences in nature to underserved children who would not otherwise have such opportunities. Local parks are the stewards of urban greenspaces, forests and natural areas, and providers of out-of-school-time programs for millions of youth every year. They offer unique, place-based opportunities to investigate and connect with nature. In this experiential learning program, young people work with leaders to carry out stewardship activities that benefit both the individual and the community. The objectives of the program, which take place in five local community parks across the country, include: (1) environmental and conservation education that improves the knowledge and attitudes of the youth participants with respect to conservation and the environment, as measured by pre- and post-assessments, and (2) conservation activities that enhance and improve the local environment through action projects, as measured and reported by youth participants and leaders.
2015	WA	10	University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology and Indigenous Wellness Research Institute -- $91,000 Samuel Wasser, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Box 359472, Seattle, WA 98195 Culture-Based Environmental Education for Tomorrow's Tribal Leaders – Washington State The project, Culture-Based Environmental Education for Tomorrow's Tribal Leaders, enhances Tribal middle school education by providing interactive classroom presentations on marine health that highlight whale research methods. These methods involve an exciting mix of non-invasive wildlife monitoring methods and the University of Washington Center's specially trained detection dogs, which are used to sample large areas for scat of targeted wildlife species. Inquiry-based classroom lessons are combined with hands-on, cooperative-based activities that address cultural content and national learning standards. Leadership workshops are focused on connecting students to conservation and health concepts through outdoor learning and cultural-based actions.
2015	WI	5	The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System -- $192,184 (HQ Grant) Lyn Bauer-Armstrong, 21 N. Park Street, Suite 6401, Madison, WI 53715-1218 Colaboracion Ambiental- Latino Earth Partnership The Latino Earth Partnership (LEP), or Colaboración Ambiental, seeks to strengthen the capacity of formal and non-formal educators to partner with Latino communities to engage more than 4,200 young people in environmental stewardship, spanning culture and place at five sites in Wisconsin, Florida and Puerto Rico. Partners develop relationships and recruit participants from Latino communities that reflect current, significant demographic patterns. LEP involves students in kindergarten through grade 12 and university teachers and students, non-formal educators, citizens, elders and other community members in efforts to expand the time people spend outdoors, active learning in real-world contexts, and cultural inclusivity. The LEP program has three phases: capacity building that leads up to train-the-trainer institutes, implementation through teacher professional development institutes and youth stewardship projects, and dissemination through continued and new youth stewardship and community partnerships. LEP believes firmly in what Aldo Leopold noted in the 1949 A Sand County Almanac, "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."
2016	AZ	9	Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University, -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Dr. Dan Collins, PO Box 876011, Tempe, AZ 85287 Sustainable Communities and Place-Based Education (SCAPE) Sustainable Communities and Place-Based Education (SCAPE) is a high school and community-based science education project that combines on-line learning and field observations with "living classrooms" across the Colorado River Basin. Building on successful curriculum design workshops with teachers and scientists, the project provides opportunities for science teachers in at least 10 regional high schools to learn the science of water quality and environmental education best practices. Once trained, the teachers introduce approximately 600 11th- and 12th-grade students to the hydrology of the Colorado River system, methods for measuring in-stream flow, and techniques for measuring water quality. Teachers are provided training in EE instruction as related to real-world problems with water quality and supply, as well as the tools and methods to move from knowledge to action. Students' decision-making skills will be improved through participation in the project, and the community's sense of stewardship of the river system will be enhanced. Community members who are reached by the project represent a cross-section of demographics along the basin area in regards to race, economic level, geographic location, and type of setting (rural, urban, and suburban).
2016	CA	9	Education Outside, -- $91,000 Hannah Shulman, 135 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 Water Literacy to Action The Water Literacy to Action project helps San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) elementary students and community residents understand the science behind their local watershed and the issues that affect this complex system. Forty-four AmeriCorps members are provided with 40 hours of water-related training and curricula that prepare them to lead lessons at local middle and elementary schools in the San Francisco area. After training is complete, AmeriCorps members engage schools in stewardship activities, teach garden-based water education and model water conservation practices and to students in "green" schoolyards designed to increase understanding of their watershed, the importance of water conservation, and climate change impacts. More than 4,100 students, teachers, parents, and community members are engaged in stewardship activities led by AmeriCorps members. Ultimately, more than 12,000 students and 650 teachers at 44 elementary and Kindergarten through grade 8 schools will participate.
2016	CA	9	Plumas Audubon Society, -- $91,000 Teresa Arrate, 429 Main Street, Quincy, CA 95971 Plumas Environmental Education Program Under this grant, field trips, classroom and outdoor lessons and activities, and service-learning projects are delivered to 750 youth from low- and medium-income rural areas in Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties in California. The Audubon Society hosts 32 bird walks to 10 sites in Plumas County to educate students about various bird species, how climate changes are influencing birds and other wildlife, and steps they and their families can take to address the causes and impacts of climate change. Students also carry out service-learning projects that transform lawns into bird-friendly, climate wise habitats, and are improving bird habitats at Audubon's Learning Landscape properties. Learning Landscape properties — parcels of land located within a 10-minute walk of local schools, such as meadows, forests, and riparian habitats — provide an ideal location for place-based education. Youth participating in the projects gain a sense of stewardship that inspires them to care for their land and their communities.
2016	CA	9	San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy, -- $90,000 Tara Fuad, 777 S. Highway 10, Suite 112, Solana Beach, CA 92075 Our Living Watershed The Our Living Watershed project provides environmental education to children in grades 3 through 5 through field trips, family weekend stewardship events, professional development for teachers, and trainings for docents and teacher guides. The project is expected to reach 1,500 students, 50 or more teachers, and 300 family members of students. San Diego Gas and Electric, the State of California Coastal Conservancy, and the California Coastal Commission are conducting this project for four elementary schools in underserved neighborhoods to address environmental challenges affecting the Escondido Creek watershed, such as improper waste and oil disposal, stormwater runoff, trash, litter and sewage entering the waterways, and climate change impacts. The goals of the project are to instill a life-long conservation ethic among grade-school youth, to connect them with nature, to develop the EE teaching skills of the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy's volunteer docents and partnering teachers, and to protect the Escondido Creek watershed.
2016	CO	8	Eco-Cycle, Inc., -- $91,000 Randy Moorman, 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO 80303 Building the First Green Star Community in Lyons, CO Under this grant, Lyons, Colorado, will be converted into the first Zero Waste town in the United States by educating each resident about waste issues and Zero Waste practices. A town of 2,300 residents, Lyons is a gateway community to the Rocky Mountain National Park, visited by thousands of people each year. Residents and others in the surrounding communities participate in training and education on the solid waste stream, its impact on the environment, human and climate health, and on habits that prevent or reduce these impacts. Participants engage in inquiry-based learning at Learning Workshops focused on recycling, composting, green cleaning and purchasing, and local effects of solid waste reduction. Through formal and informal interactions, face-to-face and peer-to-peer interactions, hands-on activities, and discussion-based learning, residents are taking ownership of their solid waste management and will develop a community-wide action plan. These actions encourage environmental stewardship as a cultural norm in the community.
2016	CO	8	The Greenway Foundation, -- $90,000 Rachel Steel, 1855 S Pearl Street, Suite 40, Denver, CO 80210 South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) The South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) project is creating an environmentally literate generation of Denver youth that is prepared to address present and future ecological challenges. More than 10,000 youth aged 3 to 18 years engage in excursions as a part of the Greenway River Rangers and the Greenway Leadership Corps to increase their understanding of connections between Denver's waterways and environmental and human health. The Greenway River Rangers program prepares the older youth, Rangers, to educate younger students about watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, and water treatment while focusing on the quality of Denver's water. The Rangers also develop skills for taking action to protect Denver's river and creeks and how to effectively educate others about issues that affect these resources. Members of the Greenway Leadership Corps take direct action to protect Denver's waterways through monthly stewardship projects such as removing trash and debris, basic water quality testing, and other practices aimed at improving water quality and the health of wetland habitats.
2016	CO	8	Trees, Water & People, -- $48,000 Richard Fox, 633 Remington Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524 Addressing Climate Change through Solar Education for Native American Youth Under this collaborative project between Trees, Water & People and We Care Solar, students at two Native American high schools participate in hands-on instruction to learn about solar energy, mitigating climate change, and career opportunities in the field of solar technology. Students and teachers are introduced to an environmental education curriculum involving solar energy concepts that incorporate key STEM skills and environmental education. The We Share Solar Education Program curriculum is made up of four major components: innovative solar energy technology; integrated mathematics for application of energy systems; engineering; and global energy use. Designed to further incorporate interdisciplinary mathematics, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication to promote STEM literacy and 21st century skills, the program strengthens students' readiness and interest in STEM majors and careers that are environmentally beneficial.
2016	FL	4	Dream in Green, Inc., -- $91,000 Karla Utting, 425 N.E. 22nd Street, Suite 401, Room 5, Miami, FL 33137 The Dream in Green Academy The Dream in Green (DIG) Academy is a platform that houses DIG's innovative environmental education programs for Kindergarten through 12th grade and community residents. The Dream in Green Academy is made up of three programs that engage and inspire students, teachers, parents, and residents to mitigate the impacts of climate change through actions in their schools, homes, and communities. The Green Schools Challenge/Water and Energy Learning and Behavior (GSC/WE-LAB) Schools program promotes sustainable behaviors and practices in local schools among students and faculty in Kindergarten through 12th grade through a science-based curriculum and team building. Students are introduced to STEM-based subjects, gain leadership skills, and conduct personal research, all focused on climate change impacts at their school. The Academy also works with the community to discuss environmental challenges affecting the Miami-Dade area.
2016	FL	4	Key Biscayne Community Foundation, Inc., -- $91,000 Melissa McCaughan White, 88 W. McIntyre Street, Suite 200, Key Biscayne, FL 33149-1846 Developing and Implementing an Environmental Education Program to Maintain the Coastal Waters of Key Biscayne This grant educates local residents about near-shore waters using a curriculum that takes residents from awareness to knowledge and, ultimately, to stewardship of near-shore waters. Targeted for seniors and youth in grades 5 through 12, this program focuses on teaching about water quality issues such as debris, turbidity, nutrients, and sea level change and the resulting effects on the shoreline surrounding the Key. Environmental education takes place through classroom instruction and field work for the youth audiences, while the senior citizens participate in outdoor activities at local parks and beaches. The residents collect samples, which enables them to recognize when stressors are harming the shoreline.
2016	IA	7	Eastern Iowa Community College District, -- $85,592 Heather Ballou, 201 North Harrison Street, Suite 101, Davenport, IA 52801 YES! Youth and Environmental Sustainability Under the YES! Youth and Environmental Sustainability project, middle and high school educators will participate in science workshops to enhance their skills at teaching students how to make informed environmental decisions and to take responsibility for their actions. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), which operates the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC), is designing science teacher workshops and education modules focused on climate change, air quality, water quality, and environmental decision making in the classroom. Each 5-day workshop is facilitated by the community college and teachers who pilot test the learning modules in their classrooms. Approximately 40 teachers will participate in the workshops, ultimately reaching 800 middle and high school students.
2016	KY	4	Kentucky Environmental Education Council, -- $91,000 Elizabeth Schmitz, 500 Metro Street, Capital Plaza Tower, Room 1901, Frankfort, KY 40601-1987 Environmental Literacy, Green Schools, and Responsible Community Action in Kentucky The Environmental Literacy, Green Schools, and Responsible Community Action program in Frankfort, Kentucky, provides professional development for up to 75 teachers to improve their EE teaching skills and knowledge of environmental issues and content, particularly water quality and conservation. Participating teachers in Kindergarten through grade 12 are trained in the Project WET and Kentucky Department of Water Watch Program curricula, focusing on possible conservation and water quality monitoring activities that they can implement in the classroom as well as grassroots efforts to protect human health and the environment. All teacher workshops are aligned with national environmental education guidelines and standards, and workshop activities demonstrate alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards. The workshops, held in various watershed basins in Kentucky, will increase the environmental literacy of 75 teachers and, in turn, their 7,500 students.
2016	LA	6	Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans, -- $91,000 433 Bolivar Street, New Orleans, LA 70112 Empowering Communities to Make Informed Decisions and Reduce Childhood Exposure to Toxic Chemicals in Indoor Environments Twenty-one graduate students implement student-led science projects at four schools to educate and empower the community to make informed decisions about cost-effective methods to prevent exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water. In collaboration with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Science Youth Initiative and the LSU Science Summer Project Team, and four schools in the New Orleans area, students test the effectiveness of current public health guidelines for reducing exposure to lead in drinking water, identify possible health impacts, and work to evaluate cost-effective solutions. The research findings are translated into sustainable community improvements and used to develop outreach strategies and materials to educate and motivate peers, families, and communities to raise awareness of common environmental hazards and the effects of their exposure. Project partners will work together to recruit schools and oversee developing, testing, and implementing educational projects.
2016	MD	3	Living Classrooms Foundation, -- $60,000 Christine Truett, 802 S. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 Masonville Cove Environmental Education Programming Under this grant, the Living Classrooms Foundation works with 650 students in grades 3 through 5 in two summer programs that introduce students to concepts such as storm water runoff, the effects of land use on local environmental issues, and the causes and sources of pollution and how to prevent it. These programs also provide awareness of land use and local environmental issues. The School Leadership in Urban Runoff Reduction Project (SLURRP) and the Baltimore Environmental Education Math and Reading Trailblazers (BEE SMART) programs are providing sustainable and replicable projects for urban schools that are creating behavioral change in both environmental literacy and stewardship. Students participating in the programs engage in hands-on projects to solve environmental issues directly affecting their community and learn how to prevent storm water runoff and improve water quality. BEESMART, a 5-week, full day summer program for 3rd through 5th graders, immerses students in E-STEM projects related to real-world local environmental problems while also retaining reading and math levels throughout the summer.
2016	MA	1	Manomet, Inc., Plymouth -- $91,000 Beth Brazil, 125 Manomet Point Road, Plymouth, MA 02360 U360-EE Sustainability through Engagement with Small Business Sector Working in collaboration with five universities in New Hampshire and Maine, this project enhances the knowledge of college students in the environmental and business departments about issues related to climate change, energy, water, and toxins. Students learn how to apply problem solving and analytical skills to environmental challenges and how sustainability strategies can be applied to unique business models. The project involves up to 80 students working with 12 to 15 small business owners to help them apply practical tools and sustainability practices, which benefit local communities by reducing the environmental footprint, limiting the use of toxic chemicals, increasing climate resiliency, and developing greater local stewardship.
2016	MA	1	Mystic River Watershed Association -- $80,116 Beth MacBlane, 20 Academy Street, Suite 306, Arlington, MA 02476 Mystic River Herring Run Project The Mystic River Herring Run Project is engaging 1,500 students and 200 adults across five school districts to improve educational literacy on riverine ecology and the migration of herring. The project also works to increase knowledge of environmental stewardship of water resources and educate communities about storm water pollution and its effects on the Mystic River watershed. This program creates, maintains, and shares a web portal that provides educational media used to count herring during migration, helps assess water quality indicators, and documents information about the watershed. The Mystic River Watershed Association is promoting river ecology by providing hands-on experiences to students and adults that include hosting workshops in schools, field trips to view fish ladders, and events along the river.
2016	MI	5	Regents of the University of Michigan, -- $91,000 Patricia Koman, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 See for Yourself: What's in Your Water? The See for Yourself: What's in Your Water project works to increase environmental awareness among students and community members in Flint, Michigan, and encourage actions and behaviors that will enhance local water quality and serve as an example for other communities. The University of Michigan (UM), in collaboration with its community-based partners, will increase the environmental literacy of more than 500 adult learners and students in Kindergarten through grade 12 participating in the Lead Awareness Week. Along with five sub-grantees, UM also sponsors in-person experiential trainings for Flint area residents and provides on-line, web-based training for national partnerships. Both training programs focus on water quality, drinking water delivery systems, sampling, chemical and biological contaminants, and actions to protect the environment. Flint residents are able to use this citizen science project to learn more about the processes for improving and maintaining water quality in their community.
2016	MN	5	The Children and Nature Network, -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Sarah Milligan Toffler, 808 14th Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 The Family Time in Environment = Responsible Stewardship (TIERS) Program In collaboration with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the Children and Nature Network's Family Nature Club (FNC) provides environmental education training and tools to more than 800 parents and children. The Family TIERS Program encourages families to identify local environmental issues and engage in responsible stewardship by working with 10 community-based teams. The teams, made up of volunteer parents and staff from zoos and aquariums from across the country, are trained to recruit and maintain membership in FNC and encourage outdoor recreation and nature exploration for families new to the environmental education field. This program aims to increase environmental literacy in the areas of basic hydrology, watersheds and water quality, aquatic ecosystems, riparian wildlife habitats, and climate change through action plans designed to engage adults and children of all ages.
2016	NE	7	Board of Regents, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, -- $91,000 Jenny Keshwani, 3835 Holdridge Street, Lincoln, NE 68583 Introducing Environmental Sustainability Principles for Food Production into High School Science The Introducing Environmental Sustainability Principles for Food Production into High School Science program implements, pilot tests, evaluates, and disseminates a curriculum that introduces high school students to assess the sustainability of local farms using the Fieldprint® calculator developed by Field to Market. The tool is used to measure field characteristics such as land use efficiency, greenhouse gas contribution, and water quality impact to understand the importance of food and agriculture systems needed to sustain the growing world population. The curriculum provides a framework for bringing together 87 teachers, 240 students, and 120 farmers to understand the complex adaptive processes involved in the food system and encourages students to make decisions that support environmental sustainability.
2016	NE	7	National Audubon Society, Inc. d/b/a Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon, NE 68840 -- $90,843 Bill Taddicken, 44450 Elm Island Road, Gibbon, NE 68840 Wetlands for Schools and Communities In partnership with Kearney Public Schools, the Wetland for Schools and Communities project creates an outdoor wetland that, along with adjacent grasslands, provides a habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, and grassland birds and helps improve water quality and increase groundwater recharge while filtering runoff. An outdoor classroom and an environmental education curriculum, developed with grant funds, provide students at Kearney High School with hands-on experiences that build a culture of environmental stewardship in the community. More than 1,000 students will be engaged in the project, and an additional 60 students help design, plan, and execute the seedling plantings. Along with the Visitors Bureau and the Kearney Whitewater Association, Rowe Sanctuary invites families to become involved in outdoor activities such as planting and seeding to help maintain a long-term wetland maintenance plan.
2016	NM	6	Talking Talons Youth Leadership, -- $91,000 12165 Hwy 14 North, Suite B-8 Cedar Crest, NM 87008 Spring to River – Hidden in Plain Sight The Spring to River – Hidden in Plain Sight program conducts youth environmental education and stewardship projects, educator training, and community meetings dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the local Tijeras Creek Watershed in New Mexico. The curriculum focuses on advancing local and state educational goals in the New Mexico Environmental Literacy Plan by educating both students and the community. Service learning and stewardship sessions are offered at Carlito Springs, Tijeras Creek, and the Valle de Oro Urban Wildlife Refuge watershed sites, including invasive species identification and removal; water quality testing; trash pickup and assessment; pollution source identification; native species identification and planting; erosion control projects, building gabions, berms and sponges; and water and vegetation monitoring. Students are exposed to opportunities in STEM careers, learn how to be involved in watershed stewardship, and learn various methods for developing programs that may be used to protect the watershed.
2016	NY	2	Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, -- $91,000 Christopher Murawski, 721 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203-1321 The Water Academy: A Place-Based, Community-Focused Environmental Leadership Program Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper staff will manage and implement the Water Academy Program to create a place-based, community-focused leadership program. Working in collaboration with the State University of New York (SUNY) Erie Community College, the Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center, WNED public radio and NY Sea Grant, five teachers and 25 adult students attend courses in an outdoor classroom, aquatic research center, and a Great Lakes Center research vessel that focuses on the protection and restoration of fresh water resources. The program offers college credit for an experiential field course for educational professionals and local citizens that focuses on environmental problem solving, hazardous waste site cleanup and restoration, water quality monitoring, invasive species management, community building tools, train-the-trainer techniques, kayaking and other essential outdoor skills for environmental stewards, and community freshwater protection projects. Instructional plans and lesson modules are designed to be easily adapted and replicated.
2016	NY	2	Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks (The Wild Center) -- $91,000 Kara Page, 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY 12986-9712 Convening Young Leaders for Climate Resilience: The Adirondack Youth Climate Program Under this grant, the Adirondack Youth Climate Program is hosting presentations and workshops led by climate experts for 400 to 500 high school students, 45 teachers, and 50 high school age climate leaders on reducing emissions and climate impacts. Participants will create a Climate Action Plan, a framework for reducing emission and climate impacts in the community. Students will participate in place-based Youth Climate Summits and lead climate projects through a Youth Climate Leadership Practicum. In addition, teachers enhance their comprehension of climate science and cultivate stewardship through a Teacher Climate Institute. Activities to enhance the Wild Center's Adirondack Youth Climate Program website include housing project resources and producing a video about project impacts. Focused on the greater Adirondack region of northern New York – including some of the poorest and more rural counties in the state — the project increases climate change awareness and introduces community-based climate projects.
2016	OH	5	Rural Action, -- $91,000 Joe Brehm, 9030 Hocking Hills Drive, The Plains, Ohio 45780 Appalachian Green Teachers Project (AGPT) – Rural Action and Camp Oty'Okwa The Appalachian Green Teachers Project (AGPT) improves student environmental literacy, increases community stewardship activities, and builds the capacity of schools, teachers, and environmental educators to use EE to improve student learning and achievement. Environmental leadership training provides high school students opportunities to engage in climate and energy projects. Under the project, teachers, students, and members of the community use outdoor spaces as teaching tools, participate in workshops focused on regional environmental issues, and conduct citizen science projects to collect biodiversity data and study the impact of climate change on local flora and fauna. As a model program, AGPT focuses heavily on curricula that directly relate to the Appalachian Ohio region, involving data about waterways in the lower Ohio River basin, biodiversity, and local flora and fauna. Rural Action uses this program to encourage behavioral changes intended to minimize the impacts of climate change and educate the community about energy projects.
2016	OR	10	Corvallis Environmental Center, -- $91,000 Carly Lettero, 214 SW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97339 Classrooms Take Charge – Corvallis, OR The Classrooms Take Charge project modifies an existing on-line education tool that introduces middle school students to the Carbon TIME (Transformations in Matter and Energy) curriculum. The Corvallis Environmental Center hosts a multi-day workshop to provide 15 formal and non-formal educators with strategies to teach "tracing matter and energy through human energy systems" through classroom, on-line, and service learning. Some 1,500 middle school students are involved in the program through in-class, on-line, and service learning with student-led projects. This project educates students about sustainability and behavioral changes that can affect climate change impacts and water and energy conservation practices, increases access to educational materials on climate change, and builds a local network of teachers who focus on sustainability. Participating students are encouraged to adopt energy-saving behaviors and create measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in water use.
2016	PA	3	Middletown Township, -- $15,000 Debbie Lamanna, 3 Municipal Way, Langhorne, PA 19047 Educating in Action to Save Idlewood The Educating in Action to Save Idlewood project improves environmental education through comprehensive, experiential curricula that combine textbook knowledge and interactive learning to create environmental stewards. Some 2,555 high school students at Neshaminy High School and their educators participate in lessons hosted in the school's back yard to learn how to care for the area in an environmentally friendly way. Students and community members can monitor their influence on their natural habitat throughout the school year and during Idlewood Action Days.
2016	PA	3	National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC), -- $91,000 Nancy De Leon Link, 1500 Market Street, LM-Mailroom, Philadelphia, PA 19102 Asthma, Climate Change and You: Southern PA Environmental Education Local Grant Project The Asthma, Climate Change and You: Southern PA Environmental Education Local Grant Project provides training for 20 educators and school-based health centers about the effects of climate change on asthma and air quality. Ten or more workshops will be held for 250 students in grades 3 through 9, including one-on-one follow-up education for at least 100 asthmatic children, to emphasize how climate change and exposure to toxins and chemicals such as pesticides can affect their asthma. Ultimately, more than 500 students will be reached under this grant.
2016	PA	3	Stroud Water Research Center, -- $192,200 (HQ Grant) Dr. David Arscott, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311 Greening STEM Technologies: A Model for Advancing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Environmental Sensing Networks The Stroud Water Research Center is developing a sustainable and replicable model program for community stakeholders, including adult learners, teachers, and students, with do-it-yourself (DIY) technology, techniques, training, and curricula focused on water quality monitoring. These tools will enable users to collect advanced water quality information on threatened and impaired waterways throughout the U.S., while also teaching critical thinking skills and data interpretation. In addition, workshop participants will be introduced to diverse sensor technologies used for monitoring climate change, air quality, and soil health and function. In all, eight to 10 citizen science workshops will be held with at least 40 attendees each, and five schools will receive 4th to 12th grade curricula on water quality monitoring that will also be posted on line. Workshops and school locations will span across five EPA Regions, reaching at least 500 individual participants in five different states and the District of Columbia, to test the replicability of the project in a variety of geographic locations and with a diversity of communities.
2016	PR	2	University of Puerto Rico – Estación Experimental Agrícola, -- $91,000 Dr. David Sotomayor-Ramirez, Jardin Botonico Sur, 1193 Calle Guayacan, San Juan, PR 00926-1118 Exploring Solutions to Point and Non-Point Sources of Contamination in the Lajas Valley Watershed The College of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico – Agricola offers a program that engages students in exploring solutions to point and non-point source contamination in the Lajas Valley watershed. Secondary school students from the local 4-H club program learn how to collect water quality samples from the watershed, which are then sent to the University of Puerto Rico for analysis. The students work to identify the sources and causes of the contamination and discuss possible prevention methods and governmental or educational campaign involvement in future mitigation.
2016	RI	1	Groundwork Providence, Pawtucket, -- $91,000 Amelia Rose, 1005 Main Street, #1223, Pawtucket, RI 02860 Building Capacity for Urban Environmental Education & Stewardship in Providence Under this grant, Groundwork Providence (GWP) is offering environmental educational programming to 300 students and 50 adults who live in neighborhoods with environmental justice concerns. The three GWP sites are redeveloped brownfields and former vacant, abandoned, and underutilized properties that have been transformed into community assets and all are within walking distance to schools and community centers. Using place-based, experiential learning, GWP is providing guidelines for safe and environmentally friendly practices in waste management and water quality, trees and climate change, urban agriculture, and non-chemical pest control. Members of the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA) are providing educational programming that is aligned with national standards to promote best practices among informal and formal educators.
2016	TX	6	IDEA Public Schools, -- $91,000 2115 W. Pike Blvd, Weslaco, TX 78596 Project H2Oh! Project H2Oh! introduces more than 16,000 students in grades 2 through 12 living along the Texas-Mexico border to environmental education and helps them develop an understanding of the importance of water and the water cycle. Students are encouraged to think about how their community uses water for economic and recreational purposes; develop improvement ideas for the local Camp Rio grounds, lakes, and marshes; and articulate how they and their families can be better stewards of water as a precious natural resource. Lessons include guided hikes to observe the water cycle in a natural landscape; hands-on work with native seeds, plants, and soil; and discussions focused on the benefits of water quality stewardship. This grant fully implements environmental education into the core curriculum of English, math, science, and social studies to increase environmental literacy. Students in the Rio Grande Valley are encouraged to pursue environmental studies and post-secondary careers and internships in STEM-related degrees.
2016	VA	3	National Wildlife Federation, -- $91,000 Rebecca Neumann, 11110 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190 School Grounds for Learning The goal of the School Grounds for Learning project is to transform 10 National Wildlife Eco-schools and Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education schools over the next 2 years into hubs of environmental learning and action. Twenty teachers, 1,200 middle and high school students, and community members from underserved neighborhoods are introduced to the impacts of human activity on water quality and learn about indicators of the health of the Chesapeake Bay through collecting water quality data and creating schoolyard habitats. The students test water samples, measure oysters, and engage in discussions focused on solutions and deliberation to understand the ties between their community and water quality of Gwynns Falls in Baltimore, Maryland.
2016	VA	3	Prince William County Public Schools, -- $31,934 Julie Renberg, 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas, VA 20112 Ready for Action: Broadening the Scope of Middle and High School MWEEs This project provides meaningful hands-on education experiences on the watershed for high school students in Prince William County Public Schools. Under this grant, 15 high school teachers are trained in the Schoolyard Habitat Program and, in turn, create and use schoolyard habitats to increase literacy and student-led action projects for 1,500 high school students. An additional 15 teachers will be trained in the Sewer Science Program, which will educate 1,500 students about the impacts of water quality on drinking water sources and increase student-led action projects.
2016	WA	10	Green River College, -- $85,773 Dr. Monica Paulsen Priebe, 12401 SE 320th Street, Auburn, WA 98092 Green River College Environmental Education (EE) Project – Auburn, Washington The Green River College EE Project provides environmental education to more than 2,000 residents in the Soos Creek Watershed in King County, Washington. The environmental education program, in collaboration with Green River College's Natural Resource program, the Green River Coalition, the Institute for Community Leadership, the City of Kent, and EarthCorps, includes activities such as training seven Green River College students and three Coalition interns on development and presentation of environmental education materials; supporting dissemination and public review of the Water Quality Improvement Report, including information on Washington Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) results, the health of the watershed, and mitigation possibilities; and assessing, preparing, and implementing local restoration plans. Participants also present and distribute project data and recommendations at regional and national environmental education networking events.
2016	WA	10	Oxbow Center for Sustainable Agriculture, -- $90,474 Jessica Price, 10819 Carnation-Duvall Road NE, Carnation, WA 98014 Partnering for the Future: Enhancing Community Capacity for Environmental Education – Carnation, Washington The Oxbow Center partners with a nearby elementary school to provide 300 low-income minority kindergarteners, 1,100 other students, and more than 200 teachers, staff, and volunteers with an environmental education program. Students gain access to an outdoor, hands-on learning experience that helps them make connections among agriculture, conservation, and nature. The Center offers a 30-acre production farm, a native plant nursery used for habitat restoration, and a farm-based environmental education program. The project takes place at the Oxbow facilities through in-class sessions at the school and outdoor sessions at the school's green spaces. The Center works with the University of Idaho's McCall Outdoor School to develop curriculum that teaches critical thinking through hands-on investigation.
2016	WI	5	University of Wisconsin – Extension, -- $80,000 R. Justin Hougham, N194 County Road N, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 The Digital Observation Technology Skills (DOTS): Students Collecting Data in their Environment The University of Wisconsin is using the Digital Observation Technology Skills (DOTS): Students Collecting Data in their Environment project to increase environmental literacy and stewardship in under-represented urban and rural communities through innovative mobile technology tools. The state's capacity for formal and non-formal environmental education will be expanded through educators' use of technology. Students and teachers will have access to soil and water quality monitoring resources and opportunities to participate in hands-on activities that build environmental awareness and enhance critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making regarding the use of technology in monitoring natural resources in the state. Learning takes place near freshwater bodies such as two of the Great Lakes, two major Midwestern rivers, and locations where recreational and commercial tourism and agricultural practices are affecting water quality.
2017	AL	4	Birmingham Zoo, Inc. -- $91,000 Karen Norman Carroll, 2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL 35223-1106 Water Investigations Project The Birmingham Zoo, Inc. provides environmental education programming to the Birmingham community via its ZooSchool program, as well as other educational initiatives led by its Education Department staff. ZooSchool is a hands-on, E-STEM (environment, science, technology, engineering and math) initiative offered at no cost to participating public school students and their teachers. The program is conducted over 20 weeks and implemented as a weekly immersive experience that takes place at the Zoo. It is specifically targeted to 7th grade students who attend Birmingham public schools. Each week, a new cohort of 40 students and 2 teachers arrive at the Zoo to participate in 5 days of educational programming that addresses a variety of environmental issues, such as water conservation, recycling, agriculture, and species endangerment. Program activities reinforce learning opportunities for students and families, professional training for teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade, and interactions with program partners.
2017	AL	4	Mobile Baykeeper Inc. -- $91,000 Casi Callaway, 450-C Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602 SWAMP - Strategic Watershed Awareness and Monitoring Program The Strategic Watershed Awareness and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) is an education and monitoring program designed to broaden an understanding of watersheds and water quality, and the impact of people living and working in the community. Under the program, Mobile Baykeeper personnel educate high school students and community members about watersheds and enlist volunteers within these groups to receive training to monitor specific, local waterways. Baykeeper trains participants to monitor water quality, assess shoreline/stream bank conditions, and track changes over time. Through participation in SWAMP, community members and students investigate a water quality or pollution problem and develop a solution to make a difference in their quality of life, economy, and natural resources.
2017	CA	9	Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek -- $91,000 Leslie Reynolds, 5106 Federal Blvd. #203, San Diego, CA 92105 EarthLab Academy: Protecting Water Resources and Enhancing Environmental Literacy The EarthLab Academy project provides environmental education through the development and delivery of a high-impact, interdisciplinary curriculum focused on water use and water conservation for middle school students. Field trips, teacher-professional development classes, and community workshops are also conducted to increase environmental literacy among students and residents of the Encanto area of Southeast San Diego. In partnership with three San Diego Unified School District middle schools and the University of California San Diego, 60 students participate in the 2-week EarthLab Summer Science Academy at Groundwork's 4-acre EarthLab to learn about water quality, use, and conservation. Teachers adapt the summer curriculum to support in-class instruction during the fall term. Four hundred students participate in the Academy's Fall Extension at partner schools. In addition, students make presentations to community members and Groundwork's Board of Directors.
2017	CA	9	Sierra Streams Institute -- $91,000 Sol Henson, 431 Uren St., Suite C, Nevada City, CA 95959 Center for Environmental and Citizen Science The Sierra Streams Institute (SSI), in partnership with the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools and Sierra Friends Center, is establishing the Center for Environmental and Citizen Science at the Woolman Property near Nevada City, CA, to serve as a county-wide and regional environmental education resource for students and teachers. The Sierra Streams Institute is adapting existing environmental education curriculum to reflect local environmental and historical concerns including long-term impacts of mining and extractive industries, the ecological importance and restoration needs of the local watershed, and the history of survival and adaptation of Native American tribes in the area. The curriculum is implemented at the center and in classes before and after student field trips to the center and focuses on restoring and protecting local watersheds, pond studies, restoration and invasive species removal, and phenology. SSI aims to reach more than 1,000 students and 40 teachers under this project.
2017	CA	9	The Energy Coalition -- $91,000 Melanie Peck, 47 Discovery, Irvine, CA 92618 Out-of-School Time Energy Program (OSTEP) The Energy Coalition's Out-of-School Time Energy Program introduces elementary and high school students in Contra Costa County, California, to green careers through project-based learning, mentoring with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals in both the public and private sectors, and online lessons. A minimum of 75 educators from 15 schools at West Contra Costa Unified School District and Pittsburg Unified School District are participating, and in turn will reach 3,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The train-the-trainer model uses ambassadors to disseminate toolkits and lesson plans in four main topic areas: (1) electricity and gas, (2) waste reduction and litter, (3) air quality and transportation, and (4) water conservation.
2017	CO	8	National Space Science & Technology Institute -- $91,000 Robert Sallee, 565 Space Center Dr., #330, Colorado Springs, CO 80915 Implementation of the GLOBE Program This project introduces 2,162 middle school students to vital environmental issues related to Colorado water supplies using a mobile science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lab. The National Space Science & Technology Institute is implementing the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program at five Colorado middle schools with large ethnic student populations that are typically underrepresented in STEM degree programs and career fields to engage students in place-based, data-driven science investigations. Under the project, students and teachers increase their understanding about and appreciation of the importance of hydrological systems in their community, how these systems are affected by human influences, and how these hydrological systems fit into the global picture. Environmental stewardship is promoted, and students and teachers increase their capacity for informed decision-making about water issues on both a local and global scale.
2017	CO	8	Walking Mountains Science Center -- $91,000 Gina Garrett, 316 Walking Mountains Lane, PO Box 9469, Avon, CO 81620 Communities Educating for Environmental Responsibility Through the Communities Educating for Environmental Responsibility (CEER) project, Walking Mountains Science Center (WMSC) is expanding the utilization of resources to provide professional development opportunities to local school administrators and teachers and to offer access to quality outdoor learning experiences that focus on standards-based environmental education. WMSC has successfully implemented highly engaging curriculum in partnership with their local public and private schools and this effort is growing environmental stewardship of its mountain region. Under the project, CEER is implementing comprehensive environmental education curriculum that can be used by teachers in their classrooms, professional development for school teachers so they can successfully and confidently implement environmental education, and consistent exposure for students to participate in field science experiences to create relevant connections between classroom curriculum and environmental issues. This project is a multi-tiered approach to increase environmental literacy and creates a model that can be replicated in numerous public-school districts nationwide. WMSC has a long-standing reputation for effective place-based environmental education and this project is benefitting the national effort to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues.
2017	CO	8	Wildlands Restoration Volunteers -- $91,000 Sarah Egolf, 3012 Sterling Circle, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301-2332 Empowering Youth to Empower Themselves through Ecological Stewardship Wildlands Restoration Volunteers provides service learning opportunities to diverse youth throughout the Front Range to engage them in leadership development, critical thinking, and community-based action projects. Under the Ecological Stewardship project, not only are youth participating in environmental stewardship projects across the Front Range, but are also designing their own leadership certificate – incentive structures, desired skills, as well as leadership and mentorship opportunities – to create programming that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. Recruitment for this program takes place in high school classrooms, clubs, and out-of-school engagements and is accomplished by the Youth and Inclusiveness Program.
2017	CT	1	National Audubon Society -- $91,000 Michelle Frankel, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831-2614 Creating School Habitats in Connecticut The goal of Audubon's Schoolyard Habitat Program is to establish a vibrant and sustainable network of schoolyard habitats in urban communities within Connecticut's Long Island Sound Study Area. The habitats serve to engage school communities in place-based, community-focused environmental education and stewardship. Under this project, Audubon works with 16 public schools in Connecticut's New Haven and Fairfield counties in their ongoing effort to develop bird-friendly habitat in schoolyards, integrate place-based environmental education into the school curriculum, and engage the school and local community in conservation action to benefit people, wildlife, and watershed health. The goals of the project are to enhance schoolyard habitats that serve as outdoor classrooms; implement professional development for teachers and experiential, place-based environmental education activities for students; provide high school students with career development and employment opportunities; and build capacity in New Haven and Fairfield counties to expand the schoolyard habitat network by developing leadership, sharing best practices, and supporting a Schoolyard Habitat Community of Practice.
2017	GA	4	Captain Planet Foundation -- $91,000 Karan Wood, 133 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303 From Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to Stewardship in the Schoolyard: Advancing K-12 Science through Environmental Education The Captain Planet Foundation strives to strengthen the field of environmental education by transforming how science is taught in schools and empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. The foundation's strategy is to develop and provide a replicable model that encompasses exemplary curriculum materials and providing professional development for educators, supplies and material kits, and mentoring to assist with implementation. The 'STEM to Stewardship' model nurtures the affinity students have for nature through place-based learning activities, which allows students to conduct authentic scientific work that deepens their understanding of core ideas. It cultivates their ability to reason using evidence and raises awareness that human health and well-being are linked to the conservation of natural resources.
2017	HI	9	The Kohala Center -- $91,000 Dr. Huihui Kanaheel-Mossam Farm to Forest: Leveraging the Hawai'i Island School Garden Network in Support of Native Forest Restoration The Farm to Forest project is designed to promote environmental stewardship and develop informed and responsible community members on the island of Hawai'i with an educational model that can be replicated state-wide. Over a 2-year period, participants of four middle schools garden programs, 16 teachers, and 400 students are participating in field trips, hands-on science labs, and environmental monitoring to educate students about their local ecosystems and the benefits of healthy native forests.
2017	ID	10	Wilderness Science Education -- $91,000 Leslie Freeman, PO Box 3174, McCall, ID 83638 CREST – Central Idaho Rural Environmental Stewardship Team Under the Central Idaho Rural Environmental Stewardship Team (CREST) project, a sustainable watershed program is implemented in Central Idaho to educate and train 550 students and educators and engage the community using place-based restoration projects in schools, as well as range and forest locations on private and public land. The project is conducted in public schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade located in six rural, mountain communities with historical natural resource-based economies. Each student group works on a place-based watershed education project; for example, collection and analysis of water quality and wildlife habitat data, monitoring stream habitats, and the use of nose pumps to prevent cattle from grazing in riparian zones. The students create a YouTube channel for sharing digital storytelling videos and share videos/photos on their website. The students also share the results of their projects with other rural schools and through presentations at several conferences.
2017	IL	5	Chicago Horticultural Society -- $91,000 Jennifer Schwartz-Ballard, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 Science First and College First: Connecting Chicago's Youth to Local Environmental Priorities The goal of the Science First and College First: Connecting Chicago's Youth to Local Environmental Priorities Project is to promote environmental stewardship among Chicago Public School students and local residents, including those living in low-income communities who are disproportionately impacted by environmental issues. The project engages approximately 80 primarily low-income, minority students from Chicago Public Schools in an in-depth, place-based environmental education curriculum. Through partnerships with five Chicago organizations, students are involved in decision-making, action, and stewardship activities that are directed by environmental science and community professionals. In addition, up to 1,000 visitors, residents, and constituents are informed about sources of environmental issues that impact their daily lives and develop and implement five to seven strategies for community-lead change.
2017	IA	7	Resource and Development for Northeast Iowa Inc. -- $87,770 Lora Friest, P O Box 916, Postville, IA 52162-0916 NE Iowa Stormwater Education Program Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development is a seven-county nonprofit organization that works with communities, counties, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, County Conservation Boards and schools to develop, implement, and educate the public about urban and rural conservation projects and plans. Under this project, youth and community members are engaged in experiential learning projects that empower them to implement public and private stormwater runoff programs and practices for improved water quality and increased watershed resiliency at home, school, work, and in communities. The project includes demonstrations of stormwater management techniques and preparation of an educational site plan with bilingual educational kiosks and a brochure to help youth and adults understand the techniques. At least 10 field trips per project year involving approximately 25 students per field trip are held and guided stormwater management programs for representatives from 35 communities are conducted.
2017	KS	7	Climate and Energy Project, Inc. -- $91,000 Dorothy Barnett, 123 W. 8th Street, Suite 100, Lawrence, KS 66044-2687 Expanding Environmental Leadership and Education in Kansas The Climate and Energy Project works to find practical solutions for a clean energy future and to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in America's Heartland through the ambitious deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy. This project aims to develop and support a network of environmental leaders in Kansas to build capacity for adult-focused environmental education in the state and create a shared set of materials on critical topics. Up to 40 adults complete the Kansas Leadership Program: "You. Lead. Now." and train 75 leaders through a workshop conducted by the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Educators. Sub-grants will support attendance at the workshops and materials development. The leadership opportunity is advertised through existing partnerships in low-income communities in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as broadly across the state in both urban and rural communities. Working groups collaboratively develop materials that integrate environmental education into priority areas focusing on climate issues that impact water, energy, land, and food systems in Kansas.
2017	LA	6	Advocates for Academic Excellence in Education, Inc. -- $91,000 Francoise McHugh, 2001 Leon C. Simon Dr., New Orleans, LA 70122 Student Coastal Scientists The Student Coastal Scientist project integrates inquiry and problem-based learning in environmental science education as a strategy for encouraging critical and creative thinking about complex coastal science issues. The project expands a model that is already being implemented at two high schools that is preparing students to solve complex problems by posing and testing questions through observation, data collection, and creative thinking. Under the project, at least 200 junior high school students and 200 high school students are engaged in problem-based inquiry research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, with a focus on the importance of the coastal wetlands that surround the city of New Orleans. Mentorship is provided for more than 50 student research projects on topics relevant to coastal sciences, while exposing high school students to a range of technologies, such as geospatial analysis, hydrodynamic modeling, and sediment analysis. Students are prepared for future careers in coastal science and engineering by exposing them to current scientific methods used to understand coastal systems.
2017	LA	6	Sci-Port Discovery Center -- $91,000 Ann Fumarolo, 820 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport, LA 71101-3667 Watershed to the Red Environmental Education Project The Sci-Port Discovery Center's Watershed to the Red project educates rural and urban students about the importance of good environmental practices, water safety, and stewardship, and aims to reconnect students to the outdoor environment. Students in the Caddo and Bossier parishes are educated about the importance of storm drain protection and management of trash that enters storm drains. Twelve teachers are implementing this environmental education program in their classrooms over a 2-year period by participating in educator training, field trips to Sci-Port: Louisiana's Science Center, and classroom activities that connect watershed education to outdoor stewardship opportunities. Approximately 420 students in 3rd through 6th grade are involved in each year of the project. Other activities being conducted under the project include the development of an educator's guide, water activity play days and hands-on classroom activities, citizen science activities and community action projects, and field trips to Sci-Port for hands-on watershed programming.
2017	MA	1	Health Resources in Action, Inc. -- $91,000 Lisa Aslan, 2 Boylston Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02116-6203 Leaders through Education, Action and Hope Project (LEAH) The Leaders through Education, Action and Hope (LEAH) Project is a youth and career development program that provides 30 low-income, minority high school students from Boston Public Schools with paid internships to teach an evidence-based science curriculum to elementary school children in afterschool programs. Specifically, through the LEAH Project, high school students are trained to teach 375 students in 4th through 6th grade an evidence-based Urban Ecology Curriculum (UEC), which has been adapted specifically for this age group. The LEAH Project pilots the UEC, which uses interactive lessons to engage students in learning, problem solving, and decision-making related to climate change. Partner sub-grants support events in which students serve as stewards to address climate change issues in their neighborhoods.
2017	MA	1	New England Aquarium -- $90,864 John Anderson, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110-3399 Promoting Education through Action for Conservation of Habitats (PEACH) Under the Promoting Education through Action for Conservation of Habitats (PEACH) project, 500 Boston area youth and adult volunteers are educated about habitat restoration opportunities. The New England Aquarium partners with five to seven local environmental organizations to build capacity through trainings for their staff members who in turn offer volunteers orientation programs to manage habitat restoration and citizen science projects. This project is focused on habitat areas that are part of local watersheds that can help protect water resources and reduce harmful inputs to area streams and rivers that flow into Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay. Many of the partner organizations have initiated habitat restoration projects and this funding allows for the expansion of and more in-depth education about watersheds and water quality.
2017	MI	5	Michigan Technological University -- $91,000 Jennifer Bukovich, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931 Creating Great Lakes Stewards to Promote Clean Water & Healthy Urban Watersheds in Detroit The Creating Great Lakes Stewards to Promote Clean Water & Healthy Urban Watersheds in Detroit project builds the capacity of students and teachers to be stewards of urban water resources in Detroit. Under the project, 32 teachers attend five professional development workshops to enhance their environmental education teaching skills, community partnership-building skills, and knowledge of local water resources. Approximately 960 students participate in investigations of Detroit's water resource and natural resource career paths, both in the classroom and via participation in two water investigation field trips. They participate in a water stewardship project, create journals, and design and plan display boards about environmental topics.
2017	NE	7	The Groundwater Foundation Project -- $91,000 Aaron Martin, 3201 Pioneers Blvd., Suite 105, Lincoln, NE 68502-5963 Recharging Groundwater Education The Groundwater Foundation trains educators to use proven educational project-based activities that require students to solve problems and think critically about local environmental threats to their water supply. This project increases student awareness and encourages action to protect groundwater resources in communities in Nebraska and generates awareness of career opportunities in science, engineering, and water. The Groundwater Foundation mentors up to 10 secondary students through real-world internships and enhances educator knowledge and resources by conducting five to seven training sessions in Nebraska for up to 75 educators and distributing toolkits. Three grade-level (upper-elementary, middle school and high school) training sessions are also being developed under the project.
2017	TX	6	Student Conservation Association, Inc. -- $76,744 Joellyn Stack, 689 River Rd., PO Box 550, NH 03603 Student Conservation Association-Houston Community Program with Carnegie Vanguard High School This project enhances environmental education through hands-on, field-based experiences that align with state education standards and are integrated with classroom instruction. This is accomplished through delivery of a water education seminar to 600 Carnegie Vanguard High School students, citizen-science student train-the-trainer instruction and certification, and professional development workshops for teachers and school volunteers. The interactive water education seminar includes educational demonstrations and opportunities for hands-on activities and community projects (such as students implementing the curriculum and demonstrations at other nearby schools) related to locally-relevant water conservation and protection topics. Students are provided with Citizen Science train-the-trainer instruction and certification. Teacher training is conducted to prepare them for the seminar, and educational modules are available for teachers to present before and after the seminar.
2017	NJ	2	The College of New Jersey -- $91,000 Lauren Madden, 2000 Pennington Rd., Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 Eco-Teachers: Protecting Water and Connecting Minds through Environmental Education The goal of the Eco-Teachers Project is to train teachers in environmental education content and pedagogy in a place-based education setting. The project implements professional development seminars in 10 school-based teams of teachers from elementary schools located within 20 miles of The College of New Jersey. Each participating teacher has a class size of 20 students, leading to a direct impact upon approximately 1,000 students. Participants apply the knowledge and skills they gain during the seminars by developing school-specific environmental sustainability education projects in their home schools.
2017	NY	2	Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, Inc. -- $91,000 Christina Taylor, 80 Van Cortlandt Park South Suite E1, Bronx, NY 10463 Wetland Stewardship for a Healthier Bronx Watershed The goal of the Wetland Stewardship Project is to educate school groups, high school interns, and community members about the 56-acre Van Cortlandt Wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems and to work with them to identify sources of water quality impairments, complete wetland restoration projects, and collect data that can be used for the creation of a wetland green infrastructure plan to restore the Van Cortlandt Wetlands. The wetlands consist of more than half of the 98-acres of freshwater wetlands remaining in the Bronx. The project focuses outreach efforts (lesson plans, internships and workshops) on students in 4th through 12th grade in Bronx public schools, while also allowing community members and others to participate. Wetland tours are also provided for the public. The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park anticipates reaching 400 individuals through this program.
2017	OR	10	McKenzie Watershed Alliance -- $63,840 Amanda Gilbert, PO Box 70166. Springfield, OR 97475 Watershed Action Teams for Education, Restoration and Stewardship Program The Watershed Action Teams for Education, Restoration and Stewardship Program enhances student understanding of their local natural ecosystems, awareness of actions to protect local watersheds, and willingness to participate in efforts to enhance and conserve local watersheds through field-based scientific inquiry. The program provides a scalable model for enhanced environmental education that directly involves secondary students in watershed stewardship projects within Lane County. The projects benefit local fish and wildlife habitat and water quality and are conducted through voluntary and collaborative activities. Approximately 130 students from six rural and urban schools are involved with watershed monitoring projects in collaboration with state and federal agencies, watershed councils, private landowners, and public utilities.
2017	OR	10	Western Oregon University -- $91,000 Adele Schepige, 345 Monmouth Avenue North, Monmouth, OR 97361 Fish Eggs to Fry Implementation (FEFI) Project The Fish Eggs to Fry Implementation (FEFI) project involves creating a salmonid life-cycle curriculum and developing and piloting a professional learning workshop for elementary school educators. The curriculum focuses on meaningful environmental educational experiences with an emphasis on student inquiry that supports the connections between the salmonid life cycle, healthy fish, and healthy watersheds. The FEFI Project, with support from other project partners, involves the development and implementation of one-day, locally delivered, professional development workshops for up to 50 3rd grade teachers across six to eight partner schools where teachers learn how to use the revised curriculum in the classroom and the natural environment. At the end of the project, teachers are invited to a half-day follow-up symposium to evaluate and improve the curriculum. The FEFI Project content, lesson plans, and other resources are shared on existing websites.
2017	PA	3	Alvernia University -- $91,000 Dr. Alicia Sprow, 400 St. Bernardine Street, Reading, PA 19607 Reading Environmental Education Project for Students and Teachers The goal of this project is to strengthen environmental literacy and stewardship in Reading, Pennsylvania, by providing learning opportunities focusing on the EPA environmental priority of protecting water, a precious limited resource. Under the project, 40 teachers incorporate and implement the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program's hydrosphere curriculum. Approximately 650 students study a variety of topics, such as water temperature, water pH, transparency, freshwater macroinvertebrates, and electrical conductivity. Using the GLOBE curriculum, students learn about the importance of protecting our environment, while simultaneously tracking important environmental data in the community.
2017	PA	3	Group Against Smog & Pollution, Inc. -- $91,000 Rachel Filippini, 1133 South Braddock Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218 Air Quality for the Active: Educating Youth and Athletes about Air Pollution in Southwestern PA The goal of this project is to educate local middle school students about regional air quality issues, including air pollutants of concern and their sources (industrial, mobile, wood smoke, etc.). The project involves the development and implementation of a 1-week air quality-focused summer camp program. Partners include at least five organizations, which already offer summer camps for regional youth, and Venture Outdoors, an organization dedicated to informing the community about the benefits of outdoor recreation throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.
2017	PA	3	Pennsylvania State University -- $91,000 Lynn Mitchell, 110 Technology Center Building, University Park, PA 16802 An Initiative to Teach about Methane and Legacy Oil & Gas Infrastructure (MELI) in PA The goal of this project is to increase environmental stewardship in Pennsylvania by examining the environmental effects of oil and gas wells over time. The project involves measuring methane in the state's streams in combination with teaching communities how to assess the presence of legacy wells and their environmental effects on water quality. Under the Methane and Legacy Oil and Gas Infrastructure (MELI) project, residents learn about this historical issue that impacts their communities and their water. Participants are encouraged to think critically about the long-term environmental and health impacts of legacy oil and gas infrastructure.
2017	PR	2	University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo -- $80,607 Dr. Jose Candelaria, University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, Carr. 653 Km. 0.8 Sector Las Dunas, Arecibo, PR 00612 Arecibo Community Environmental Education Center The goal of the Arecibo Community Environmental Education Center Project is to provide the Arecibo community tools to develop a citizen science program. The project offers a series of conferences and problem-based learning workshops for community members that include field-based and laboratory-based scientific methods. This experience enables citizens to be better informed, identify environmental problems, and be part of the solutions. The participants for the workshops are 20 pre-service teachers; 20 future Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals; 40 teachers; 120 students in kindergarten through 12th grade; and 20 senior citizens; and many hundreds more under sub-grant awardees projects. Participants represent mostly low-income, Hispanic communities in the Arecibo region.
2017	RI	1	Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council -- $91,000 Alicia Lehrer, 45 Eagle Street, Suite 202, Providence, RI 02909-1802 Using Parks & Partners for Broad Reaching Environmental Education The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC), in partnership with the Partnership for Providence Parks and the Roger Williams Park & Zoo Teacher Institute, connects the urban community and underserved populations with natural surroundings located within walking distance of their schools. Using WRWC's water education curricula, the Teacher Institute trains students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Providence public school system in field biology, wildlife conservation, watershed restoration, and outdoor education. Summer camps for 8 to 14-year old participants are also conducted in local parks. In addition, 15 to 30 high school students, through an Environmental Leaders program, engage in an environmental educational curriculum program and conduct projects on a relevant topic. The participants then teach younger students about their chosen topic. Finally, WRWC educates more than 1,000 adults who join the WRWC for stewardship activities annually.
2017	TX	6	Baylor University -- $91,000 Misty Schrank, PO Box 97360, Waco, TX 76798-7360 Immersed in the Wetlands – Environmental Academy for Educators The purpose of the Immersed in the Wetlands project is to design and implement a professional development model for building educators' knowledge, skill, and ability to engage, instruct, and enhance the environmental literacy of the local community and students in 4th through 12th grade specific to wetland systems, water conservation, non-point source pollution, and the urban water cycle. The project aims to increase educators' understanding of wetland systems and the urban water cycle and to enhance their perception of wetland systems, urban water resources, and environmental education. Educators increase their teaching skills and ability to engage students related to environmental education, wetland systems, water conservation, and non-point source pollution. The project advances educator, student, and public awareness and knowledge about wetland processes, the benefits of wetlands, and increases their willingness to make informed decisions and take responsible actions to improve the quality/function of the wetlands and other local water resources.
2017	TX	6	The Artist Boat, Inc. -- $90,980 Amanda Rinehart, 2627 Ave. O, Galveston, TX 77550-7839 We Back the Bay! This project improves water quality in Galveston Bay by reducing non-point source pollution. Under the program, middle school teachers are recruited from school districts within the six counties that surround Galveston Bay. Two teachers and 125 students participate in professional development, Eco-Art workshops, Eco-Art Kayak Adventures, design and installation of a WaterSmart landscape at each of five sites selected for the program over a period of 2 years. Participants in the project build awareness of the causes and consequences of poor water quality in Galveston Bay, develop critical thinking skills necessary to mitigate pollution of the Bay, and help increase water conservation and reduce storm run-off from school campuses.
2017	MI	5	Trout Unlimited, Inc. -- $91,000 Nichol DeMol, 1727 North Kent, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209-2110 STREAM Girls: A Watershed-Based Education and Service Learning Program for Girls in West Michigan The goal of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, plus Recreation and Arts (STREAM) Girls: A Watershed-Based Education and Service Learning Program for Girls in West Michigan is to raise community awareness of watershed health in Michigan's Lower Grand River watershed. The project aims to develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills through a sequence of STREAM analyses and to create an action-oriented network of young river stewards in Michigan's Lower Grand River watershed. It is expected that STREAM Girls will be expanded to a variety of communities across the country by educating and training Trout Unlimited's national grassroots network and other organizations located in the Lower Grand River watershed community.
2017	WA	10	Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group -- $91,000 Mendy Harlow, PO Box 2169, Belfair, WA 98528 Hood Canal Environmental Exploration and Education Project The Hood Canal Environmental Exploration and Education project enhances and improves environmental education in the Hood Canal Watershed by providing participants with knowledge and skills to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions to protect the environment. Hands-on, experiential learning opportunities are developed and delivered in the classroom to increase environmental stewardship in the Hood Canal Watershed related to clean water issues and climate change. The project targets 600 low-income and tribal students to engage them in watershed restoration work, and includes summer camps, after-school programming, and a Green Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) summit for 200 students. Students participate in the following programs: Salmon in the Classroom, Fun with Food, and Enviro and Green Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math (STREAM) program camps.
2017	WI	5	Wisconsin Wildlife Federation -- $91,000 George Meyer, 213 North Main Street, Poynette, WI 53955-0460 F.I.E.L.D. Corps: Supporting Hands On, Feet Wet Education The goal of the F.I.E.L.D. (Fostering Inquiry and Empowering Learners through Discovery) Corps: Supporting Hands On, Feet Wet Education Project is to help students develop a land ethic by engaging them in meaningful academic learning through implementation of community-based environmental stewardship projects that are an integrated part of the regular school curricula to advance educational reform. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is working with 15 schools in Wisconsin to engage at least 500 students and increase their understanding and appreciation of the natural world's connection to their lives through purposeful, community-based stewardship projects. This includes building the capacity of classroom teachers to deliver project-based environmental education in an outdoor setting and by developing long-term partnerships with local field experts; conservation organizations; and county, state, and federal government agencies. Student projects are focused on water issues and local watersheds.
2018	AK	10	University of Alaska -- $85,252 Milt Sawyer, P.O. Box 757880, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-7880 Fairbanks  Indoor Gardening in Alaskan Classrooms University of Alaska, Fairbanks received $85,252 to address environmental literacy deficits in Alaska students' understanding of where their food comes from (due to 95% of their food being imported), and how growing and eating local fresh food contributes to effective environmental stewardship. The project will include conducting indoor hydroponic gardening and school waste management projects in classrooms involving teachers, students and their families, and adapting online 4-H curriculum to reach homeschoolers and independent learners. This project will reach 1,500 students and 45 teachers.
2018	CA	9	Education Outside -- $100,000 Marnie Regen , 135 Van Ness Ave, Room 408, San Francisco, CA, 94102 From the Ground Up   Education Outside received $100,000 to teach underserved K-5 students where food comes from, how it reaches the table, and the importance of protecting the environment, through lessons, field trips, and by growing, harvesting, and cooking fresh produce. This project will reach approximately 10,000 students across 62 Bay Area schools.
2018	CA	9	Sequoia Riverlands Trust  -- $85,239 Diane Hayes, 427 S Garden Street, Visalia, CA, 93277-2809 Sequoia Riverlands Trust Environmental Education Program Sequoia Riverlands Trust received $85,239 to engage landowners, farmers, conservationists, business partners and government agencies to provide opportunities for local youth to connect with their natural environment through classroom and outdoor education. The project will reach up to 600 students; 60 interns; 100 farmers/ranchers, teachers/educators, parents, and other community stakeholders; and 300 volunteers/community members.
2018	CO, WY	8	National Audubon Society (Audubon California) -- $85,252 Jacelyn Downey, Richardson Bay Audobon Center & Sanctuary 376 Green Wood Beach Rd., Tiburon, CA, 94920 Focus on Community Action: How communities can make a difference for birds and other wildlife locally with a global impact. The National Audubon Society received $85,252 to empower and inform a capable and responsible cadre of youth and adults. Project activities will engage 4,000 community members in formal and non-formal citizen science programs and facilitate the instillation of bird-friendly gardens that promote environmental and conservation stewardship for the health and survival of birds and other wildlife. Additionally, this project will train educators to host Habitat Hero workshops & presentations, Wildscape Ambassador trainings, tabling outreach strategies, and engage youth in citizen science activities.
2018	CO, WY, MT	8	Arizona Board of Regents-Arizona State University  -- $100,000 Daniel Collins, PO Box 876011, Tempe, AZ, 85287-6011 SCAPE2: Sustainable Communities and Place-based education The Arizona Board of Regents-Arizona State University received $100,000 for master teachers, curriculum designers, and media/computer experts to craft a prototype curriculum focused on water quality in the arid Mountain West. Classroom teachers will be introduced to the curriculum through workshops and online materials, and students will use it to identify water quality issues, conduct fieldwork, and become stewards to measure and protect water quality and supply.
2018	CT	1	EdAdvance -- $100,000 Abby Peklo, 155 Goshen Road, Litchfield, CT, 06759 Green LEAF Project - Leading, Educating, Achieving, and Fostering Healthy Green Schools for All EdAdvance received $100,000 to develop healthy and conservation-minded urban, suburban, and rural K-12 schools by providing agricultural field trips; forming school green teams; initiating organic school gardens; implementing food waste management; and creating professional development programs to help teachers integrate agricultural and environmental education curricula in their classrooms.
2018	GA	4	University of North Georgia  -- $100,000 Lourdes Bastas, 82 College Circle, Dahlonega, GA, 30597-0001 Educating Georgia Citizens on Native Forest Ecosystems and Sustainable Practices The University of North Georgia received $100,000 to teach citizens in local communities how to assess water quality; to recognize and manage native and invasive vegetation in local ecosystems; and to implement best practices for stream restoration and landscape management for healthy waterways and forests.
2018	HI	9	Purple Mai'a Foundation  -- $100,000 Donavan Kealoha, 98-820 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI, 96701-5200 Indigenous Innovation in Education Purple Mai'a Foundation received $100,000 to educate teachers and students in urban and rural areas through project-based learning, such as building Do-It-Yourself water quality monitors for aquatic health assessment of culturally significant ancient Hawaiian fish ponds. Students will practice hands-on STEM and computer programming skills, gain knowledge of traditional native Hawaiian cultural practices, and learn how to solve local environmental challenges in their communities.
2018	HI	9	Malama Learning Center -- $80,000 Pauline Sato, P. O. Box 1662, Honolulu, HI, 96806-1662 Bridging Island Communities Toward Conservation Stewardship The Malama Learning Center received $80,000 to engage students, teachers, agricultural and conservation professionals, and the community in hands-on learning experiences designed to instill interest in environmental STEM careers and conservation of local natural resources. Project activities include: class field trips, research projects, community service-learning days, green institute seminars, presentations at major conferences, and televised programs.
2018	IA	7	The University of Northern Iowa -- $100,000 Doreen Hayek, 1005 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls, IA, 50613 Iowa Water and Air Quality Project The University of Northern Iowa received $100,000 for the IOWA-Q (Iowa Water and Air Quality) project. This project will engage middle and high school teachers and students in air and water quality monitoring and remediation, helping make connections between the classroom, their communities, the environment, and possible careers in environmental science.
2018	IA	7	Upper Iowa University -- $95,586 Barbara Ehlers, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA, 52142 Water Connects us All: Growing Networks for Clean and Safe Water in the Heartland Upper Iowa University received $95,586 to provide workshops for educators to learn about soil and water quality issues; to hear diverse perspectives of subject matter experts, including farmers, scientists, teacher educators, recreation leaders and agricultural companies, about how these issues affect different sectors of the economy and citizenry; to develop environmental education skills and be provided with grade appropriate materials related to the issue; and to discuss potential solutions that maintain quality agricultural yield while creating minimal environmental harm.
2018	IA, MO, KS, NE	7	Wichita State University -- $85,252 Michele Pugh, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 7, Wichita, KS, 67260-0007 Work in Water Expansion to EPA Region 7 Wichita State University received $85,252 to expand a previously funded Work in Water project through a train-the-trainer methodology that will deliver interactive, real-world environmental education experiences to high school students, including the funding of student internships to work on water quality issues in their home states.
2018	IL	5	Friends of the Chicago River -- $59,400 Matt Sudman, 411 S Wells, Suite 800 | Chicago, IL 60607 Chicago River Schools Network Friends of the Chicago River received $59,400 to develop formal and informal educators' environmental literacy and increase their ability to communicate environmental issues associated with the river system through teacher workshops, data sharing, habitat restoration, and conservation projects.
2018	LA, TX	6	EcoRise Youth Innovations  -- $65,252 Abby Randall, 4900 Gonzales Street, Austin, TX, 78702-5028 EcoRise Texas and Louisiana Program Expansion EcoRise Youth Innovations received $65,252 to provide professional development opportunities for teachers in Louisiana and Texas interested in local environmental stewardship and how to effectively teach their students about local environmental issues.
2018	MD	3	Engaged Community Offshoots (ECO) Inc. -- $97,844 Margaret Hubbard, 6010 Taylor Road, Riverdale, MD, 20737 Growing Young Stewards Through Urban Farming Engaged Community Offshoots (ECO), Inc. received $97,844 to educate low income, minority youth about ECO's sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation practices and then prompt them to think about ways they can implement these practices in a home or school setting. The project challenges its audience to question their role in the local food system and soil regeneration, and take additional steps beyond the classroom and field trip experiences, to become involved in local action and environmental decision-making.
2018	MN	5	The Recycling Partnership Inc. -- $85,252 Elizabeth Schussler, 125 Rowell Ct., Falls Church, VA, 22046-3126 Empowering Minnesota Residents to Recycle More and Better The Recycling Partnership received $85,252 to increase public awareness and action on recycling by harmonizing education messaging and developing an actionable communication and education plan for state recycling coordinators. Outreach projects will include webinars, workshops, and curriculum videos for teachers and other instructors.
2018	MO	7	Kansas City Community Gardens Inc.  -- $90,000 Rob Reiman, 6917 Kensington, Kansas City, MO, 64132-1633 Sustainable Orchard Education Kansas City Community Gardens, Inc., received $90,000 to foster community food security by teaching communities to grow and care for their own community orchards. These orchards serve as an ideal setting to offer children and adults a hands-on education in sustainability and to empower educators to develop related standards-based curriculum for their classrooms.
2018	MT	8	National Wildlife Federation -- $60,000 Naomi Alhadeff, 11100 Wildlife Center DR, Reston, VA, 20190 Expanding the Eco-Schools USA program in Montana The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) received $60,000 to conduct six professional development workshops; provide materials, activities, and curricula to engage the whole school community; and support 15 seed grant action projects aimed at arming students with knowledge regarding their local water source, aquatic habitats, and school water usage to calculate their water footprint.
2018	NC	4	Appalachian State University  -- $62,001 Heather Hampton, 287 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28608 Water on the Move Appalachian State University received $62,001 to implement the Water on the Move outreach program. This outreach project will develop an environmental education program focused on regional and global water issues, human impacts on the hydrosphere, and individual and collective stewardship solutions. Through the use of a converted RV (the "Geobago"), which will serve as a mobile earth and environmental science lab, this program will educate school children, teachers and undergraduate students in western North Carolina.
2018	NJ	2	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey  Paterson -- $50,000 Melissa Vinch, 58 Bevier Rd, Piscataway, NJ, 08854 Grow Healthy: Reducing Food Waste Through the Food Cycle Rutgers University received $50,000 to implement its Paterson Grow Healthy Project. Through this project, the university will work with various community health services, 4-H, and government sustainability, agricultural and natural resource departments to educate students and teachers on planting and maintaining school gardens. Participating students, teachers, and school cafeteria workers will increase their awareness of food waste reduction and composting methods while learning how food grows.
2018	NY	2	New York University  Bees Alive -- $85,252 Mary McShane, 15 Washington Place, 1-H, New York, NY, 10003 An Interdisciplinary Environmental Science Initiative for K-12 Teachers New York University received $85,252 to implement the Bee's Alive Project. This project will see the university work with a local botanical garden and several non-profits to establish native plant gardens, provide professional development opportunities for public school teachers; conduct field trips for local classes; and provide educational programming on pollinators and biodiversity for visiting classes and the community.
2018	OR	10	Children's Forest of Central Oregon -- $95,760 Katie Chipko, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR, 97701-9794 Upper Deschutes Spotted Frog Stewardship Program Children's Forest of Central Oregon received $95,760 to develop and implement a comprehensive watershed education and stewardship program focusing on spotted frog conservation and river restoration. Children's Forest of Central Oregon and their project partners will provide classroom activities and field trips to 800 3rd-12th grade low-income rural and underserved students. Further, 30 youth will be engaged in the River Heroes afterschool clubs and 60 individuals will be involved in the Family Stewardship programs, which provide hands-on learning opportunities. This project will also host two watershed summits for 300 students who will present their projects to other students and community members.
2018	PR	2	Alelí Environmental, Inc.  -- $100,000 Glenis M. Padilla Plaza, PO Box 3442, Lajas, PR, 00667 Strengthening and Expanding an Agricultural Education Program at LMASS Alelí Environmental, Inc. received $100,000 to work with communities affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This initiative aims to prevent future water quality and human health issues, while encouraging food security by installing an Aquaponic System of freshwater fish and vegetables. Students, teachers, and their communities will learn how to use and maintain the Aquaponic System along with further environmentally-friendly ways to increase food security.
2018	RI	1	Groundwork Rhode Island  -- $100,000 Amelia Rose, 1005 Main Street #1223, Pawtucket, RI, 02860-7804 Waste Reduction, Diversion, and Recycling in Providence Groundwork Rhode Island received $100,000 to educate both children and adults on waste reduction by providing instruction on and promoting recycling, food scrap collection, composting, and the reduction of single-use plastic waste. This project will expand to 75 neighborhoods and target over 1,300 elementary school students and 10 high school youth leaders.
2018	TN	4	The Trust for Public Land -- $100,000 Andrew McConnico, 101 Montgomery Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA, 94104-4148 The Alton Riverwalk Connector Environmental Education and Experiences Project The Trust for Public Land received $100,000 to plan and implement educational activities related to water quality issues and land revitalization. The program will provide local farm tours for students, teachers, and community residents, and provide teachers with formal classroom lessons about the positive and negative impacts of humans on the river and adjacent land.
2018	TX	6	National Wildlife Federation  -- $75,000 Marya Fowler , 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA, 20190-5361 Resilience Ambassadors Program in Houston ISD The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) received $75,000 to educate students affected by extreme storm events like Hurricane Harvey, teaching participants to investigate and think critically about storm resilience problems facing their city, to determine the impact of those issues on water quality, and to create practical, nature-based solutions that can help mitigate flooding.
2018	TX	6	National Center for Appropriate Technology -- $100,000 Luke Freeman, P.O. Box 3838, Butte, MT, 59702 Environmental Education on the Farm: Sustainable Agriculture Training and Education The National Center for Appropriate Technology received $100,000 to provide experiential education for beginning and prospective farmers on sustainable agriculture production and farm management, as well as innovative hands-on workshops for all age levels in the community on environmental stewardship and sustainable agriculture.
2018	TX	6	Insights El Paso Science Center Inc -- $100,000 Meghan Curry, 4120 Rio Bravo St Ste 117, El Paso, TX, 79902-1012 Student-led Environmental Stewardship Initiative for the Border Region Insights El Paso Science Center, Inc received $100,000 to develop a fully student-led conservation stewardship program aimed at solving important environmental problems effecting local communities.
2018	UT	8	Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District  -- $100,000 Bart Forsyth, 8215 South 1300 West, PO Box 70, West Jordan, UT, 84088-0070 Localscapes: Learning to Landscape for Utah's Climate The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District received $100,000 to reduce per capita water use by increasing public education on the need for outdoor water conservation, by providing resources for homeowners to create water-efficient landscapes, and by overcoming negative perceptions currently surrounding water-efficient landscaping.
2018	VA	3	Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay  -- $100,000 Amy Hagerdon, 501 Sixth Street, Annapolis, MD, 21403 RiverWise Schools: Learn, Act, Make a Difference Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay received $100,000 to educate students, teachers, and the public about the importance of maintaining healthy riparian buffers; preventing storm water run-off; reducing impervious services; installing rain gardens; planting trees; and taking other actions that will protect and conserve local rivers and streams in the watershed.
2018	VI	2	University of the Virgin Islands  -- $100,000 Kristin Grimes, 2 John Brewers Bay, Saint Thomas, VI, 00802-6004 Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists (SEAS) Your Tomorrow The University of the Virgin Islands received $100,000 to support its Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists (SEAS) Your Tomorrow Program. This program promotes marine and environmental science careers to middle and high school students, provides coastal science and conservation internships for undergraduate college students, and links the University's Masters in Marine and Environmental Science Program with Penn State's Biology Ph.D. program.
2018	VT	1	The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College -- $100,000 John Tyack, 340 Waterman Building, Burlington, VT, 05405-0160 From Virtual to Reality: Innovative Environmental Education for Future Farmers The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College received $100,000 to build environmental literacy by creating a research-based curriculum on reducing nutrient run-off on agricultural land among future farmers and providing it to high schools, as well as career and technical centers. This curriculum will be widely accessible and initially target six public high schools, 17 career and technical centers, 30 agricultural educators, and 350 high school students.
2018	WA	10	Swinomish Indian Tribal Community -- $60,000 Todd Mitchell, 11404 Moorage Way, La Conner, WA, 98257-9450 Swinomish Environmental Education Program for Tribal and Community Youth Swinomish Indian Tribal Community received $60,000 to develop and implement an environmental education program to teach the community about the environmental and cultural importance of water quality in tribal areas, including a day camp focused on water conservation education, collection of water quality data using traditional canoes, and environmental stewardship projects to improve water quality. This project will reach around 25 tribal 4th-12th grade students, their families and peers, 50 other non-tribal students, and around 900 Swinomish and regional community members.
2018	WA	10	Eastern Washington University  -- $100,000 Ruth Galm, 526 5th Street, Cheney, WA, 99004-2431 Engaging the Community in the Palouse Prairie Region Restoration Eastern Washington University received $100,000 to develop a team of over 300 community collaborators invested in local prairie restoration; to solve problems related to a restoration through planting and cultivating 2,000 native plants; to educate the participants, children and adults of all ages and nationalities, on restoring native prairie ecosystems that were formerly used for agriculture; to have the participants share what they have learned with the community; and to promote environmental literacy through a new environmental science course on restoration ecology developed for middle schools.
2018	WI	5	Neighborhood House of Milwaukee Inc. -- $100,000 Siena Morrissey, 2819 W. Richardson, Milwaukee, WI, 53208 Lead and Learn Conservation Corps Neighborhood House of Milwaukee received $100,000 to promote environmental science, conservation, and careers in natural resources to low-income and minority urban youth, through project-based learning; urban and rural stewardship activities in agriculture and forestry; hands-on workshops on issues like pollinator habitats and invasive species; and paid internships.
2018	WI	5	University of Wisconsin System DBA UW -- $100,000 Justin Houghman, 432 N. Lake Street, Room 104, Madison, WI, 53706-1415 Extension  Science Strikes Back: Empowering Students and Educators to Impact Urban Watersheds The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System received $100,000 to connect educators and students in the Milwaukee metropolitan area with the training and tools necessary to engage in hands-on environmental education and water quality monitoring. Project activities will include science fairs, summits, and training workshops. These activities will empower students and teachers in Milwaukee to critically analyze environmental issues, solve problems in their communities, and make important decisions about water quality.
2018	WV	3	West Virginia University Research Corp.  -- $100,000 John Childress, 886 Chestnut Ridge Road-PO Box 6845, Morgantown, WV, 26506-6845 Inspiring Environmental Stewardship through Citizen Science West Virginia University Research Corp. received $100,000 to promote water quality monitoring as a tool to educate community residents of all ages on local environmental issues, inspire lifelong stewardship behavior, and take immediate action to clean up local rivers and streams.
2019	CT	1	New Haven Ecology Project - $100,000 Joel Tolman, 358 Springside Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06515 Schoolyards Resource Center The New Haven Ecology Project and their project partners' will lead a new model of robust professional development for 50 Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) educators from 10 urban public schools in the Northeast. These opportunities will allow participating educators to develop well-planned Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core aligned units that focus on environmental issues affecting their students' lives as well as design community projects that focus on local environmental issues such as access to green spaces and healthy food, reducing air pollution, and improving water quality. Once the training is complete, these educators will return to their schools to deliver their newly developed units to approximately 500 K-12 students. Participating teachers will also implement community projects at their schools so the students may become stewards of their environment and the innovative environmental leaders local communities need. By leveraging urban public education districts to use their resources for environmental projects tailored to their locations, the Schoolyards Resource Center project hopes to inspire and create a new generation of urban environmental stewards.
2019	RI	1	Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council - $100,000 Alicia Lehrer, 45 Eagle Street Suite 202, Providence, Rhode Island 02909 Bringing New Voice to the Water Table Providence's Olneyville neighborhood, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, is greatly impacted by flooding events. Using a high impact community education and engagement model and customized watershed-based curricula, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) and its project partners will deliver environmental education programs to 75 Olneyville middle and high school students and 30 resident leaders in a in a variety of schools and community settings. By the end of the project period, participating students and resident leaders will gain the critical knowledge and skills needed to take appropriate actions on their local waterways and habitats of the Woonasquatucket River, to ensure clean and safe water, engage others, and participate in future planning efforts related to stormwater, flood mitigation and resiliency planning. The Bringing New Voice to the Water Table project will not only build on the city's ongoing efforts to address stormwater and related water pollution and flooding in Providence, but will add critical new preparation and pathways for those most impacted but least heard.
2019	CT	1	Soundwaters, Inc. - $100,000 Leigh Shemitz, 1281 Cove Road Stamford, Connecticut 06902 Bio-extraction Seaweed Farm The pressures of daily use by millions of people in Long Island Sound (LIS) and its watershed greatly impacts its' water quality. The environmental benefits of algae, such as seaweed, and their ability to clean up polluting chemicals discharged by farms, factories and wastewater treatment plants are being shared widely. Through skill-building, critical thinking, reflection and hands-on experiences, SoundWaters' Bio-extraction Seaweed Farm project will support the education of approximately 900 high school students, 6 science teachers, 4 informal educators, and 8,000 community members. Project participants will learn how their community can become more informed about local water issues and how seaweed can contribute to potential solutions. The project's seaweed farm will provide these students and teachers with activities, materials, and connections with environmental experts to help them become informed, educated citizens who have the ability to reason and to weigh Stamford's environmental and conservation issues in a thoughtful, collaborative and fact-based manner.
2019	NY	2	EcoRise Youth Innovation - $100,000 Jenji Henson, 1021 Springdale Road Building 1, Suite J, Austin, Texas 78721 EcoRise New York City Program Expansion EcoRise's New York City Program Expansion project seeks to bridge the gap between theory and action, make learning personal and relevant, and increase the resilience of local communities throughout New York City's five boroughs. This project will bring EcoRise's Sustainable Intelligence (S.I.) curriculum, professional development, and environmental education (EE) resources to support 160 New York City teachers. The S.I. curriculum is comprised of 140 Kindergarten through 12th grade lessons across seven themes (Water, Waste, Energy, Food, Air, Transportation, and Public Spaces) in English and Spanish. In total, this project will help educate 9,000 students on topics such as water conservation, energy, air, transportation, urban food gardens, pesticide management, public spaces and farmers' markets. By promoting whole-systems thinking, this project model will encourage students to analyze their consumer and lifestyle choices. The students will use the tools provided to identify problems, brainstorm possible solutions, and take action in their communities to create meaningful change.
2019	NY	2	Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper - $100,000 Chris Murawski, 721 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14203 Native Niagara Water Academy Program The Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper 's Native Niagara Water Academy Program aims to reconnect residents in Western New York, including community members, educators and students, to their natural environment by inviting them to participate in culturally sensitive, place-based learning activities and to empower them with tools, techniques and solutions to educate others and protect fresh water and promote sustainable agriculture in their communities. Through farm tours, classroom lessons, service projects, and sharing of experiences the Water Academy will educate and train 50 adult community members, including 12 educators from local public and private schools, about local initiatives using native plants and sustainable agriculture to restore ecosystems and protect fresh water in the Niagara River Watershed. Once all coursework is complete, the 50 Water Academy graduates will be equipped with the skills required to confidently lead and inspire an additional 2,000 students. The children and community members will be educated in the environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture techniques, and build communities committed to protecting watershed health.
2019	NJ	2	Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School - $100,000 Luis Vargas, 612 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy, New Jersey 08861 PAPER – Perth Amboy Partnership for Environmental Restoration and Stewardship The waters surrounding Perth Amboy, New Jersey were once part of the most productive shellfishery in the nation. However, due to elevated levels of water pollution, shellfishing is now banned in these waters. Utilizing a bottom-up community approach, the Perth Amboy Partnership for Environmental Restoration Stewardship Project (PAPERS) aims to restore and revitalize the local aquatic ecosystem. The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School and its project partners will create a comprehensive experimental marine and estuarine education program for 600 7th – 12th grade students. This project aims to increase students' interest and understanding of careers in the environment through field activities, laboratory experiences, webinars with scientists, and activities involving water quality, focusing on flood and hurricane preparedness and managing the health of aquatic ecosystems.
2019	MD	3	The Living Classrooms Foundation - $60,000 Christine Truett, 802 S. Caroline Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 Masonville Cove Environmental Education Programming Vast amounts of impervious surfaces, large populations, commercial and industrial land use, and limited green space all contribute to environmental challenges in Baltimore, Maryland. The Living Classrooms Foundation's Masonville Cove Environmental Education Programming aims to increase environmental knowledge of storm water runoff (causes, sources, and how to prevent it), provide an awareness of land use and local environmental issues, inspire behavioral change, reduce litter, and promote/increase environmental stewardship in South Baltimore. Programming will target 120 students in grades 9 through 12, two teachers, and approximately 1,000 community members, all of whom live within close proximity to the Patapsco River watershed, which connects Baltimore to the Chesapeake Bay. Education and environmental goals will be met through academic lessons focused on preventing local and regional runoff pollution and community stewardship events such as community clean-ups, shoreline plantings, and biological surveys.
2019	VA	3	Friends of the Rappahannock - $100,000 Daria Christian, 3219 Fall Hill Ave, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 A River Runs Through Us: Knowledge to Local Action (ARRTU) For centuries, human activities have shaped the health of the Rappahannock River, a main tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, leading to a myriad of ecological impacts, including extensive dead zones and impaired sections of water too polluted for harvesting fish. Restoring the health of the river will require citizens to take personal responsibility for preventing pollution. The Friends of the Rappahannock's A River Runs Through Us: Knowledge to Local Action (ARRTU) project aims to create an informed citizenry that makes environmentally conscious decisions surrounding the health of the Rappahannock River Watershed. This project will educate/train 40 teachers and 3,000 students in six school districts located within the tidal region of the Rappahannock River watershed. Teachers will participate in professional development activities designed to strengthen their understanding of their local watersheds and how to better protect it. Educators will also design an environmental education curriculum aimed at encouraging student action and increasing informed decision-making. Students will experience environmental education both in and outside of the classroom.
2019	VA	3	Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - $100,000 Susan Higgins, 1800 Lakeside Ave., Richmond, Virginia 23228 Cultivating Community Water Stewards Stormwater management is a safety issue, an aesthetic priority and an environmental responsibility. The Cultivating Community Water Stewards project is an environmental education initiative designed to protect and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by managing storm water runoff along the Sydnor Lake shoreline at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. By removing invasive plants, correcting problematic grading and soil compaction and installing a rain garden in a conservation landscape populated primarily with native plants, this project plans to transform the lake edge into a functioning illustration of best management practices. The Sydnor Lake restoration will be used as a teaching tool, integrated into five of the Garden's legacy environmental education programs for adults, teens, educators, children and community volunteers. The conservation landscape that replaces Lake Sydnor's degraded shoreline will model methods for stormwater mitigation for similar installations in Richmond's urban and suburban neighborhoods. In total, this project aims to reach 50 adults, 800 elementary school students, 275 teens, 315 educators and 28 Ginter Urban Gardeners.
2019	MD	3	Parks & People Foundation - $60,000 Susan Elias, 2100 Liberty Heights Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Baltimore Schoolyard Greening Project Baltimore Maryland's industrial and population decline have devastated the city's urban lands and waters due to pollution and vacancy. These environmental impacts have created a critical need for education, stewardship and restoration in the city. The Parks & People Foundation's Baltimore Schoolyard Greening Project aims to empower young people to take ownership of the revitalization of their community. Project curriculum will be delivered through a combination of project-based learning and field exploration. This project will enroll 65 Baltimore City high school students in paid environmental internship opportunities and complete schoolyard greening projects at four Baltimore City elementary or middle schools. This program will help teach approximately 100 elementary and middle school-aged students about environmental and conservation stewardship through the planning, construction, use and maintenance of a school yard green space. This project will result in 16,000 to 32,000 square feet of improved green space to be used for hands-on environmental education that is tied to school curriculum.
2019	AL	4	Troy University - $100,000 Brian Helms, 210K MSCX, Troy, Alabama 36082 Deep South Student Leadership and Environmental Action Program (LEAP) This project will take place in Alabama's Black Belt region, which comprises roughly 17 underserved counties with high poverty, little economic opportunities, and high unemployment. Thus, there is a critical need for advances in education, awareness of local environmental issues, and much needed job skills among the youth in this area. Troy University's Deep South Student Leadership and Environmental Action Program (LEAP) will allow students to exercise their creativity by guiding place-based environmental problem-solving design, solution implementation, and interpretation through an informal environmental mentoring initiative. During this mentorship initiative, mentors, liaisons, and 18 11th-12th grade Fellows will identify local, manageable environmental issues and associated means to address them (i.e., a "solution"). The project Fellows will in turn lead and inspire other students and community members at their respective schools by implementing their own environmental projects. The projects implemented by the Fellows will directly reach an additional of 3,000 high school students and community members.
2019	FL	4	The Education Fund - $100,000 Mimi Pink, 6713 Main St. STE 240, Miami-Dade, Florida 33014 Environmental education in urban food forests: measuring students' knowledge and attitudes about the natural sciences in a participatory setting The Education Fund's Environmental Education in Urban Food Forests project will engage students and teachers at five new Food Forests, five emerging Food Forests, and 15 established Food Forests, all located at elementary schools within Miami-Dade County. Each Food Forest will provide students with an outdoor setting where they can witness the connectivity and relationships between plants and animals, and the abiotic components of the environment (e.g., soil, water, etc.). Participating students will also benefit from learning about the socio-economic values that multi-storied gardens provide such as pest control, nutrition, and watershed management. This project aims to train at least 100 elementary school teachers from 25 different public schools in Miami-Date County and up to 17,441 elementary school students. This initiative will allow The Education Fund to continue to provide biweekly harvests for families to take home from the ten emerging and new Food Forests and provide weekly harvests from the 15 existing Food Forests. The sustainability of this project is increased by simultaneously influencing children's health while inspiring their academic gains in environmental sciences.
2019	NC	4	North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation Inc. - $100,000 Michelle Lovejoy, 5171 Glenwood Ave., Ste 330 Raleigh, North Carolina 27612 Promoting Soil Health – On-Farm Demonstrations & Education Immersions Healthy and productive soils are needed to effectively feed the world's growing population. The North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation believes each citizen has an active role to play in the conservation movement and educating the younger generation. The North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation's Promoting Soil Health – On-Farm Demonstrations & Education Immersions project aims to improve people's understanding of natural resource management and its impact on ecosystem services as well as encourage long-term behavioral changes that positively impact water quality and soil health. To accomplish these goals, this project will facilitate the installation of five community gardens on school campuses and outdoor learning centers, deploy a mobile soils classroom, and support five current on-farm cover crop demonstrations and associated field days. Through hands-on learning opportunities, this program aims to reach 6,000 people annually. By focusing on the science and leveraging multiple communication venues, the program will secure long-term success in the arena of expanding scientific literacy and fostering greater participation in overall conservation stewardship.
2019	IL	5	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - $100,000 Kevin Tucker, 6 Hairpin Drive, Edwardsville, Illinois 62026 From the Ground Up Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) believes that in order to achieve widespread environmental change, it is critical to first educate the public and provide solutions to existing problems. With well documented nonpoint pollution issues impacting Illinois' waterways, SIUE's From the Ground Up project aims to increases public awareness and action on three critical clean water issues: 1) Regulated Pollutants; 2) Emerging Pollutants and 3) Biological Contamination. This project will take place in Southern Illinois but given SIUE's role as a regional public institution and the strong community partnerships it maintains, this project will reach a statewide audience. In total, the From the Ground Up project intends to target 500 state residents and environmental influencers directly and 11,000 indirectly along with 175 students and teachers directly and an additional 2,000 indirectly. Participants will be provided with tools and solutions to address the state's clean water issues with informed decision-making through: reducing emerging and regulated pollutants in the water supply; increasing awareness of risks and solutions; developing environmental teacher and communicator interest in environmental careers; and utilizing community partnerships to increase public understanding of clean water issues.
2019	WI	5	West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission - $96,000 Chris Straight, 800 Wisconsin Street Unit 9, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703 Putting the "Clear Water" Back in the Eau Claire River With heavy-rain events occuring more often, erosion and sedimentation are destroying aquatic habitats in many of the Eau Claire River Watershed's streams and lakes. The West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission's Putting the "Clean Water" Back into the Eau Claire River project plans to build community capacity for the adoption of farming principles and practices that increase biodiversity, enrich soils, improve surface and groundwater quality, and enhance ecosystem services within the Eau Claire River Watershed by working with 160 local farmers and farmland owners. The watershed encompasses 882 square miles in west-central Wisconsin, and many of its surface waters are impaired due to agricultural runoff. To implement the farming principles and practices mentioned above, this project will combine farmer-driven workshops, direct assistance, Future Farmers of America activities, and other stewardship projects that bring people together to support the local agricultural community. Many of the same best practices that improve soil health will not only increase yield and profit for participating farmers but will benefit the watershed's surface and ground waters.
2019	MI	5	Kent County Conservation District - $53,645 Jessie Schulte, 3260 Eagle Park Drive NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525 Connecting Urban and Rural Agricultural Stewardship The Kent County Conservation District Connecting Urban and Rural Agricultural Stewardship project will partner with schools and local farms to educate landowners and students on the various ways in which agriculture practices affect the health of Michigan's Grand River. Through field trips, scientific research, and development of stewardship projects, this project will educate approximately 417 students on urban and rural water quality, current efforts to protect that water quality, and evaluate the effectiveness of various methods of investigation and action. Through field demonstrations and workshops, a cost-benefit guide and one-on-one meetings this project will reach over 300 farmers and landowners. Partner organizations and five influential agricultural producers will assist in development of a media campaign intended to localize the connection among farmers, forests, buffers, fisherman and our future water quality to all residents in the watersheds. This conservation stewardship project aims to bring home the connection between what is done on farmland and the future of our water quality.
2019	WI	5	Wisconsin Wildlife Federation - $82,723 Sandy Benton, 213 North Main Street, Poynette, Wisconsin 53955 Connect, Explore, and Engage: Bridging the EE Opportunity Gap Using Public Lands Wisconsin mandates that all students in public schools, Kindergarten through 12th grade, receive environmental education (EE) instruction. However, at the moment, there are still many public schools that don't offer EE professional development opportunities for their teachers. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation 's Connect, Explore, and Engage: Bridging the Opportunity Gap Using Public Lands project aims to increase the capacity for rural teachers to integrate EE into regular school curricula by developing community partnerships using public land. Through a phased plan of support, starting with a three-day intensive workshop, supported through coaching on-site and by video, approximately 50 teachers in five rural Wisconsin school districts and community organizations will develop long-term relationships that increases the environmental literacy of 1,250 students. Targeted students will be empowered to make a positive difference as they learn how to access public lands and the related resources, both human and material, and how to engage in decision-making and collaboration with members of the community to improve both the local environment and their health.
2019	OK	6	Grand River Dam Authority - $100,000 Jeri Fleming, 420 HWY 28, P.O. Box 70, Langley, Oklahoma 74350 Guard the Grand The Grand Lake O' the Cherokees (Grand Lake) is an economic engine for Northeastern Oklahoma, an important recreation area, and a source of drinking water. However, the Grand Lake and the rivers and streams that flow into Grand Lake have impairments related to turbidity/sediment, excess nutrients, low dissolved oxygen, and fecal bacterial contamination. These impaired and threatened waters reduce tourism and negatively affect the local economy. The Grand River Dam Authority's Guard the Grand (GtG) program aims to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship in Oklahomans residing in watersheds that flow into Grand Lake. The project's formal and informal, multi-audience environmental education approach consists of classroom modules, professional development opportunities, community workshops, and a recognition program that encourages business and the public to become Guardians of the Grand. In total this project will target 1,600 fourth-grade students, 50 fourth-grade teachers, 675 residents and homeowners, and 100 business owners and employees of specific businesses with a high impact on the watershed.
2019	NM	6	Asombro Institute for Science Education - $100,000 Stephanie Haan-Amato, 401 E. College, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005 The Water Conservation Data Jam Southern New Mexico is located in the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America and one of the most biologically diverse deserts on the planet, has seen unprecedented population growth over the past 25 years. This population growth has led to serious concerns about the region's future water supply. The Asombro Institute for Science Education's Water Conservation Data Jam project aims to increase environmental literacy and ability to turn knowledge into action that benefits the environment for 700 6th to 12th grade students and 20 educators in Southern New Mexico. This project will incorporate Asombro's successful "Data Jam" teaching model, which guides students to make sense of regionally-relevant datasets and communicate trends in the data to non-scientists through creative projects such as poems, physical models, and games. This project will give students datasets related to decreasing water supply and increasing water consumption as well as innovative water conservation strategies. Students will use the creativity and new knowledge they put into their Data Jam projects to become environmental stewards and encourage the general public to join them in taking voluntary actions to benefit the environment.
2019	NM	6	First Nations Development Institute - $100,000 A-dae Romero-Briones, 2432 Main St. Fl 2, Longmont, Colorado 80501 Continuing the Tradition of Indigenous Farming Ecological stewardship and environmental education, along with farming and ranching, are long-time traditions in many Native communities. First Nations Development Institute's Continuing the Tradition of Indigenous Farming project aims to build capacity of farm-to-school programs in schools that serve primarily Native American students in New Mexico by providing quality experiential and/or classroom-based environmental and agricultural education that engages the community. This project will help launch or expand five farm-to-school programs, host a one-and-a-half-day workshop for approximately 25 farm-to-school program managers, and update and disseminate 50 farm-to-school guides. Collectively, this program will reach approximately 500 Native children.
2019	IA	7	Metro Waste Authority - $100,000 Jenny Koska, 300 East Locust Street, Suite 100, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Community-Based Environmental Education: Forming Connections between Schools, Cities, and Agencies to Tackle Water Quality in Iowa The Metro Waste Authority and its project partners will implement the Community-Based Environmental Education: Forming Connections between Schools, Cities, and Agencies to Tackle Water Quality in Iowa in the western metro area of Des Moines. This project aims to help develop skills in teachers, offer new experiences for students, increase the investment in local watersheds, improve the health of river ecosystems, and build a foundation of water quality data for cities and schools to reference. The target audience of 32 educators and approximately 960 Polk County students, will be reached through professional development workshops and effective environmental education classroom experiences created by teachers that have attended professional development workshops. Participating teachers will also complete environmental enrichment projects with their students, teaching stewardship through hands-on experience.
2019	NE	7	University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Board of Regents - $100,000 Robert Wright, 151 Prem S. Paul Research Center at Whittier School, 2200 Vine Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 Developing Conservation Skills in Students Through Beneficial Insect Protection The University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) aims to educate Nebraskans about the importance of beneficial insects and the ecosystem services these insects provide through the delivery of their Developing Conservation Skills in Students Through Beneficial Insect Protection project. This project will deliver targeted experiential learning opportunities using school pollinator habitats and vegetable gardens to provide education on environmental and conservation issues in agroecosystems to 1,400 elementary school students and 35 teachers in six Nebraska communities. UNL and its project partners plan to reach their audience by developing, delivering, and disseminating curricula designed to improve knowledge in school-aged students, their parents and communities about the ecosystem services insects provide in agroecosystems and provide training and skills to school-aged students to evaluate insect communities in school gardens so that students may make informed decisions about how to manage pest insects and weeds while preserving beneficial insects. Beyond the environmental benefits that will come from this work, UNL and it project partners are building strong linkages between extension, research, teaching, and local communities.
2019	MO	7	Blue River Watershed Association - $100,000 Lynn Youngblood PO Box 7276 Kansas City, Missouri 64113 K.I.D.S. in Streams: Kids Investigate Discover, Study in Streams The Blue River Watershed Association (BRWA) and its project partners will deliver the K.I.D.S. in Streams (Kids Investigate, Discover, and Study in Streams) project to 500 middle school students, 35 high school students, and 30 university students. This project aims to educate participants about the harmful effects of stormwater runoff, overuse of fertilizers, road salts, and other factors that lead to poor water quality and how to mitigate these negative environmental impacts. Through BRWA's environmental education curriculum, high school students will achieve dual credits toward college education degrees, "Teacher Cadets" and university students will be trained in TRUE (Teaching Rivers to Urban Environments) Blue – a four-day, four-lesson water quality-monitoring curriculum.
2019	CO	8	Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, Inc. - $90,000 Katie Navin, 1536 Wynkoop St, Suite 314, Denver, Colorado 80202 Building Pathways to Environmental and Natural Resource Careers in Colorado Colorado's economy and identity are largely dependent on its environment and the proper management of its natural resources. The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) has determined that to conserve public lands and ensure environmental health in the state of Colorado, a new, diverse generation of environmental and natural resource professionals are needed. The Building Pathways to Environmental and Natural Resource Careers in Colorado project will see CAEE and it project partners develop an environmental career resource that can be integrated into existing or new environmental education programming to provide youth with not only awareness of career fields, but tangible next steps to support their interest. CAEE will pilot the resource with high school audiences in Denver, Estes Park, Jamestown, and Steamboat Springs. A Career Influencer Training Network will be developed to train environmental education providers, high school teachers, career counselors, and natural resource employers who hire youth to use the education resource with their audiences. In total, this resource has the potential to reach a statewide audience of approximately 800,000.
2019	CO	8	Colorado Mountain College - $ 97,217 Joseph Chusid, 802 Grand Street, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601 Field-based science: Colorado students investigating water quality in their community Given Lake County, Colorado's long history of mining and increasing usage of public lands by recreationalists, there is a unique opportunity to increase environmental literacy surrounding water quality and aquatic health for county residents. Colorado Mountain College's Field-based Science: Colorado Students Investigating Water Quality in their Community project aims to cultivate conservation stewardship in Lake County through education in the form of water quality data collection, data analysis, and career development mentorship. The primary implementation methods of this project will include field trips, student laboratory work, and interactive data analysis workshops. This project will target approximately 400 high school students, 75 college students, their families, and backcountry recreationalists. Upon collecting and analyzing water samples, participating students will and share their findings with others in the community by way of conferences, trailhead brochures, and interactive maps. Additionally, as students undertake community projects, they will gain valuable exposure to environmental career pathways working with field professionals and project partners.
2019	CO	8	Colorado State University - $80,000 Lisa Anaya Esquibel, 601 S. Howes Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 Wild Pics Colorado State University (CSU) and their project partners will co-construct Wild Pics, a professional development program focused on managing wildlife in human-modified systems for suburban and rural middle school science teachers. Participating educators will increase their understanding of topics such as camera trap usage, data interpretation and analyzation, the identification of other locally relevant social ecological data, and writing-to-learn tools to facilitate student problem-solving. These professional development opportunities will provide educators with practical instructional strategies to help their students become environmentally literate and engaged citizens. Together, students and teachers will collect and authenticate data using cameras set up near and around their school grounds. They will also engage in wildlife ecology lessons related to the identification of potential problems with wildlife living in human-modified habitats, the collection of data, and the constructing solutions to mitigate the effects of human activities on wildlife populations. Through place-based education, Wild Pics aims to increase the ability of 2,320 middle school students to make evidence-based decisions about local wildlife conservation through analysis of authentic wildlife photographic data.
2019	MT	8	National Center for Appropriate Technology - $98,000 Al Kurki, 3040 Continental Drive, Butte, Montanna 59702 Growing for Environmental Stewardship The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) believes that in today's world of processed and pre-packaged high-calorie foods, students no longer have the information necessary to make food choices that are healthy for them and for the environment. For this reason, NCAT will be implementing the Growing for Environmental Stewardship project.This project aims to educate students and adults about agriculture production and its impact on the environment which will help increase the number of Montana residents who are able to make informed decisions about the foods they purchase and consume. This project will target approximately 960 Kindergarten through 8th grade students, 12 elementary school teachers, six food service directors, parents, and at least six farmers in the communities of Anaconda, Butte, Columbia Falls, Hardin, Livingston, and Polson/Ronan. Project participants will learn about environmental and health benefits of eating local foods that have been raised using good environmental stewardship practices through a combination of workshops, in-person meetings, school gardens, classroom education, and tours of local farms that use good stewardship practices.
2019	CA	9	Regents of the University of California - $100,000 Heidi von Geldern, 410 Mark Hall One Shields Avenue, Berkeley, California 94720 Oak Woodland Fire Education and Stewardship in Northern California The Regents of the University of California's Oak Woodland Fire Education and Stewardship in Northern California project will serve a region that was highly impacted by destructive and deadly wildfires in 2017. This project will also fill a critical local environmental education and fire preparation gap. Adults and youth will gain awareness of local ecosystems, how to reduce catastrophic fires through better land use planning, management, and other preparations to benefit local communities and natural lands. In order to achieve these goals, this project will create an Oak Woodland FireWorks Curriculum to be utilized in school programs and teacher trainings, create and implement a fire science California Naturalist Advanced training, and initiate community programs in partnership with local Fire Safe Councils. Direct education programming will reach approximately 500 school-aged students from rural and low-income communities. The Oak Woodland FireWorks curriculum training will reach 80 teachers from low income and/or rural communities. The California Naturalist Advanced training will reach 20 community members and will be shared with an additional 1,800 California Naturalist alumni. Community programs will reach at least 300 low income, rural community members.
2019	CA	9	Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans (MERITO) Foundation - $100,000 Rocio Lozano-Knowlton, 1501 Cardigan Ave, Ventura, California 93004 Blue-Green Schools Project The MERITO Foundation's Blue-Green Schools Project aims to advance environmental education and stewardship in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County, two California counties that have been affected by drought, wildfires, and mudslides to the detriment of the region's communities and aquatic resources. Through this project, the MERITO Foundation will develop and implement a curriculum on water resources, water quality, and conservation and provide professional development for teachers. This project will also facilitate student field experiences and support student-led project proposals to conserve water at school campuses, protect local watersheds, and protect aquatic ecosystems. The MERITO Foundation's Blue-Green Schools Project will train 12 educators and reach approximately 780 to 1000 students. The majority of the targeted student population attend Title I schools, where many of the students come from economically underprivileged backgrounds and are currently underrepresented in STEM careers. By empowering students to act on local water and waste issues, this project encourages behaviors by local youth to serve affected communities, contribute to protection of local watershed resources, and mitigate drought, fire, and erosion impacts.
2019	AZ	9	Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona - $100,000 Travis Lane, 2214 N Central Ave, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Tribal Voices for Environmental Stewardship The Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona's Tribal Voices for Environmental Stewardship project aims to empowers tribal youth to understand their environments, learn from their elders, explore environmental careers, and design action plans to address environmental issues in their communities. The project will begin with training teachers, elders, and environmental professionals on project-based learning and an indigenous environmental education framework. This framework will focus on traditional ecological knowledge and the facilitation of intergenerational learning to confront environmental issues such as pesticide use, solid waste, and air/water pollution. The Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona will partner with five of their 21 Member Tribes to reach 1,515 tribal children and adults with the potential to indirectly impact an additional 30,000 tribal people. By engaging tribal members of all ages in this project, community members will work collaboratively to understand the environmental conditions in their communities and to incorporate traditional ways to improve them.
2019	CA	9	Mid Klamath Watershed Council - $60,000 Carol Earnest, 35 Davis Road, Happy Camp, California 96039 The Klamath Youth Stewardship Project The Mid Klamath Watershed Klamath Youth Stewardship Project takes place in the middle Klamath region of rural northern California. The program includes watershed, fire and fuels, fisheries and plants education intertwined with traditional ecological knowledge. Local teens will participate in paid summer internships, introducing them to natural resources careers. The project will include field trips to monitor salmon populations, restoration of riparian habitat, removal of invasive species and Sudden Oak Death blitzes (a citizen science program). Conservation efforts will provide quality habitat for salmon and acorns, which are central to native culture and the local economy. Five community gardens will be built in this USDA-designated food desert, which is an area where residents often travel two hours round trip to purchase groceries. Overall, 200 K-8 students and 100 adults will be reached by the project, the majority of which are low-income. Approximately 60% of youth in local schools are Native American, and approximately 70% of youth living in this region qualify for free/reduced lunch rates.
2019	WA	10	Oxbow Center for Sustainable Agriculture - $46,355 Katie Pomeroy, 10819 Carnation-Duvall Road NE, Carnation, Washington 98014 Expanding the Classroom: Fostering Leadership for Sustained Outdoor Environmental Education Oxbow Farm will expand an existing program for kindergartners that will reach more students and help establish ongoing outdoor environmental education at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Carnation, Washington. Reaching students in this school is especially important because most of them are from low-income, ethnic minority communities with dual-language classrooms (Spanish and English). Oxbow Farm's "Garden Buddies" project fosters environmental learning with 200 4th graders mentoring 200 kindergarteners. Oxbow Farm will also host professional development workshops for 24 teachers and community events in the school's outdoor classrooms. The school is in a farming area that is undergoing rapid development. Oxbow's "Garden Buddies" program on the farm and school will explore sustainable land use, water quality, and habitat preservation, all important to the area. Students will capture their experiences through science journals, photographs, and interviews. To build students' research skills, their journal entries will be guided by questions and photographs will be annotated with scientific observations. Serving as role models, 4th-graders will take on the responsibility of mentoring kindergarteners, increasing motivation and achievement for both the younger and older students. Oxbow's project will be shared with other schools to help expand their outdoor environmental education.
2019	WA	10	Tilth Alliance - $84,700 Melissa Spear, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue N. Suite 100, Seattle, Washington 98103 Environmental Education at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands The Tilth Alliance aims to partner with communities to build an ecologically sound, economically viable and socially equitable food system. Through their Environmental Education at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands project, they will increase transparency, public participation, and collaboration with Rainier Beach residents around issues of food access as they relate to environmental health. This project will target 200 families with young children, 200 teachers and community leaders, 500 school-aged children, 15 underserved youth and 750 community members in Southeast Seattle, a socially and economically diverse part of the city. Tilth Alliance will lead food system-related field trips and service-learning programs focused on sustainable agricultural practices for Kindergarten through 12th grade students at their community farm, youth employment services, teacher garden workshops, camps and events for families to learn about food systems, sustainable farming, soil and water quality, and community resiliency. Tilth Alliance will help community members in neighborhood projects, service-learning opportunities, volunteer capacity and skill-building focused on restoring and conserving high quality water resources in an urban environment, including bio-swales, rain gardens, and natural yard care at the farm and at home.
2019	ID	10	Friends of the Teton River - $82,900 Zena Wolcott-MacCausland, 36 East Little Avenue P.O. Box 768, Driggs, Idaho 83422 Teton County Farms and Fish Initiative Friends of the Teton River will work with at least 3,700 farmers and agricultural producers, local leaders and residents in Teton County, Idaho, to provide peer-to-peer learning opportunities. These learning opportunities include free classes, workshops, field visits, on-farm testing procedures, and knowledge-sharing about cover crops, conservation tillage, grazing management, and innovative water management techniques. The Teton County Farms and Fish Initiative aims to use agricultural education to build a community with the knowledge, skills and motivation to work collaboratively to conserve high quality water resources in the Teton River Watershed, reduce nutrient runoff, and protect healthy aquatic ecosystems. Friends of the Teton River will work to increase public awareness and knowledge about agricultural, environmental and conservation issues in the watershed and help participants build skills necessary to make informed decisions and take responsible actions to protect water resources, farmland and farming heritage. Friends of the Teton River and their project partners will work with diverse stakeholders to promote innovative ways to local address agricultural issues.
2019	WA	10	Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association - $77,700 Annitra Peck, 3057 E Bakerview Road, Bellingham, Washington 98226 The Students for Salmon Program: Inquiry-Based Science and Student Driven Restoration Program Salmon are vital to the Pacific Northwest economy, culture and ecosystem, serving as the focal point for the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association's Students for Salmon Program. The project's cost-free, open-enrollment model aims to reach a broad and diverse audience in Whatcom County, Washington, targeting over 1,600 4th grade students and 80 teachers in public, private, tribal, and alternative underserved and non-traditional schools. This multi-stage watershed education program, includes indoor and outdoor classroom learning. Participating students will learn about healthy salmon habitat and how to understand and balance aspects of habitat degradation and water quality issues for local fisheries. By linking critical thinking and problem-solving skills through student-driven research, students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions through restoration projects and stewardship pledges to protect the environment.
2019	WA	10	IslandWood - $84,700 Stacey Nordgren, 4450 Blakely Avenue NE, Bainbridge Island, Washington, 98110 IslandWood's Urban Watershed Education Project IslandWood's Urban Watershed Education Project aims to increase environmental awareness, skills and stewardship behavior of elementary and middle school students in Washington's Puget Sound region. This project will target over 4,500 3rd through 8th grade students from diverse urban, suburban, and rural communities in King and Snohomish County. At least 100 teachers will participate in eight professional development workshops on watershed conservation using Next Generation Science Standards. The teachers will collaborate with community partners to develop environmental action projects. All environmental action projects will be designed and implemented by students and their teachers as they explore solutions to resolve local environmental problems. Examples of these projects may include local stream clean-up events, creating social marketing campaigns and interpretive signs, and habitat restoration projects. Because this project emphasizes the importance of local watersheds, students will gain a better understanding of their impact on their surroundings, as well as how to take environmental action to improve their own neighborhood watershed.
2020	RI	1	University of Rhode Island - $100,000 Vanessa Venturini, 70 Lower College Road, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881  Food System Steward Program Through the Food System Steward Program, the University of Rhode Island (URI) will create and implement a 6-week train-the-trainer program aimed at reducing food waste and increasing access to locally-grown food throughout the state. About 120 participants will complete coursework to become Food Systems Stewards and take part in 40-hours of internship programs, with community stewardship projects that will benefit an additional 2,500 youth and adults. The hands-on sessions in farms and in kitchens will help the Food System Stewards build skills in youth education, composting, sustainable food production, and food preservation. Project efforts will lead to the recovery of approximately 60,000 pounds of food waste and will direct roughly 40,000 pounds of locally grown produce to underserved populations throughout Rhode Island. The program's course work and community stewardship projects will train participants to reduce food waste, provide healthy food to underserved populations, adopt conservation behaviors and foster community conservation around finding solutions for food waste.
2020	VT, N	1	Vermont Energy Education Program - $100,000 Cara Robechek, [email protected], 79 River Street, Suite 303, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 School-Based Community Action for Vermont & New Hampshire The Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) and the New Hampshire Energy Education Project (NHEEP) will train and support at least 50 teachers from at least 40 schools in Vermont and New Hamshire through their School-Based Community Action for Vermont & New Hampshire project. The opportunity to earn graduate credit from Castleton University will incentivize teacher participation as will access to VEEP/NHEEP curriculum resources, equipment kits, and individualized support. Educator training will focus on adding student-centered community-based environmental stewardship projects to their teaching toolkit. Participating teachers will also learn how to develop strategies that build students' critical thinking, problem-solving and decision making. Once trained, teachers will deliver environmentally focused curriculum to approximately 1,000 students. In turn, students will implement community stewardship projects that support career development in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and environmental fields focusing on air quality improvement, land revitalization and contamination prevention. Further, VEEP and NHEEP will train an additional 200 middle and high school students to design and implement environmental action projects in their own communities.
2020	CT	1	New Haven Ecology Project - $100,000 Kimball Cartwright, 358 Springdale Ave, New Haven, Connecticut 06515 Green Job Corps   The New Haven Ecology Project seeks to expand its Green Jobs Corp (GJC) career development program based in New Haven, Connecticut. Through the expansion of Green Job Corps, the New Haven Ecology Project will connect 60 city high-school students with paid stewardship placements in environmental organizations. These placements will create opportunities for students to explore and build skills for future careers that benefit the environment, primarily in agricultural education and community projects. All participating students will complete a core curriculum that includes studying food and agriculture, air quality, human health impacts of fossil fuels, environmental justice, lead in soils, consequences of extreme weather events, and environmental health. Many of the stewardship projects that arise from this project will include engaging elementary school students and community members in hands-on environmental education, extending the reach of environmental education to an additional 1,100 students/community members. Example topics of these stewardship projects may include growing food, developing green infrastructure responses to stormwater management, and planting school gardens.
2020	PR	2	Migrant Clinicians Network, Inc. - $100,000 Amy Liebman, PO Box 164285, Austin, Texas 78716-4285  A Community Environmental Education Project to Ensure Clean Water and Chemical Safety during and after a Natural Disaster in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico and its environment are uniquely vulnerable to natural disasters. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN) and its longtime partners have expressed the need to develop comprehensive emergency preparedness education to ensure that communities are working collaboratively to reduce the negative health outcomes related to environmental contaminants, hazards, and sanitation following a disaster. Through this environmental education (EE) project, MCN will establish a program that fosters student and community engagement in disaster preparedness, as it relates to environmental protection and human health. To accomplish their educational and environmental goals, MCN and their community partners will adapt and develop an EE curriculum, facilitate a workshop for teachers and community leaders, and support teachers as they integrate EE content into their school curriculum. Project activities will reach at least eight teachers, 160 students, six community leaders, and five community health center outreach professionals. Final products from this project will include school, community, and student-family preparedness plans for the rural and underserved communities of Castañer, Adjuntas, Maricao and Yahuecas, that were devastated by Hurricane Maria.
2020	NY >	2	Sciencenter Discovery Museum - $80,000 Allison Sribarra, 601 First Street Ithaca, New York 14850-3507 Future Science Leaders: Youth Taking Action for Water Quality in the Finger Lakes Nonpoint source pollution causes the water quality in the southern end of Cayuga Lake, which is where the lake converges with Cayuga Creek, to consistently rank lower than the rest of the lake. Through the Future Science Leaders (FSL): Youth Taking Action for Water Quality in the Finger Lakes project, the Sciencenter Discovery Museum and its project partners will work to increase environmental literacy of approximately 80 students and 1,000 community members in Tompkins County, New York. The Sciencenter will educate students using a combination of classroom and field activities focusing on water quality issues affecting the Cascadilla Creek and Cayuga River. This project seeks to empower students to use science when making decisions and taking actions to protect and improve their local watersheds, while inspiring others to become environmental stewards.
2020	NJ	2	Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School - $100,000 Luis Vargas, 612 Amboy Avenue, Perth Amboy, New Jersey 08861 Restoration Engineering for Perth Amboy to Impact Runoff (REPAIR) During heavy storms, runoff from streets and impervious surfaces overwhelm the capacity of Perth Amboy's sewage treatment plant which results in the discharge of untreated wastewater into the nearby Raritan Bay. The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School along with Ramapo College and other partner organizations will deliver a combination of classroom and hands-on activities to 600 economically disadvantaged students from diverse backgrounds, seven science teachers, and local community members. All Project REPAIR activities will encourage participants to learn how to address water quality problems associated with combined stormwater and wastewater systems and their effects on coastal waters, human health and the local community. These activities will equip students with critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills. Ultimately, this project aims to promote environmental and conservation stewardship, increase student knowledge of environmental issues, encourage students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and environmental education and become responsible and actively engaged citizens of the City of Perth Amboy.
2020	MD	3	Maryland Coastal Bays Foundation Inc. - $70,000 Kevin Smith, 8219 Stephen Decatur Hwy, Berlin, Maryland 21811 Living Local As the second largest industry in Worcester County, Maryland, agriculture is a major economic driver of the county's economy. Despite agriculture being such a way of life in the Worcester County, there is a disconnect between the farms and those that work them, and the rest of the community and school system. The Living Local project will be the first formal program in Worcester County providing agriculture place-based education to residents, that includes specific academic programs for educators and students. The Living Local project will provide environmental education through the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary learning module. These projects will include hands-on student learning, and community workshops that address environmental and human impacts affecting agriculture and the benefits best farm practices have on water resources of Maryland's Coastal Bays. Through hands-on activities on local farms and in county schools, this project will reach 300 students, 30 educators, and 600,000 community members residing primarily in rural areas.
2020	VA	3	James River Association - $98,000 Shawn Ralston, 211 Rocketts Way, Suite 200, Richmond, Virginia 23231 Connecting High School Environmental Science Students to the James River The Connecting High School Environmental Science Students to the James River project plans to engage Richmond Public School (RPS) students throughout the environmental education continuum to address Richmond's largest contributors to degraded local water quality: stormwater runoff and the combined sewer system (CSS). The James River Association (JRA) and its project partners will help the City of Richmond achieve "cleaner water faster" by providing outreach and education so that science students and teachers, at seven of the eight RPS high schools, can better understand the issues contributing to the CSS system. In total, this project will reach 400 students and 14 teachers through a combination of in-class and outdoor education opportunities, which will include a series of teacher professional development days and student classroom and field experience instruction. The science curricula provided during this project will connect participants to their local environments, provide local examples of environmental challenges and stewardship, and educate teachers and students about urban environmental management issues in a rapidly urbanizing world.
2020	PA	3	Heritage Conservancy - $100,000 Sandra Yerger, 85 Old Dublin Pike, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901 Educating the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards on Watershed Protection in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Through Hands-On Environmental Education, Exploration and Actions The Educating the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards on Watershed Protection in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Through Hands-On Environmental Education, Exploration and Actions project will focus on the connection between land and water, and the impact individual and collective behaviors have on water quality. The Heritage Conservancy and its partners will work to educate and empower elementary and secondary students to take environmental action through a combination of classroom programs and cross-watershed collaboration paired with outdoor field trips. Integrated lessons will include topics related to single-use plastics, recycling, and overall watershed protection through decreased trash pollution. Heritage Conservancy will target an audience of approximately 1,200 students, with the potential to reach an additional 1,000 family members in the community. This project will also seek to foster the next generation of environmental stewards from diverse and underserved communities in Bucks County, Pennsylvania by offering career development opportunities in the environmental field for secondary and post-secondary students. These opportunities will provide individuals of all ages with life-long learning and interest in environmental and conservation stewardship.
2020	GA, FL, TN	4	EcoRise Youth Innovations - $100,000 Jenji Henson, 1023 Springdale Road, Bldg. 1 Suite J, Austin, Texas, 78721 Sustainable Intelligence (S.I) In light of the critical environmental issues in the Southeastern United States, innovative approaches to environmental education (EE) are needed. The Sustainable Intelligence (S.I) project will provide EcoRise with the tools to bridge the gap between theory and action, make learning personal and relevant, increase the resiliency of local communities, and address issues of environmental justice. The S.I.project will expand EcoRise's award winning EE curriculum and teacher-training program to rural and urban schools in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. This project will also develop students' environmental literacy, foster creative problem-solving skills, and promote systems thinking—especially in schools within neighborhoods that experience disproportionally high environmental risks. With the help of local partners, EcoRise will connect with 160 teachers in underserved schools and communities, reaching approximately 8,960 students, of which 75% attend economically disadvantaged schools. After learning a wide range of sustainability and resiliency topics, students will design personally meaningful projects such as home air quality audits, school water conservation programs, and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. Through S.I., students will become sustainability innovators and leaders, and teachers will become advocates of sustainable living, environmental literacy, and natural resource conservation.
2020	FL	4	Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - $100,000 Melanie Mason, 600 South Calhoun Street (H2), Suite 120, Tallahassee, Florida 3239960 Understanding and Implementing Food Waste Management in Florida Schools Americans spend over $200 billion a year on food that is never consumed. While, in Florida, one in seven residents experience food insecurity. The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) hopes the Understanding and Implementing Food Waste Management in Florida Schools project will result in the source reduction of food waste, less organic material entering the waste stream, and the development of conservation stewardship. FDACS will look to accomplish their educational and environmental goals by providing technical assistance and encouraging students and school authorities throughout the state to implement food waste management tools to create sustainable food recovery programs. Examples of tools will include, food sharing tables, food donations, participation in gleaning (i.e. the collection of surplus produce from fields) events and conducting student food waste audits. This project will target approximately 6,300 K-12 students, teachers, school administrators, and school nutrition professionals.
2020	AL, GA, MS, KY, NC, SC, TN	4	Kentucky Association of Environmental Education - $100,000 Ashley Hoffman, P.O. Box 2739, Elizabeth, Kentucky 42702 Don't Waste It!: An Educator Guide to Solid Waste, Recycling, Reduction, and Composting Given our planet's finite amount of space and natural resources, communities must work together to creatively and efficiently institute solutions for handling the amount of waste generated. To combat waste problems, The Kentucky Association of Environmental Education (KAEE), in collaboration with its program partners, will establish the Don't Waste It! project. This project aims to help current and future educators across the southeastern United States understand local systems for municipal solid waste, landfills, material recovery facilities, recycling, and composting. Once a solid foundation is built through a combination of in-person and online training, this project will provide educators with resources and lessons to share their knowledge with students throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. All lessons and resources are intended to inspire local communities to engage in composting, recycling, waste reduction, and other activities that revitalize land and reduce contamination. This project aims to support 35 new Don't Waste It! trainers, 280 educators in local educator workshops, and 100 educators in online training.
2020	GA	4	Emory University - $99,804 Eri Saikawa, 400 Dowman Drive, Math and Science Center E512, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 Implementing Active-Learning Modules for Enhancing Environmental Education on Air Quality and Soil Contamination Emory University's Implementing Active-Learning Modules for Enhancing Environmental Education on Air Quality and Soil Contamination project aims to increase the environmental literacy of middle and high school students, and community members, in Atlanta, Georgia. Emory University and its project partners will create unique active-learning modules and phone applications in order to teach approximately 550 students in urban West Atlanta neighborhoods, with large minority populations, about various environmental problems, the negative effects of exposure to environmental contamination and pollution, and their relationship with the human environment. Student participants will collect air quality data via low-cost monitoring stations and soil samples at school campuses, residents' backyards, and community gardens to test heavy metal concentration levels. All the data will be analyzed by the students and the public and published online and through a phone application that will be built in collaboration with the Girls Who Code Emory University club. Providing this data to communities while also raising general awareness on the topic will give participants the opportunity to use the data in a meaningful way.
2020	MI	5	Central Michigan University - $100,000 Deborah Clark, Office of Research and Graduate Studies, 251 Foust Hall, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859 H2O Q: Science Based Environmental Education H2O Q: Science Based Environmental Education engages teachers, community organizations, and corporate and public partners in experiential field science to help students measure water quality parameters and scientifically analyze and critically apply this data to a local issue affecting the Great Lakes. One teacher leader and one community/environmental leader from five subaward partners throughout Michigan will come to the Central Michigan University (CMU) Biological Station and engage in hands-on learning using the H2O Q kit. Leaders, along with CMU experts will train an additional 40 to 60 middle school teachers with a reach of over 4,000 students in research around water quality issues within their communities. By using the kit to measure the chemistries of water quality, students will gain scientific literacy in issues affecting the Great Lakes region. The overall goal of this project is to educate middle school science teachers and equip them with the critical skills and resources to become effective environmental stewards.
2020	MI	5	Trout Unlimited - $100,000 Nichol Demol, 1777 N Kent Street Arlington, Virginia 22209 Expansion of the Science, Technology, Recreation, Arts and Math (STREAM) Girls Program Connecting communities to their local water resources is important to the Great Lakes Region to help protect the largest surface freshwater system on Earth. The goal of expanding Trout Unlimited' s (TU) STREAM Girls Program is to educate more than 275 girls, 35 partners and volunteers, and 1,000 community members across Michigan in water quality issues. Project participants will learn to investigate streams, document their findings, and become environmental stewards by designing and implementing projects to protect water quality. TU will work with partner organizations to deliver STREAM Girls at outdoor locations in the Lower Grand River, Detroit River, and Rouge River Watersheds. By reaching audiences from three of Michigan's top five most diverse counties, this project will provide outdoor and informal education opportunities to girls who have not typically participated in these types of activities, giving them a new perspective on science.
2020	WI	5	Neighborhood House of Milwaukee - $100,000 Widge Liccione, 2819 W. Richardson Place Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208 Renew-Recycle-Reclaim: Lead & Learn Land Revitalization Education The goal of the Renew-Recycle- Reclaim (3R) project is to increase access to environmental science education and meaningful conservation activities for more than 1,000 low-income, urban youth of color, ages six to 19 who live in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After receiving training on invasive species identification, integrated pest management, wetland and forest monitoring and surveying, and lesson plan writing, paid interns will implement environmental education activities at local schools and lead field trips to nature centers and local and state parks. Program's interns will lead students in interactive educational sessions using established curricula paired with corresponding stewardship activities, such as building pollinator gardens, wetland species monitoring and bio-blitzes. This combination of lessons and activities will give students multiple opportunities to put what they have learned into practice. The 3R program will strive to create diversity for the natural resources field, starting with elementary school students and impacting youth into postsecondary school.
2020	WI	5	University of Wisconsin-Madison - $100,000 Brenda A. Egan, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research & Sponsored Programs, 21 North Park Street, Suite 6401 Madison, Wisconsin 53715 Water Action to Encourage Responsibility The University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum and its project partners will work with leaders and residents in the Lake Wingra Watershed to minimize the harmful effects of stormwater that flows from urban land into lakes and rivers. The Water Action to Encourage Responsibility project will engage 15-20 leaders – "social trailblazers" – comprised of individuals and policymakers. Outreach will be conducted using custom toolkits, online training, a website and community events. This project will provide a model for community engagement in pressing environmental issues and document how neighborhood-focused efforts can make a difference. By empowering leaders within targeted neighborhoods, this project aims to prepare local communities to address challenges related to the harmful effects of stormwater runoff.  The lessons learned and the materials developed during the project cycle will be transferable to watersheds throughout the country. In total, this project aims to reach more than 6,500 local residents.
2020	IL	5	Environmental Education Association of Illinois - $40,215 Abbie Enlund, 1505 N Broadway, Urbana, Illinois 61801 Earth Force Illinois Earth Force Illinois is a two-year train-the-trainer effort where the Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI) will develop the capacity to train and support urban and rural educators throughout Illinois in the use of the Earth Force Process. Participants will learn, model, and practice Earth Force's six-step process with an emphasis on building youth-adult partnerships, encouraging critical thinking, accessing community resources, approaching stakeholders, and planning and celebrating action. After attending a train-the-trainer workshop, participants will host their own educator workshops, further amplifying the reach of this project. Trained educators will facilitate student-led investigations of environmental issues and the development of action plans to address those issues, with an estimated 250 students. This project will provide 85 K-12 educators with training in what is now known to be some of the most critical steps in the environmental education process when trying to develop an environmentally responsible public.
2020	TX	6	National Wildlife Federation - $100,000 Susan Kaderka, 505 East Huntland Drive, Suite 485, Austin, Texas 78752 Student Resilience Ambassador Program and Resilience Education Summit in Houston Texas Hurricane Harvey deposited an unprecedented amount of rainfall on the city of Houston. However, much less rainfall (amounts of as little as 2"- 4") can overwhelm the city's drainage systems and cause disruptive flooding. The Student Resilience Ambassador programwill engage four underserved schools in Houston and surrounding communities in climate resiliency efforts and environmental stewardship activities pertaining to flooding and improving water quality. In total, this program aims to empower students at four schools, 212 teachers and 100 community members with the knowledge and skills to be a part of the solution as they learn to make their communities more resilient to the real and increasing threats of flooding. Each participating school will be equipped with training and the funds needed to plan and implement a nature-based solution to flooding and Student Resilient Ambassador Teamsformed at each campus will help lead community engagement and action. Toward the end of the project period, the National Wildlife Federation will convene a Resilience in Schools Symposium that will train additional teachers, build awareness among city and school district officials of the resilience work taking place in underserved communities and provide a venue for students to showcase their community work.
2020	LA	6	University of Louisiana at Monroe - $99,000 Alberto Ruiz, 700 University Avenue, Monroe, Louisiana 71209 Creating a generation of environmental stewards among secondary students in the high-needs school districts of northeast Louisiana This project's stakeholders will include a collaborative team of faculty from University of Louisiana Monroe and teacher-student groups from five different schools in the Ouachita School District, all of which serve students from low-socioeconomic households. This collaborative effort's environmental goals will focus on preventing agricultural and surface runoff water from polluting wetlands while creating environmental stewards and generating career interests in different environmental fields. Teacher proficiency and environmental stewardship among students will be achieved through a place-based approach that develops cross-disciplinary interventions by utilizing environmental literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The project will also establish a runoff demonstration and monitoring site at the University of Louisiana Monroe that will function as a working model for local area schools and communities. In total, this project will reach approximately 10 educators, 1,250 students, along with additional parents and community members.
2020	LA	6	Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science - $91,408 Shannon Dosemagen, 3014 Dauphine Street, Suite E, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 Messages from the Mississippi: Understanding Plastic Pollution Through Hands-on Environmental Education The Mississippi River drains an area of about 40% of the continental United States, bringing its water—and pollution—through the city of New Orleans en route to the Gulf of Mexico. The citizens of New Orleans are actively seeking ways to understand and reduce the amount of plastic traveling downstream. The Messages from the Mississippi project will leverage student (2,636) and educator (2,636) activities to engage the general public (35,000) on the issue of marine microplastic pollution. Working in local public schools that serve majority minority and low-income students, Public Lab and its partners will create and pilot a curriculum to educate students on microplastics through a series of outdoor learning activities and hands-on projects. During the program, students will create artwork using plastics collected from the Mississippi River that will be displayed alongside student-designed educational materials to ignite community interest and encourage viewers to manage the health of the river. The people of New Orleans, along with researchers and policymakers throughout the United States are working to better understand and find ways to reduce the plastic pollution flowing down the Mississippi and into the Gulf of Mexico each day. This project will connect students and their communities to those efforts.
2020	MO	7	Missouri Botanical Garden Board of Trustees - $72,928 Glenda Abney, 3617 Grandel Square, St. Louis, Missouri 63108 Gateway to Green Careers Expansion of the Missouri Botanical Outdoor Youth Corps for Diverse Youth ages 16-24 The Missouri Botanical Garden will aim to expand their Gateway to Careers Outdoor Youth Corps program for diverse youth. This project will provide 148 youth in St. Louis City and St. Louis County with sustainability career exploration opportunities, training, and environmental action projects. Examples of project activities that are designed to help participants better understand local environmental issues and connect students to possible career pathways include: storm drain marking, river cleanup events, community beautification projects; and, field trips to recycling centers, compost facilities, landfills, and local universities/colleges. These meaningful, hands-on, real-world projects will introduce new possibilities and foster interest to further explore environmental and sustainability careers for all participating youth.
2020	IA	7	Upper Iowa University - $100,000 Dr. Barbara Ehlers, 605 Washington St., Fayette, Iowa52142 Nourishing Our Waters and Soil through Sustainable Agriculture Upper Iowa University's (UIU) Nourishing Our Waters and Soil through Sustainable Agriculture project will create access to professional development opportunities and engage citizens in improving Iowa's environmental quality, especially in relation to the impact of farming on water and soil quality and chemical usage issues. The environmental goals of the project will be archived by improving the skillsets of educators and implementing sustainable agriculture locally. This project will provide 96 Pre-K - 12th grade teachers with an opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture, the implementation of practices at a local level, and strategies to incorporate this knowledge into their own classrooms. In total, all trained teachers will deliver their lessons to approximately 4,800 students. This grant will also allow UIU to create an online environmental education library and resource center to broadly disseminate materials and provide lifelong learners with resources.
2020	KS	7	Kansas State University - $100,000 Paul Lowe, 1601 Vattier Street, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 Educating Students and Commodities About Food Waste, Food Waste Prevention and Strategies to Reduce Organic Waste in our Landfills in Kansas Food waste prevention and food recovery efforts can make a substantial difference in the lives of residents and students throughout Kansas. The Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute's (PPI) project, Educating Students and Communities about Food Waste, Food Waste Prevention and Strategies to Reduce Organic Waste in our Landfills in Kansas aims to assist in the improvement of air quality and the reduction of food waste disposal in landfills in southeast Kansas. PPI will achieve their environmental and educational goals by providing increased educational opportunities to learn about food recovery, food donation, food waste reduction, community composting, community gardens and community food resiliency. PPI will also provide educational outreach, live workshops, webinars, and onsite technical solutions for food waste and recovery opportunities with students, the general public, and community educators. In total, the project will target 237,153 people in 16 Kansas counties.
2020	UT, CO, WY	8	Utah Society for Environmental Education - $100,000 Alex Porpora, PO Box 721, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 Strengthening Community Engagement for Environmental Education The Strengthening Community Engagement for Environmental Education project will see the Utah Society for Environmental Education partner with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and the Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education to increase the effectiveness and reach of community engagement and participation in the study of local environmental issues while providing opportunities to revitalize land and prevent contamination in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Teams of formal and informal environmental educators in these three states will be invited to apply for the program. Accepted applicants will establish eight to ten Community Leadership Teams, all of which will consist of two to three members per team. This project will provide critical training to team members on best practices in community engagement and participation while providing ongoing coaching and support for participants as they implement Environmental Education (EE) projects related to land revitalization and contamination prevention in their communities. It is anticipated that these environmental educators will engage an estimated 300 participants in community-based EE projects while significantly increasing the relevance and effectiveness of environmental education across the region
2020	MT	8	Clark Fork Watershed Education Program, Montana Technological University- $100,000 Beverly Hartline, 1300 West Park Street, Butte, Montana 59701 Expanding Environmental Literacy and Stewardship The Clark Fork Watershed Education Program (CFWEP) along with campus and community partners, will engage 30 teachers and 12 high school students, as well as the general public, in community environmental education (EE) projects related to the local environment and local environmental issues. This project will foster action from teachers and students beyond classroom instruction. The outdoor laboratory of Butte, Montana's superfund site will be used to illustrate methods for teachers and students on water quality monitoring, stormwater management, soil remediation, and climate resiliency. The project will also mentor teachers on community project development, focusing on addressing issues of safe and clean water and land revitalization. Additional education activities will include the use of a summer academy, an online course, authentic research opportunities, grant writing, and ongoing mentoring to facilitate content knowledge and application of EE concepts that ultimately lead to action and stewardship.
2020	CO	8	Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative - $60,000 Bethany Howell, 125 Adams Street, PO Box 142, Monte Vista, Colorado 81144 Natural Resources in the Real World: Youth Conservation Education in the Upper Rio Grande Watershed The San Luis Valley is a community completely reliant on its local natural resources. Of the utmost importance is its dependency on water – for agriculture, municipal, and recreational uses. The Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative's Natural Resources in the Real World project aims to maintain, diversify, and expand environmental education (EE) programs available to underserved youth within the San Luis Valley. These EE programs will focus on agricultural education, watershed health, and conservation stewardship and will reach 3,500 Kindergarten through 12th grade students, in all six counties of the San Luis Valley, with a secondary audience of teachers and community members of all ages. By collaborating with multiple partner organizations, this project will offer youth summer camps, river restoration, natural resource workshops, and field experiences opportunities that will educate and inspire local youth to get involved with natural resource stewardship.
2020	CA	9	The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College - $99,945 Rachel Johnson, 721 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara, California 93109 Native Gardens, Local Food: Leveraging a Network of Small-Scale Permaculture Gardens to Address Conservation Issues in Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara faces a crisis of biodiversity loss driven largely by habitat loss, invasive species, and the effects of climate change. The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and Explore Ecology, its collaborating partner, aim to address the city's loss of biodiversity issue by developing a network of educational permaculture garden sites across Santa Barbara. These sites will form an archipelago of gardens stretching across a region of Santa Barbara, connected physically by habitat corridors and the underlying watershed. The gardens will offer opportunities for Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) students, Community College students, teachers, and the public to engage in topics focusing on ecological health and the water conservation benefits of native habitat, food‐producing gardens. In total, this project anticipates reaching over 34,000 participants through courses at SBCC and in K-12 schools, community workshops, partner activities, and public events, with the potential for thousands more through online resources and those fed by the foods produced at the gardens – in total, over one‐third of the Santa Barbara area.
2020	CA	9	Sequoia Riverlands Trust - $100,000 Diane Hayes, 427 S Garden St. Visalia, California 93277 EARTH Academy Tulare County, California is one of the top agricultural producing counties in the United States, but over the last decade the county has suffered greatly from severe droughts and poor air quality. The Sequoia Riverlands Trust's EARTH Academy program aims to address these environmental issues by increasing public awareness and knowledge about ways to improve soil, which leads to better water retention, less dust, and better growth cycles for crops and other plants. In total, this project anticipates reaching 300 to 600 students (Kindergarten through 8th grade) from 30 schools in Tulare County, 30 to 40 interns (grades 9 through 12), 50 to 100 farmers/ranchers, teachers, parents, and community stakeholders. This project's programming will take place primarily at seven ecologically unique nature preserves. At these sites, project participants will learn about the wonders of the outdoor world along with skills that can lead to careers in the environmental field and higher education opportunities through project-based and hands-on learning activities, workshops, service-learning opportunities, presentations, and community events. Throughout the cycle of this project, EARTH Academy students will have opportunities to learn, discover problems, create solutions, and teach others about their findings.
2020	AZ	9	Arizona Association of Conservation Districts - $100,000 Deborrah Smith, 7467 E Broadway Blvd. Tucson, Arizona 85710  Cultivating our Future Agricultural Leaders and Model Stewards of the Land The Arizona Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) will work with Arizona's Natural Resource Conservation District Education Centers, and additional project partners to establish the Cultivating our Future Agricultural Leaders and Model Stewards of the Land project. This project aims to cultivate future agricultural leaders and stewards of the land by presenting multiple sides of environmental issues, strengthening the skills of environmental educators, empowering young leaders to be informed decision-makers, facilitating collaboration, and stimulating community-oriented action to create lasting positive change. In total, this project will target a diverse statewide audience of 4,000 people, which include Kindergarten through Postsecondary students, and adults. The core program will include workshops, trainings, professional development opportunities, certifications programs, field trips, guest speakers, interactive classroom and community programs, conferences, an online forum and resource hub, and participation in leadership summits. By engaging our future leaders and decision-makers, our educators, and communities in environmental and conservation stewardship, this project hopes to give them the ability to be knowledgeable about all aspects of Arizona's current agricultural and conservation issues.
2020	CA	9	Ventana Wilderness Alliance - $50,000 Toan Do, PO Box 506 Santa Cruz, California 95061 Youth in Wilderness Program: Collaborative Wilderness Immersion Outings for Central California Young People Ventana Wilderness Alliance's Youth in Wilderness Program (YiW) will collaborate with local community partners to provide immersive environmental education opportunities to middle school, high school, and university students. These overnight and single-day Wilderness Immersion Outings will take place in the Ventana and Silver Peak Wildernesses in Central California. All outings, predominantly overnight backpacking trips, are preempted by preparatory workshops at partner sites or in nearby regional green spaces. In 2020, YiW will serve approximately 450 students on 20 to 26 Outings. Service will be prioritized for participants from historically underrepresented communities of color from the surrounding region. The program goals are to increase public literacy of public lands advocacy and local watershed health through collaborative wilderness immersion outings with local communities. Participants will learn about best outdoor recreation practices and watershed stewardship through a variety of hands-on natural history and skill-based lessons while in the field.
2020	WA	10	Western Washington University - $97,648 Dr. Troy Abel, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, Washington 98225 Youth Learning, Leadership and Stewardship for Environmental Justice; Community-Engaged Air Quality Biomonitoring Using Moss in South Seattle (Lower Duwamish and South Beacon Hill Neighborhoods) Western Washington University's Youth Learning, Leadership and Stewardship for Environmental Justice; Community-Engaged Air Quality Biomonitoring Using Moss in South Seattle project is a continuation of a previous pilot project in Seattle's Lower Duwamish and South Beacon Hill neighborhoods, some of the city's most racially and ethnically diverse areas. This initiative will foster collaboration among community leaders, university and government researchers, and high school teachers and students on South Seattle's air pollution sources and solutions. Through a 10-week project, 48 high school students will engage in all parts of the scientific process, including the development of hypotheses, the collection of moss samples from trees in south Seattle, the interpretation of data and sharing of results with stakeholders. Not only will this project create accessible learning opportunities for high school students to explore the spatial variability of air pollutants, it will allow them to prioritize areas for future community monitoring and investments.
2020	WA	10	Palouse Conservation District - $100,000 Jessica Self,1615 NE Eastgate Blvd, Suite H, Pullman, Washington 99163 A Grande Ronde-vous of Water Resource Literacy on the Palouse Water on the Palouse Region of southeastern Washington is a precious resource. Residents rely entirely on groundwater sources for domestic use as surface waters have become contaminated with nonpoint source pollutants from agricultural and urban runoff. This project aims to provide educational opportunities that foster science literacy about water resources and develop water quality and quantity consciousness for 1200 Kindergarten through 12 (K-12) grade students, 40 teachers, and community members in the Palouse Conservation District (CD). To cultivate stewardship action, a citizen science watershed monitoring program will be developed to assess the health of the watershed. Additional activities will include community-wide stream clean-ups, water conservation measures, and volunteer stream planting events with education components. School districts and municipalities will be the targeted audience for subawards, ensuring longevity of educational objectives and instilling long-term water resource literacy. Encouraging ecological identification through place and action will assist the community in achieving sustainable cultural and ecological integrity.
2020	AK	10	Kenai Watershed Forum - $95,052 Branden Bornemann, 44129 Sterling Hwy, Soldotna, Alaska 99669  Creating Kenai Watershed Stewards through K-12 Adopt-A-Stream Program This grant will allow the Kenai Watershed Forum to enhance the delivery of their nationally recognized Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) program while building more meaningful and sustainable partnerships in Kenai Peninsula Borough Schools. This program will support the continuation of high-level conservation education and the dissemination of water quality curricula to Kindergarten through 12th (K-12) grade students while delivering learner-centered curriculum through positive outdoor experiences. Lessons will focus on the salmonid life cycle, plant identification, investigation of local invertebrate species, and water quality evaluation. In total, the AAS program aims to reach approximately 1,200 K-12 grade students and 60 teachers via classroom visits, field trips to local streams, and an environmentally themed summer camp. Participating students will adopt nearby stream sites to monitor and protect, leading to significant environmental investigations, curiosity, and active environmental stewardship.
2020	ID, OR, WA	10	Lake Roosevelt Forum - $100,000 Rick Reynolds, 2206 S. Sherman Street, Spokane, Washington 99203 The River Mile Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Education Program The River Mile (TRM) is a network of 50 educators, 1,200 students, and scientists all exploring the essential question, "How do relationships among components of an ecosystem affect watershed health?" Most participating students are from low-income schools and underserved/underrepresented populations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. TRM's participant-driven approach to exploring watershed health will see educators and students share best practices, resources, and real-world scientific data that they collect outdoors. A major feature of TRM is teacher training, which partners help provide, supported by curriculum, in-person workshops, online training, kits with hands-on resources, and posters. Through participation in TRM's Crayfish Study and associated field work, students will collect and analyze data on the state of native and invasive crayfish and water quality in their local watershed and examine conservation options to enhance water quality to benefit local wildlife and people. Other classroom and field activities will help students develop a deeper understanding of freshwater ecosystems and ways to protect and restore them.
2021	CT	1	Sea Research Foundation -- $95,000 Cheryl Miller, 55 Coogan Blvd, New London, Connecticut 06355 Conservationists in Training   The Conservationists in Training (CIT) program will provide underrepresented high school-aged youth in New London, Connecticut with mentorship and conservation-based career development experiences. CIT aims to tackle both this city’s water safety issues and its education gap by providing high-quality STEM mentorships. This program’s goals are to 1) provide mentorship and conservation-based career experiences for underserved youth so that they can pursue careers that preserve and advance watershed and habitat health; 2) increase youth participants’ scientific and environmental literacy to promote marine conservation; and 3) encourage participants to protect and restore environmental resources in their own communities. At the conclusion of this project period, participants will develop the skills needed to support new, effective watershed conservation and restoration activities, continue to pursue conservation-based education and careers beyond, and continue to participate in local environmental stewardship activities.
2021	CT	1	New Haven Ecology Project -- $100,000 Joel Tolman, Inc, 358 Springside Ave, New Haven, Connecticut 06515 Growing Environmental Education in Urban Public Schools The New Haven Ecology Project’s Grow Environmental Education in Urban Public Schools project will embed high-quality environmental educators in three Title I schools in New Haven, Connecticut. This project will reach up to 900 low-income students and 45 urban Public School educators. Student participants will learn about clean water, environmental health and land revitalization challenges impacting their neighborhoods, and create plans to address these challenges through actions in and beyond their schoolyards. Students will help to improve and steward the environments directly around their schools, explore and care for the local watersheds and public lands adjacent to their schools, and connect to larger community-driven efforts to clean up urban waters and revitalize urban lands. Through professional development, coaching, and technical support, the long-term environmental education capacity of participating educators will increase significantly. Through direct experiences, increased capacity, and larger ripples, this project will grow a new, more inclusive generation of environmental stewards in New Haven’s urban public schools.
2021	CT	1	Soundwaters, Inc. -- $100,000 Leigh Shemitz, 1281 Cove Rd, Stamford, Connecticut 06902 Sound Families and Environmental Stewardship In Southwestern Connecticut, Long Island Sound is the largest natural resource, yet it has a high barrier of entry and is largely inaccessible to a large segment of the population. The lack of access to the Sound for underrepresented families has been a persistent problem that damages the health and resilience of not only residents and communities, but also Long Island Sound. The Sound Families and Environmental Stewardship (Sound Families) project will utilize an 80’ teaching vessel as a floating classroom where children and parents will learn together about their local environment and how their daily behaviors can contribute to the protection of the area’s greatest natural resource. Collaborating with five partners who work with high-poverty populations in Stamford, Norwalk and Greenwich, this project will engage 805 children and adults over a two-year period. Families, who would otherwise have little access to Long Island Sound, will sail with SoundWaters educators each weekend, June through September, to test water quality, meet a wide variety of Long Island Sound animals and understand the impact daily behaviors have on the health of the Sound. Bilingual education videos and communications will supplement the learning process and all families will join future SoundWaters stewardship events, such as the monthly coastal clean-ups. Sound Families will allow underrepresented families to experience the benefits of the Long Island Sound while learning first-hand about environmental threats and actions that can be taken to protect the health of their community. Families will be equipped with the knowledge to become ambassadors for the environment in their neighborhoods.
2021	ME	1	The Ecology School -- $100,000 Drew Dumsch, 184 Simpson Rd, Saco, Maine 04072 Food for Thought Program The Ecology School’s Food for Thought (FFT) program will educate local school children (grades 4-8), their classroom teachers and parents, and the community on food issues related to conservation and sustainability. This program aims to educate 805 students from 13 partner schools over the two-year project period. Fifty percent of participating schools are classified as low-income based on the U.S. Department of Education’s Title I Program. FFT is a New England-focused environmental education program that increases students’ awareness of agricultural environmental issues including, how to manage food waste; composting in order to reduce landfill volume; using cover crops to prevent topsoil erosion; and using an integrated pest management system that reduces pesticide runoff into rivers and streams, thus keeping water systems clean and fresh. By learning about the connections between food, people, and the environment through hands-on farm-based and food-based activities, project participants will be empowered to think critically and take action in agriculture and conservation stewardship activities at home and in their own communities.
2021	PR	2	University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla -- $100,000| Nancy R. Cardona Cordero, P. O. Box 6150, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico 00604 Searching Our Environment Puerto Rico’s west coast is vulnerable to multiple climate stressors. Extreme weather events such as two category 5 hurricanes on top of recorded warmer temperatures, coastal erosion and seasonal Saharan dust have affected this underserved Puerto Rican population. The University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla’s Searching our Environment project is designed to advance awareness and knowledge of the local environmental impacts of climate change in students (high school and undergraduate) and support teachers with materials and instructional guidance for their science curriculum. The project’s integrated training approach to accomplish the educational and environmental goals includes problem-based learning workshops, the use of manipulative models and small-scale simulations, ecological field trips and environmental equipment (air quality monitors and weather stations) for each participating school. This program will reach four teachers, eight undergraduate students and 200 high school students from the rural towns of Aguada, Aguadilla and Moca. At the conclusion of the project period, the University of Puerto Rico – Aguadilla anticipates an increase in environmental stewardship among all participating students, the development of instructional materials on locally relevant mitigation strategies, and the establishment of environmental associations in partner schools that work with their respective communities to identify and address local environmental impacts of climate change.
2021	NY	2	Manhattan College -- $100,000 Jessica Wilson, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, New York 10471 Living Shorelines, Living Classrooms, Living Communities Manhattan College’s Living Shorelines, Living Classrooms, Living Communities project aims to increase elementary and middle school students’ ecological literacy of urban water quality issues through experiential experiences in the Bronx, which has the second highest poverty rate in New York. Project participants will gain an increased understanding of the effect stormwater has on water quality in Hester and Piero Mill Pond and become stewards of their local watershed. These project goals will be met by combining classroom activities with field trips to an urban lake where participating students will have the opportunity to think critically about water quality issues, develop solutions, and take specific actions to improve water quality in their local watershed. Additionally, college and graduate students will collect and analyze water quality data at Hester and Piero Mill Pond during the project period. In total, this project anticipates reaching 160 K-8th grade students in underserved, low-income communities, 10 teachers, 10 postsecondary students, and 50-100 community members. At the conclusion of this project period, participating schools, including at least three Title I Schools, will have the resources to continue incorporating the hands-on environmental education activities beyond the grant’s tenure.
2021	NY	2	Groundworks Hudson Valley -- $100,000 Joel Rodriguez, 22 Main Street, Yonkers, New York 10701 Connecting the Drops: Green Infrastructure and Climate Safe Neighborhoods The Connecting the Drops: Green Infrastructure and Climate Safe Neighborhoods project will see Groundworks Hudson Valley (GWHV) work with 8-10 high school classes over two years to develop, pilot, and broadly implement a model program linking locally-experienced flood risks with climate literacy education and action. In addition to Yonkers Public Schools, the program includes a partnership with affordable housing agencies, local business districts, and watershed groups. The project takes place in Southwest Yonkers, a historically marginalized environmental justice community at high risk for climate impacts due to its coastal geography, public health issues, high rates of poverty, and vulnerable populations. This project’s content will be highly tailored to the students’ lived-experiences related to recent storms and floods in their own neighborhoods. In addition, the applied portion of the program involves meaningful demonstration projects to be executed by the students as part of GWHV’s Climate Safe Neighborhood Partnership for Yonkers (CSNP). The CSNP involves local, state, and federal collaborators, which over a two-year period, mapped priority sites for green infrastructure action. This educational approach is designed to make the content much more tangible, meaningful and relevant to the students served. The hyper-local methodology will be evaluated for its impact on knowledge gains, motivation toward resiliency careers, and student interest in civic engagement among those served. If successful, the program will be offered to schools throughout the region and disseminated to partners in the CSNP across the nation.
2021	PA	3	The Trust for Public Land -- $100,000 H'Abigail Mlo, 1608 Walnut St. Suite 302, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Environmental Education through Stewardship of Philadelphia Green Schoolyards The Environmental Education through Stewardship of Philadelphia Green Schoolyards project seeks to create site-specific programs to educate students and community members about their local environment through the hands-on care of five recently installed green schoolyards. Each of these green schoolyards serves low-income communities and communities of color in neighborhoods where green space is scarce. There is a need for continued environmental education and stewardship of the schoolyards to ensure that they continue to serve their communities for many years to come. Over the course of this project, students will learn the importance of caring for living systems to improve water and air quality for the sake of their own health, and the health of the environment. Student participants will learn how to take care of green infrastructure and trees, and then teach those skills to their neighbors. This project will directly engage up to 150 K-8th grade students and reach up to 500 community members. By the end of the project period, student groups at five Title I Schools will lead at least one community volunteer event and create a stewardship guide specific to their schoolyard. By building capacity in each of the schools and their respective communities, this project hopes to ensure the long-term success of each schoolyard through continued environmental education lessons and stewardship activities beyond the project period.
2021	PA	3	JASTECH -- $99,272 Jerome Shabazz, 6134 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19151 Overbrook Community Science Residents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Overbrook neighborhood are disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental exposure. The adverse health issues facing Overbrook residents include asthma, lead poisoning, and chemical exposure from former industrial sites. JASTECH’s Overbrook Community Science (OCS) project plans to put community members at the center of this environmental education project through the creation of a Community Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB will aid in identifying target behaviors, establishing community channels for the exchange of information, establishing credibility of the project, and building future community capacity for addressing environmental health challenges. At the conclusion of the OCS project period, JASTECH aims to meet five primary objectives: 1) develop a replicable pilot to fulfill community-identified needs for adapting to burdensome climate and environmental exposures, 2) support community-led air protection efforts that include the installation of air monitors in approximately 42 homes, 3) increase lead safety practices with 50 families and 30 disadvantaged renovators in the Overbrook/Wynnefield section of Philadelphia by providing training to minimize lead exposure risks in pre-1978 built homes, 4) inventory vacant lots in West Philadelphia to recommend best practices for future use, create employment and reduce exposures to lead and other metals, and to promote a healthier use of parcels for community benefit, 5) develop a community-based outreach and training on environmental justice and “brownfield to greenfield” strategies for the Overbrook neighborhood.
2021	MD	3	Living Classrooms – Baltimore -- $75,000 James Bond, 1417 Thames St, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 Climate Changemakers - Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience Living Classrooms Foundation will implement the Climate Changemakers - Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) project for 300 3rd grade students and 8 teachers from four Title I Schools in Baltimore, Maryland. Project activities will occur in the Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, and Westport communities, all of which have been disproportionately affected by climate change and rising temperatures. The MWEE project aims to not only teach students about the ways they are being directly impacted by climate change, but that they can take steps to help mitigate rising temperatures in their neighborhoods through stewardship action projects in their schools and communities. Through a series of outreach programs, in-school/schoolyard lessons, and field trips, students will gain an understanding of the Urban Heat Islands Effect by focusing on how their local communities are built. By participating in the MWEE project, students will be empowered to use their newly gained knowledge to implement various strategies in hopes of reducing the amount of heat emitted from their schoolyards and built environments as well as increase climate resiliency. Additionally, throughout the lifecycle of this project, the Living Classroom will offer community engagement opportunities to engage local residents in climate change-focused participatory science projects.
2021	DC	3	Earth Conservation Corps -- $100,000 Kellie Bolinder, 2000 Half Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20024 Eco-School Teacher Training Program The entire DC Metro area suffers from stormwater pollution and urban run-off. This is a result of being in a highly populated metropolitan area with a lot of impervious surface area. For this reason, it is important to implement student-led models that aim to create a community of young people who know how to take action and solve environmental problems, which is what Earth Conservation Corps hopes to achieve through their Eco-School Teacher Training Program. This project will offer up to 15 DC area elementary school teachers the opportunity to participate in a training program to implement the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools Program in their schools. By implementing this program at their own schools, this project will also engage 100 3rd-5th graders. Through a series of project activities, student participants will learn how to conduct environmental audits at their schools, determine which areas need to be improved upon, and work together with their teachers to design projects that reduce waste and increase recycling.
2021	GA	4	Emory University -- $100,000 Eri Saikawa, 400 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 Promoting Active Learning Methods to Enhance Environmental Education on Air Quality, Soil Contamination, and Climate Change Building on their previously funded environmental education grant, Emory University’s Promoting Active Learning Methods to Enhance Environmental Education on Air Quality, Soil Contamination, and Climate Change project aims to expand the reach of their work educating elementary, middle and high school students, and community members, in Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of this project is to educate participating students and community members about the impacts of air, water and soil contamination and explore mitigation strategies. Emory University plans to reach this goal by partnering with a number of local organizations and teachers at 10 schools (including 4 Title I schools) to provide a unique active-learning curriculum focused on these locally relevant environmental topics. For air quality management, this project will continue and expand the work in validating sensors and creating a dense air quality monitoring network in the Atlanta metro area. The sensors will be set up permanently rather than for six months and will be validated annually by co-locating them with regulatory monitors. All data will be available on the project website and via the project’s phone application. For mitigating soil heavy metal contamination, project leaders will conduct soil lead screenings, develop a volunteer soil lead monitoring network and educate participants about the impacts of soil contamination on human health. Through this project, Emory will also host educational garden classes for young children together with Historic Westside Gardens and will work on reducing food waste and increasing composting in local neighborhoods. In total, this project aims to reach 4,500 students, including 2,000 from four Title I schools directly.
2021	TN	4	Maryville College -- $100,000 Adrienne Schwarte, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, Tennessee 37804 Maryville College Great Smokies Sustainability Project, “Out of the Box Community Sustainability” Due to climate change, Tennessee is increasingly suffering from more frequent severe flooding events and summer droughts, impacting local water supply, regional food security, and the health of residents. To address these developments, Maryville College seeks to expand its Out of the Box Community Sustainability project by partnering with the local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, Keep Blount Beautiful, to generate and distribute environmental education (EE) programming to regional public schools, targeting economically distressed and underserved communities in Blount and Loudon counties. These stand-alone environmental education units, created with materials and curricula to encourage critical thinking, will focus on issues specific to East Tennessee, such as air, water, and soil quality, ecosystem health management, food security, and climate change. The project will reach 960 fourth-grade students in East Tennessee and the Appalachian region, with a secondary audience of approximately 1,000 teachers and community members over the project period. By designing and building portable, sustainable, and reusable environmental learning units, this project will inspire and motivate youth and community members to become active stewards of East Tennessee’s unique natural resources as well as increase the number of K-12 classrooms teaching environmental education and meeting the Tennessee Environmental Literacy Plan.
2021	AL, MS	4	University of South Alabama -- $99,815 Dr. Shenghua Wu, 307 University Blvd, Mobile, Alabama 36688 Creating a Solid Waste Sustainability Hub to Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, and Rethink The generation and disposal of solid waste is an environmental problem that results in a considerable burden in landfills. There is a lack of significant educational inputs from higher education institutes and a valid collaborative mechanism to promote solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and rethinking. For this reason, the University of South Alabama’s Creating a Solid Waste Sustainability Hub pilot project aims to create a solid waste sustainability hub in the central region of the Gulf Coast that enhances environmental stewardship. Project participants include undergraduate students from the University of South Alabama and high school students from eight high schools, seven in Alabama and one in Mississippi (seven of the eight high schools are Title I Schools). Through a combination of classroom lessons, field trips, and a 2-day summer camp, participating students will learn about state-of-the-art solid waste management practices and career opportunities in environmental fields. It is anticipated that this pilot project will have long-lasting impacts on regional environmental education with continued efforts of expansion among additional postsecondary schools, high schools, and local community partners.
2021	MN	5	Minnesota State University, Mankato -- $80,000 Jacob Swanson, 236 Wigley Administration, Mankato, Minnesota 56001 Air Quality Monitoring Projects in Minneapolis Schools Minnesota State University’s Air Quality Monitoring Projects in Minneapolis Schools aims to address existing air pollution issues that burden many communities within Minneapolis. Residents in these communities are actively asking for better air quality monitoring, but many do not currently have tools to assess the problem or understanding of the details beyond their senses. This project will engage students at underserved primary schools and community colleges in air quality monitoring projects in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All projects will include the use of low-cost air quality sensors. Undergraduate engineering students, along with a group of partner teachers/faculty, will participate in training sessions focused on developing air quality monitoring lessons and data collection. Participating teachers/faculty will deploy the air quality monitoring lessons, which they created, in their classes, which will be followed by students choosing from the assortment of “pre-developed” air quality monitoring projects. By the end of the project period, Minnesota State University hopes to equip up to 300 Minneapolis youth with the knowledge and skills required to develop tools and methods, generate data to help understand the local air pollution problem, and become future environmental problem-solvers.
2021	IL	5	University of Illinois Chicago -- $100,000 Elena Grossman, 809 S. Marshfield Ave MB 502, M/C 551, Chicago, Illinois 60612 Climate and Health Institute The Chicagoland area faces several climate change challenges that are already impacting people’s health including historic floods, worsening air quality, and deadly heatwaves. Residents in designated environmental justice communities in the Chicagoland area are at a greater risk for these negative health impacts than other communities. The Climate and Health Institute project aims to prepare future public health professionals to address the public health impacts from climate change and increase knowledge and awareness among civic leaders and community members about climate change, its public health impacts, its disproportionate impact on environmental justice communities, and stewardship strategies to address it. In year one of this project, academics and community partners from environmental justice communities will develop and deliver a curriculum of trainings to undergraduate and graduate public health students from the University of Illinois Chicago and community members. In year two of the project period, students will work with their community partners in Waukegan, Chicago Heights, Aurora, and Hanover Park, Illinois to develop projects geared toward reducing the negative health effects linked to climate change in environmental justice communities and increasing climate resiliency in these environmental justice communities.
2021	IL	5	Friends of the Chicago River -- $60,000 Matthew Sudman, 411 South Wells Suite 800, Chicago, Illinois 60605 Chicago River Schools Network The Chicago River system extends well beyond the City of Chicago into dozens of outlying municipalities. Despite its natural, recreational, cultural, and economic importance, the river has been straightened, dredged, polluted, and reversed. Friends of the Chicago River has spent decades working with elected officials, businesses, and volunteers to turn the Chicago River into one of the world’s greatest metropolitan rivers. However, much work remains. The Chicago River Schools Network (CRSN) project aims to expand the organization’s connection with school districts in southern Cook County, which are within the Chicago-Calumet River watershed but have not previously engaged with the Chicago River Schools Network. This grant will build upon previously funded work by bolstering program outreach in underserved communities, partnering with schools to expand their capacity to engage with the river as a site for STEM learning, and empowering diverse communities to engage with environmental concepts. Developing partnerships and providing curriculum through CRSN will give teachers the training and personalized assistance they need to immerse their students in the turbulent history, evolving ecology, and improving health of the Chicago River system. Teachers who join the CRSN also become part of a network of scholars who are utilizing the river and its resources as a way to connect with and teach diverse learners. In total, this project will engage at least eight teachers and reach 10,500 students.
2021	LA	6	Louisiana State University -- $72,000 Emily Maung-Douglass, One University Place, Shreveport, Louisiana 71115 Plastics on Parade: Cultivating Responsible Parade Culture in Louisiana During Louisiana parades, plastic beads and other toy prizes that are thrown from parade floats out to spectators are often abandoned along the parade route, later entering the natural environment as plastic marine debris. Louisiana State University’s project, Plastics on Parade: Cultivating Responsible Parade Culture in Louisiana will educate 120 students from four Title I middle schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about how activities like parades and parade throws, impact the environment and encourage these students to actively participate in finding solutions to reduce plastic marine debris. LSU will reach their project goals by developing four educational resources and activities that promote pro-environment behaviors. The first is a video following the journey of an abandoned parade throw from the parade route to the Gulf of Mexico to raise awareness of plastic in the natural environment. The second resource is a board game to help students make mental connections to the consequences of human behavior related to plastic parade throws on the natural environment and surrounding communities. The third project is a social change campaign and design challenge to promote responsible parade behaviors. The design challenge asks students to create a prototype for a parade throw collection receptacle for use on the parade route, encouraging critical thinking on perceived barriers to participation in responsible parade culture. Fourth, an in-class discussion guide for educators to promote students’ critical thinking on the topic. By participating in this project, students will become change makers in their communities as they actively contribute to the reduction of plastic entering the natural environment.
2021	OK	6	EcoRise Youth Innovations -- $100,000 Jenji Henson, 1021 Springdale Road Building 1, Suite J, Austin, Texas 78721 Environmental Education for a Resilient Oklahoma EcoRise’s Environmental Education for a Resilient Oklahoma project aims to cultivate a more resilient Oklahoma by activating students to become environmental stewards and sustainability innovators. The project brings the EcoRise environmental education program, Sustainable Intelligence, to historically marginalized urban, rural, and tribal communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental stressors. EcoRise will serve at least 160 teachers and 8,960 students in Oklahoma. The program will be available to K–12 teachers across the state of Oklahoma, but recruitment, outreach, and training efforts will focus on three schools in eastern Oklahoma City and five in the Durant Independent School District (DISD), which serves youth from the Choctaw Nation. Teachers will receive standards-aligned curricula, professional development, and year-round support from EcoRise staff and project partners who guide them to educate students on a range of sustainability and resiliency topics. This action-oriented program includes 163 Sustainable Intelligence K–12 lessons, which provide eco-literacy across seven themes in English and Spanish. It includes 40 Design Studio activities, which guide students through an engineering design process, and three Introduction to Environmental Justice modules. With this knowledge and awareness, students will take action, identifying and designing solutions through self-led, innovative projects to engage and impact their communities. At the conclusion of the project period students will become environmental leaders and creative change makers in their communities; teachers will become enthusiastic advocates for environmental literacy and stewardship, and EcoRise will build capacity to expand its programs across Oklahoma and in diverse communities throughout the country.
2021	NM	6	Talking Talons Youth Leadership -- $99,800 Betsy Fulreader, 12165 Hwy 14 North, Tijeras, New Mexico 87059 Watershed Stewards: Building Awareness and Taking Action The future of life in Central New Mexico depends on protecting and enhancing the intermittent streams, storm water systems, and dry arroyos that supply local water and deliver water to the impaired Middle Rio Grande and its downstream users, including the Pueblo of Isleta. Talking Talons Youth Leadership’s Watershed Stewards: Building Awareness and Taking Action project will provide in-the-field and on-site outdoor environmental education sessions, service-learning stewardship sessions and environmental education educator workshops in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Outdoor sessions will work to increase participant's awareness of threats and benefits to water resources and include service-learning stewardship projects. Educator workshops will strengthen local environmental education delivery and build support for equitable access to environmental and outdoor education. This project will serve at least 720 youth, up to 30 senior citizens, and up to 50 educators. Using existing environmental education curricula, this project will work to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills in participants to strengthen their ability to make informed decisions and protect local water resources. Hands-on service-learning projects such as invasive species removal, trash pickup, tree planting, and soil restoration will empower participants to take action and assume responsibility for ensuring clean and safe water. All project participants will be elevated to become ethical stewards of themselves, wildlife, habitat, and the environment.
2021	KS, NE, MO	7	Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education -- $100,000 Laura Downey-Skochdopole, 2610 Claflin Rd, Manhattan, Kansas 66502 Building Capacity for the 21st Century EE The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) will work collaboratively with the Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education (NACEE) and the Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA) to develop a system which effectively and efficiently delivers and sustains comprehensive EE professional development for educators across EPA’s Region 7. Developing and delivering an eeCredential professional development program will ensure rigorous, effective, and accessible professional development. Through this project, KACEE aims to prepare formal and non-formal educators to address climate change and waste with their learners. The professional development opportunities developed as a result of this grant will provide educators with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver effective, high-quality environmental education that helps learners weigh various sides of environmental issues and develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills. EPA’s Region 7 is home to some of the most rural counties in the nation. This makes travel to attend professional development opportunities around climate change education and environmental education practices challenging or inaccessible for many educators. For this reason, the Building Capacity for the 21st Century EE project will be developing platforms to make these courses available online, in a self-paced format, which will increase accessibility and create an environmental education professional development system that will grow over time. This project will initially target 100 educators.
2021	MO, KS	7	Kansas City Community Gardens -- $86,800 Rob Reiman, 6917 Kensington Ave, Kansas City, Missouri 64132 Increasing Experiential Environmental Education in School Orchards Through the Increasing Experiential Environmental Education in School Orchards project, Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG) will develop resources that enable educators to engage community members in addition to elementary and secondary school students in hands-on care of existing school orchards at up to 46 K-12 schools within the Kansas City metropolitan area, encompassing Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas. This grant will allow KCCG to develop continuing-education training opportunities for educators, equip schools with high-quality orchard tools and develop best practices for engaging additional members of the school community to care for orchards, particularly during the summer months. By increasing the number of students and community members providing care to school orchards, this project will educate a greater number of children and adults about their orchard’s impact on climate change, air and water quality while providing age-appropriate horticultural skills to all participants. Also, by engaging additional students and community members, this project will increase school orchards’ chances of long-term success, ensuring they are a viable asset for environmental education for many years to come.
2021	MO	7	The South Central Ozark Council of Government -- $100,000 Cody Dalton, 4407 County Rd, Pomona, Missouri 65789 Hands-On Watershed and Karst Education in the Ozarks In the Ozarks, a high percentage of drinking water supplies are sourced from groundwater or from springs and spring-fed streams and reservoirs. These are typically in heavy karst areas, which are vulnerable to groundwater pollution. Aspired outcomes for the South Central Ozark Council of Government’s (SCOCOG) Hands on Watershed & Karst Education in the Ozarks project are that students and teachers in the rural Ozarks gain an enhanced understanding of their local watersheds, water conservation, Ozarks karst systems, pollution and water quality, and an increased awareness of actions needed to conserve and protect local watersheds. SCOCOG hopes to achieve their goals by offering public school teachers in Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Texas, and Wright counties scientific information and teaching tools that can be used to offer water-related environmental education lessons to their students. Through this project, recruited teachers (up to 50) will participate in workshops, field trips, and interactive learning experiences with their students (grades 4-12) focusing on how actions taken on the land’s surface impact the water consumed in these seven counties, which are all vulnerable to groundwater pollution. A better understanding is likely to impact behavior and decisions about what is put on the ground, particularly what is put into sinkholes.
2021	CO	8	Wildlands Restoration Volunteers -- $96,000 Jessica Evett, 3012 Sterling Circle Suite 201, Boulder, Colorado 80301 Expanding Access to Environmental Stewardship and Education The Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) organization recognizes that wide discrepancies along racial and income lines exist in access to environmental education and to environmental and natural resources careers. Additionally, negative impacts on water and air quality are greatest in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. In particular, Colorado’s Front Range faces declining air quality, catastrophic wildfire, overuse of open spaces, and degraded water quality. WRV’s Expanding Access to Environmental Stewardship and Education will engage youth, families, and young adults in four Colorado underserved communities: Lafayette, Longmont, Commerce City, and Aurora. Participants will gain increased access and connections to nature; build skills and capacity to identify and address local environmental challenges; and gain access to career pathways in environmental and natural resources. Major project activities that will allow WRV achieve these goals include a restoration youth corps for 20 low-income teens; training 40 participants as community leaders through four bilingual restoration leadership trainings; and engaging 400 volunteers on at least 16 high-impact stewardship projects.
2021	CO	8	Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education -- $100,000 Katie Navin, 1536 Wynkoop St, Suite 314, Denver, Colorado 80202 Advancing EE in Region 8 Through eeCredentials Colorado for Environmental Education (CAEE) will work with the Utah Society for Environmental Education, Montana Environmental Education Association, and the Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education to create a framework to develop, deliver, and sustain comprehensive environmental education professional development for educators across Region 8. By developing and delivering an eeCredential professional development program to ensure rigorous, effective, and accessible professional development, this project will prepare 40 formal and informal environmental educators in Region 8 to address climate change with their learners. The professional development opportunities developed as a result of this grant will provide educators with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver effective, high-quality environmental education that helps learners weigh various sides of environmental issues and develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills. By developing platforms to make these courses available online in a self-paced format, CAEE hopes to create an environmental education professional development system that can grow over time and become increasingly accessible to environmental educators in PreK-12 classrooms, universities, nature centers, government agencies, community organizations, zoos, museums, and more, no matter where they are in the region, at a time and pace that works best for them.
2021	WY	8	Protect Our Water Jackson Hole -- $96,367 Meghan Quinn, 260 East Broadway Ave, Jackson, Wyoming 83001 Teton County Rally for Clean Water Initiative Protect Our Water Jackson Hole’s Teton County Rally for Clean Water Initiative will educate students and adults in Teton County, Wyoming on the importance of maintaining clean drinking water. This project will host at least eight adult educational events and workshops over the 2-year project period focusing on what the 9,019 households in Teton County can do to protect drinking water—such as testing for nitrates in drinking-water wells, preventing backflow from residential irrigations systems, and correctly using and maintaining individual residential septic systems. Additionally, this project will educate 9th grade students at Jackson Hole High School about water quality and how to take field water quality measurements, including how to test specifically for nitrates. As part of this project, participating students will organize and advertise one nitrate testing event per year at their high school, where they will provide free testing kits and instruct community members on how to do their own testing. This project also entails the development of a Common Core State Standards Curriculum for a Water Awareness Program for all 6th grade students in the Teton County School District. Also, under this project, Protect Our Water Jackson Hole will work with Teton County representatives to develop and implement a best management practices and incentives program to reduce the risk of drinking contaminated water, distribute drinking water education materials throughout the county, and ensure that a diverse segment of Teton County's population is engaged in the initiative. In total, this initiative aims to reach 810 students in grades 6 through 9 and at least one adult in each of the 9,019 households in Teton County.
2021	UT	8	International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST) -- $100,000 Ryan Kristoff, 7400 W 14th Ave, #101, Lakewood, Colorado 80214 ICAST Environmental Education Initiative The International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology (ICAST) recognizes that low‐income populations are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and these same populations often face greater challenges finding environmental educational and job opportunities. For this reason, ICAST’s Environmental Education Initiative will incorporate environmental education as part of a larger career development and job placement program. This program aims to work with underserved and unemployed low‐income youth, veterans, individuals released from prisons, and homeless populations in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. Online and in‐person education sessions will introduce program participants to indoor sciences including energy efficiency and water conservation measures and technologies. ICAST will work with higher education partners to enhance and standardize its environmental curriculum. Field trips to retrofit sites will help project participants better understand how to put their education into practice. At the conclusion of the project period, this initiative will provide a minimum of 100 individuals from underserved communities the necessary environmental education to pursue careers in the clean energy and green building economy with at least half of the trainees also participating in the career development program.
2021	CA	9	Earth Team -- $100,000 Manuel Alonso, 1301 South 46th St, Richmond, California 94804 Marsh Creek Watershed Education and Restoration Earth Team’s Marsh Creek Watershed Education and Restoration initiative is a hands-on environmental education and action internship program. This project aims to educate high school students from underserved communities in Richmond, California about environmental issues affecting the Marsh Creek Watershed and responsible actions that can be taken to combat these environmental issues. Project goals will be accomplished through the creation of three school-based Earth Teams at Title I Schools. Each team will consist of 14 paid student interns. Program activities will take place during the school year with weekly after-school activities on- or off-campus and multiple 6-hour field trips on weekends, offering a total of 100+ hours/year of hands-on environmental education and skills training. Students on each Earth Team will learn about watershed dynamics, water quality and flood event issues and engage in hands-on restoration, data collection and research skills in a project-based learning context working with several local partners. Project participants will acquire scientific and monitoring skills including water and soil quality testing, litter assessments, mapping and more. This project aims for measurable changes in stewardship attitudes among campus peers and families.
2021	CA	9	EcoRise Youth Innovations -- $100,000 Jenji Henson, 1021 Springdale Road Building 1, Suite J, Austin, Texas 78721 Environmental Education for a Resilient California EcoRise Youth Innovations’ Environmental Education for a Resilient California project will empower students to become environmental stewards, environmental justice (EJ) leaders and sustainability innovators. The project will bring EcoRise’s award-winning environmental education program SUSTAINABLE INTELLIGENCE to urban and rural communities, disproportionately experiencing climate change impacts and environmental stressors. By engaging with local partners and impacted stakeholders, the project will serve at least 160 teachers and 8,960 students in California, including but not limited to historically marginalized urban communities in or near Palm Springs, Sacramento and San Francisco, and rural communities in San Mateo. By participating in this project, students will build environmental literacy, gain context around local environmental conditions, and learn how to use compassion and empathy to help repair damage from racist behaviors, policies, and systems. With this knowledge and awareness, students will be able to identify and design solutions through self-led, innovative projects that engage and positively impact the broader community. Projects may include school-wide water-conservation efforts, school air purification installations, the creation of outdoor classrooms and more. Through this combination of learning and doing, participating students will develop 21st-century STEM skills, act as leaders and creative changemakers in their communities, and contribute to a more just and equitable California.
2021	CA	9	Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education -- $60,000 Emily Dilger, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd. PO Box 58059; MS WO, Santa Clara, California 95052 Water Weeks: Stewardship and Careers Project Rising sea levels, persistent drought and dense populations threaten the future of cities in California’s San Francisco Bay Area that sit upon water using seawalls, pipes, and pavement. Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (Ignited) recognizes that these threats disproportionately affect low-income and minority communities. Ignited’s Water Weeks: Stewardship and Careers Project aims to address this issue by arranging one-week externships consisting of environmental and educational activities at water agencies for local middle and high school teachers at Title I Schools in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. Each day, teachers will meet industry professionals and tour wastewater plants, freshwater reservoirs and dams. Participating teachers will work with Curriculum Coaches to create relevant lesson plans for their classrooms that prepare students to take responsible actions around water resources and bring awareness of water utility careers options. Teachers have the unique ability to change the trajectory of their students’ lives and influence career decisions. This project will better equip 32 Title I educators to inspire their students to pursue water and wastewater careers and ultimately become watershed stewards.
2021	WA	10	Gonzaga University -- $100,000 Brian Henning, 502 E Boone Ave, AD Box 71, Spokane, Washington 99258 Gonzaga Climate Literacy Project The Gonzaga University Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment’s Climate Literacy Project will help teachers and students in northeast Washington State better understand and respond to the challenges of climate change. The project has two components. The first is to provide professional development on teaching climate-related topics to 50 middle school teachers in seven counties who will reach over 5,000 students. These professional development opportunities will help participating educators understand and incorporate climate science with a focus on ways to make it local and keep it hopeful. Emphasis will be given to student voice, eco-anxiety, and the power of student agency. The professional development workshops will be jointly developed and delivered by Gonzaga University professors of education, environmental studies, and biology. This project’s second component is to expand a Climate Literacy Fellow Program consisting of Gonzaga undergraduate students. These eight Climate Literacy Fellows will deliver hands-on and engaging climate literacy activities to around 15 upper elementary and middle school classrooms in the Spokane Public Schools District, including 6 Title I Schools, and aims to reach up to 600 total students.
2021	WA	10	Nisqually River Foundation -- $100,000 Sheila Wilson, 620 Old Pacific Hwy SE, Olympia, Washington 98513 Salmon, Cedar, Canoe: Fostering the Next Generation of Nisqually Tribal Youth Leaders The Nisqually River Foundation’s Salmon, Cedar, Canoe: Fostering the Next Generation of Nisqually Tribal Youth Leaders project will adapt existing youth leadership models to specifically engage Nisqually youth and illuminate paths toward potential careers in natural resource management, environmental education, and environment science fields. In close cooperation with the Nisqually Tribal Council and the greater Nisqually tribal community, this pilot program will promote environmental stewardship of the Nisqually Watershed by connecting traditional ecological knowledge, community science, and behavior change while meeting state science standards and gaining youth high school Career and Technical Education credits. The project takes place on the Nisqually Indian Reservation and throughout the Nisqually watershed, the current and ancestral homelands of the Nisqually people including the towns and the school districts throughout Thurston, Pierce, and Lewis counties. Project leaders will implement an inclusive process that brings together the diverse perspectives of the entire team to develop a meaningful program for the Nisqually youth, the next generation of stewards in their community. This pilot program will aim to serve up to 30 Nisqually tribal youth with five teachers and eight environmental educators involved in the development of the project. In addition to directly serving Nisqually youth, the larger environmental education community will benefit from the development of trainings and curricular frameworks that better incorporate Nisqually culture into a variety of environmental education program models.
2021	OR	10	Growing Gardens -- $100,000 Anna Garwood, 3114 SE 50th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206 Environmental Education Through Gardening The Growing Gardens team believes that growing food in school and home gardens is a practical and engaging way for people of all ages to expand their understanding of environmental topics and how daily behavior can contribute to water, soil, and air quality. By focusing on urban agriculture/gardens, the Environmental Education Through Gardening project aims to equip K-12 students, their families, and community members with knowledge and skills that can be directly applied to improved food security and nutrition in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Project participants will also gain valuable information on how to regenerate and protect urban land, soil, and watersheds. This project’s student lessons will take place in school gardens using Growing Garden’s curriculum, which includes education about soil fertility, water cycles, plant growth, and climate sustainability through agriculture. Adult participants will learn environmentally sustainable gardening methods such as cover cropping, composting, integrated pest management, soil fertility, and water resource management, at workshops which will take place in backyard gardens and at communal garden locations. Further, two after school clubs for teens will be offered covering gardening and Environmental Justice, designed to engage low-income and BIPOC teens in leadership development and environmental justice activities through education, interviews with local food justice leaders and agricultural practitioners, and mentorship activities for younger students. This project expects to reach up to 2,500 K-12 students from Title I schools and 300 adult home gardeners in underserved neighborhoods in the Portland metro area.
2021	WA	10	Port Townsend School District -- $100,000 Sarah Rubenstein, 1610 Blaine St, Port Townsend, Washington 98368 Maritime Discovery Schools Environmental Education Educating K-12 students on the importance of managing aquatic ecosystem health, exposing them to environmental careers, and engaging them in conservation and stewardship activities is an essential part of the effort to ensure clean and safe water in the Puget Sound. Located in rural northwest Washington State, the Port Townsend School District’s Maritime Discovery Schools Environmental Education project aims to train K-12 public school teachers to be effective environmental educators, engage community partners in K-12 environmental education, support the implementation of K-12 environmental education projects focused on maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems, and share project outcomes at a national conference. Major project activities include two, 2-day, professional development trainings for K-12 public school teachers, student place-based environmental education lessons, stewardship activities, career awareness activities, and a K-12 Earth Day Summit where the public will be invited to view student-generated environmental education learning outcomes and conservation efforts. Over two years, this project will serve 30 teachers and 1,400 students in rural PTSD, where 55% of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
2022	ME	1	Maine Campus Compact – $90,000 Sally Slovenski, 51 Westminster Street, Lewiston, ME 04240 Energy Maine Environmental Education Program The primary goal of Maine Campus Compact’s (MCC) Energy Maine project is to support environmental education (EE) efforts that address climate change/air quality and energy efficiency stewardship through problem-based curriculum and activities for Maine elementary school students in underserved communities. This project will award $4,500 sub-grants to five teams throughout Maine, each consisting of a 4th grade teacher from a diverse, low income area and/or rural community paired with a pre-service college student and faculty advisor to implement the research-based, EE curriculum, Connect Science (CS). With an extensive network of colleges around the state, MCC will pair higher education students with 4th grade teachers to support the implementation of this EE curriculum. Each team will attend a five-day CS training and implement a 12-week energy unit in their classroom culminating with a student-led service-learning project. Each team will organize and lead at least one EE community event to promote energy efficiency to the broader community. Finally, teachers and pre-service teachers will lead one professional learning opportunity to share information with their peers and to expand the impacts of the Energy ME model. This grant project will reach a total of over 750 Mainers. Educational methodologies that will be utilized during the project period include: a five-day in-person/virtual training workshop for Energy ME team members, implementation of the CS Curriculum, student impact activities, continuous coaching for teams as they implement CS, community education forums led by team members to educate the public. This curriculum weaves together three key branches: science content learning on par with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), student-driven service learning, and social emotional learning.
2022	VT	1	Lake Champlain Maritime Museum - $60,000 Katharine Noiva, 4472 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491 Giant Lake Champlain Basin Map Project The Giant Lake Champlain Basin Map Project will use Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s one-of-a-kind 35’ x 27’ giant floor map of the Lake Champlain watershed to increase the capability of educators to use environmental education (EE) in their own teaching and increase stewardship behaviors in teachers and students. The project has 3 connected components: training for 50 teachers at 5 Title 1 schools on EE and how to use the Giant Map; Giant Map programming for students at 5 Title 1 schools led by museum staff and partners; and Giant Map programming led by teachers at 5 Title 1 schools. The Museum will work with local partners to connect teachers with resources and provide opportunities for students to meet environmental professionals and increase their interest in careers in environmental fields. Staff from the VT Fish and Wildlife Department and the VT Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation will partner on program development and implementation. Experiences with this unique teaching tool of the Giant Map will inspire students and teachers to develop their own sense of place that will result in stewardship behaviors and actions that support the health of the Lake Champlain watershed.
2022	ME	1	Gulf of Maine Research Institute - $96,000 Maggie Harvey, 350 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101 Hemlock Stewards Northeast This two-year project capitalizes on Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s (GMRI) expertise partnering with middle school teachers and students in authentic, place-based, participatory science investigations of Maine’s ecosystems. This project will directly support 8 middle schools from a range of communities reaching approximately 800-1,200 students from across Maine. The work will connect those schools with schools across New England engaged in related hemlock investigations and monitoring efforts. Over the course of two years, the project will: 1) enhance teacher skill engaging students in the full environmental education continuum in the context of a participatory science investigation of hemlock forests and water quality, 2) build student understanding of ecosystem complexity and the implications of that complexity for understanding and stewarding local forests and waterways and managing invasive species, 3) connect participating students, teachers, and scientists and resource managers as they collaborate to monitor and steward forest and aquatic ecosystem health in Maine and across New England, 4) develop student and teacher knowledge about the work of scientists and resource managers and 5) move students from environmental monitors to stewards and community leaders as they participate in and engage their communities in stewardship opportunities. Participating students will engage in the full environmental education continuum. They will develop their own knowledge and awareness as they engage in investigations in local contexts. They will think critically as they analyze their data and the data contributed by their peers and consider what their findings mean for their communities and for the region. They will leverage that powerful learning experience to bring a deeper understanding to stewardship activities and will work with project advisors to develop long-term stewardship action plans for their schools that include a range of monitoring, research, and management. This work will culminate in student-led events that increase community understanding of the hemlock forests and engage communities in stewardship activities.
2022	CT	1	University of Connecticut - $100,000 Nicole Freidenfelds, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269 School Based Green Infrastructure Initiative Over the past 35 years, Connecticut has experienced a rapid increase in the amount of developed land compared to a relative loss of pervious land cover types, such as forest and agriculture. Developed land comprises impervious surfaces that result in stormwater runoff, a major source of water pollution and cause of localized flooding. To empower educators and students to address stormwater related issues within their communities, the University of Connecticut’s School Based Green Infrastructure Initiative will train 20 high school teachers through a professional development workshop focused on stormwater management and green infrastructure. Also, students with educator support will plan and implement local projects focused on stormwater management and green infrastructure. This project targets low income areas and communities that contain Title I schools. This program will provide educators from underserved communities with resources and instruction as they carry out customized watershed-based lessons, leveraging Next Generation Science Standards-designed curriculum created by the project team, in their classrooms. Approximately 600 high school students will use a watershed-modeling web app to analyze land use and soil data in their neighborhoods, model stormwater runoff and water-quality impacts, and compare how different conservation or development scenarios could modify runoff and water quality. Working with undergraduate students from UConn’s Stormwater Corps, participating partner school teams will then be guided through planning and implementing local green infrastructure projects either on their school property or in the nearby community. Projects will be 1) site-specific and include tree planting, rainwater harvesting, building and installation of planter boxes, bioswales, rain gardens, green roofs, and/or permeable pavements, and 2) explicitly connected to lessons that introduce students to a variety of green infrastructure career paths, such as landscaping, plumbing, horticulture, construction, and engineering.
2022	NJ	2	Bergen Community College - $100,000 Dr. Anjali Thanawala, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652 BCC 2021 HSI Environmental Education Project This grant project will allow Bergen Community College (BCC), a Hispanic Serving Institution, to develop a framework of Sustainable Design Challenges (SDC’s) to engage students as active learners and critical thinkers in the areas of Energy & Resource Conservation, Sustainable Design and Environmental Stewardship. The framework will be based on the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (NJSLS-S) education that describes the expectation for what students should know and be able to do as well as promote three-dimensional science instruction across the three science domains (i.e., physical sciences, life science, earth and space sciences). The BCC Environmental Education (EE) program will bring together high school faculty, college professors, students and technical experts from industry and the community to develop a broad array of SDC’s and connected assessment rubrics that address each of the recently introduced NJSLS related to Climate Change Education.
2022	NJ	2	Rowan University - $100,000 Lisa Powell, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028 E3: Energy, Environment and Education The E3 Project is designed to expose students/teachers and community members to knowledge and careers that are in critical need of promotion and diversity. There is a growing realization among engineering faculty at Rowan University that a new vision for the education of our future generations needs to evolve to keep this country at the forefront of technology and provide the expertise needed in the workforce. This project will focus on educating future generations about their environment: specifically renewable energy and climate change. New Jersey is at the forefront of using renewable clean energy. As such, it is critical that we provide the proper education and exposure to raise a cadre of individuals who are ready for the demands of the job market and are also invested in making proactive choices to prevent adverse effects of climate change. The major hallmark of this project will be the active learning via hands-on activities and virtual learning modules via a dynamic website. E3 will engage local K-12 students and educators, college students and community members to increase public awareness and knowledge about climate change and renewable energy, promote environmental stewardship, and practice skills required for developing a sustainable and low-carbon future. Students and teachers at local county colleges and members of EE non-profit organizations will engage in topics that include air pollution, wind, and tidal energy. All project participants will be called upon to think critically about ways to reduce the carbon footprint in their respective communities.
2022	USVI	2	University of the Virgin Islands - $100,000 Mindy Solivan, #2 John Brewers Bay, Charlotte Amalie, USVI 00802 Rethinking Waste: Creativity for Engaging the VI Community in Environmental Stewardship This grant project will utilize 21st-century skills to address the long-standing solid waste management issues in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The overall goal of the project is to empower the USVI community to understand and engage with the critical issue of solid waste management and, through the use of creative problem-solving processes, identify and propose solutions for implementation on the islands. This project will naturally and authentically embody the tenets of the environmental education (EE) continuum. Underlying this project is the process of creative problem solving, which depends on the inclusion of experts for sharing key data and information as each community resource group clarifies and identifies issues that it will address. At least 160 members of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) student body and the USVI community will be recruited to participate in sustainable materials management working groups. Additionally, 30 students and community members will be targeted for intense training as creativity facilitators in order to provide a facilitator. Subject matter experts will provide an opportunity for group members to learn about the issues and the data surrounding solid waste management and each group will identify a theme related to this topic. Through facilitation by trained community members and students, groups will work together to identify novel solutions, think critically about how those solutions can be developed, and create an implementation plan for presentation to the USVI community.
2022	NY	2	Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - $80,000 Christina Taylor, 80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Bronx, NY 10463 Urban Ecology Teen Summer and Scholars Program This grant project will allow the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance (VCPA) to expand the scope of their Urban Ecology Teen Internship program, which aims to develop the next generation of natural resource professionals and cultivated homegrown stewards for Van Cortlandt Park. The expansion of this internship program will add three 6-week courses, in the spring, winter, and fall, and add new modules to VCPA’s current 7-week summer program by partnering with other prominent environmental nonprofits. The project, targeting Bronx high school students, will primarily take place in Van Cortlandt Park located in the Northwest Bronx. Participants will also visit other parks and environmentally important sites in the Bronx. The need for this project, particularly in a post-COVID world, is even more critical for underserved urban youth in the Bronx who often have never engaged productively and positively with their local greenspace. Urban Eco-Teens will actively engage urban high school students with professionals in their local greenspaces as well as other prominent Bronx-based environmental nonprofits. They will participate in hands-on experiences in the park which will excite, inspire, and educate project participants— resulting in a new appreciation for their local park and a desire to be good stewards of the environment. The economic reality of the Bronx is such that opportunities for travel and other outdoor adventures are not possible and this project aims to change that for participating students.
2022	MD	3	Green & Healthy Homes Initiative - $100,000 Ruth Ann Norton, 2714 Hudson Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 Community Environmental Justice & Equity Learning Collaborative The Maryland counties of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County are densely populated, demographically diverse areas with populations that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In addition to the population dynamics present in these counties, the housing infrastructure vulnerability adds a compounding challenge to the burden on residents in these three counties. This project’s main environmental activities include identifying and recruiting Community Ambassadors, planning and implementing 100 home visits to provide environmental education, and planning and implementing 15 environmental health trainings. All activities aim to expand participant’s understanding of basic actions they can take to improve their household energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2022	PA	3	Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania - $100,000 Sarah Koenig, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 Mon Valley Bird-Friendly Community Conservation The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP) will work with residents, students, teachers, and municipalities to facilitate community conservation and environmental education (EE) in under-resourced communities in the Mon Valley (Allegheny County, PA). Concentrating a suite of bird-friendly efforts in the McKeesport Area School District will result in a diverse, environmentally literate community with the ability and inspiration to improve the region’s ecosystem health, including habitat, air, and water quality. The impacts of past and current industrial activity leave these communities faced with challenges such as bad air quality, brownfields, inadequate public green spaces, blighted land, and low tree canopy. ASWP will work with the 4 constituent groups identified above to raise awareness and knowledge of environmental issues and opportunities to improve local ecosystems, connect them with the skills necessary to make informed decisions about environmental issues, and steward their backyards, schoolyards, and community to collectively create resilient landscapes. Through a combination of formal and informal EE, this project will: 1) Create 60 Certified Backyard Habitats; engage over 600 adults through 30+ educational programs; 1200 native plants will be distributed; 2) Create 2 schoolyard habitat gardens at Title 1 schools; deliver 420+ in-school programs for elementary students, reaching 1450+ students a total of 8 times; engage 36 high school students in a mock public forum to increase environmental literacy and build analytical skills; and host 2 teacher workshops; over 120 teachers will be directly engaged; 3) Work with 2 municipalities to implement habitat gardens on municipal property and other bird-friendly practices such as the development of Environmental Advisory Committees, community clean ups, green infrastructure, and native plantings; and 4) Implement 1 habitat demonstration garden vacant land owned by the land bank.
2022	PA	3	Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy - $100,000 Jen Schnakenberg, 317 East Carson Street, West Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Junior Young Naturalists and Targeted Out of School Environmental Education Engagement This grant will allow the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to develop a Junior Young Naturalist Program that will give more opportunities to young people in the Pittsburgh area to be exposed to environmental careers and racially diverse environmental professionals. Project participants will also complete projects aimed at greening their communities and mitigating the effects of climate change. This program will connect 13-15 year-olds with a broad array of environmental concepts and professionals while engaging them in related recreational and stewardship activities in Pittsburgh’s parks. Students participating in this grant project will develop their interest and understanding of the urban ecosystem, increase their comfort level in the outdoors, and gain knowledge while conducting stewardship work in local parks. The Conservancy aims to add this middle school aged program to their existing Young Naturalist program, which is for high schoolers. Additionally, the Parks Conservancy will partner with at least 5 targeted out of school partners during the 2022-23 school year to engage an additional 100-150 youth in environmental education and increase recruitment of diverse youth for both Junior Young Naturalists and Young Naturalists for 2023. We will work with these partners to engage youth around urban ecosystems and the need to increase urban tree canopy to mitigate climate change and improve air quality. Educational engagement activities will focus on neighborhoods disproportionately affected by air pollution and tree canopy loss. Subrecipients will nominate at least two of their students for the summer 2023 Junior Young Naturalists or Young Naturalists programs and plant at least 5-10 trees in their neighborhoods and/or care for and maintain existing tree canopy.
2022	MD	3	Chesapeake Conservancy - $100,000 Susan Stephenson, 716 Giddings Ave Suite 42, Annapolis, MD 21401 Community Connections: Engaging Baltimore Area Latinx Communities in the environment through Inclusive and Culturally Relevant Programs This grant project will develop authentic connections and bilingual (English and Spanish) environmental education (EE) programming with Latinx communities at three urban parks and refuges along the greater Baltimore corridor: Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR), Masonville Cove, and Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP). The Chesapeake Conservancy will develop inclusive community workshops, programming, and culturally relevant community events to demonstrate how a healthy environment plays a role in creating healthy and whole communities. Bilingual rangers will deepen relationships, create and coordinate programs that deliver EE, careers and professional development in conservation, and environmental justice. PRR sits amidst an urban and suburban area of Prince George’s County between Washington and Baltimore. This large and inaccessible refuge is surrounded by communities of color yet its visitation does not currently reflect the nearby communities. It is a research center of excellence, and an untapped opportunity to expand green space for urban communities to safely connect and experience wildlife and environmental science in inclusive ways. A 13,000 acre public space, PRR is fully invested in removing barriers and welcoming communities of color and has requested bilingual ranger help in translations and advising. Located in South Baltimore, Masonville Cove is the nation's first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Its mission is to inspire all people to explore, discover and respect nature, growing the next generation of environmental stewards. A leader in urban conservation, known for superior educational programs, it is a community asset and recreation destination where everyone has equal opportunity to benefit from meaningful outdoor and stewardship experiences. Patapsco Valley State Park extends along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, encompassing 16,043 acres and eight developed recreational areas.
2022	AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN	4	Kentucky Association for Environmental Education - $100,000 Ashley Hoffman, PO Box 2739, Elizabethtown, KY 427570 School District Landscape Analysis for Environmental Education in the Southeast A challenge in addressing education issues such as climate and environmental literacy is that there is no central system to work within. Most states are what are called “local-control states,” meaning education is governed at the county or district level. The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) will work with Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) partners to conduct a landscape analysis of current environmental education (EE) efforts in a minimum of 800 southeast schools. This project’s target audience is educators and school administrators. This analysis will take acomprehensive look at what EE is already happening in schools, particularly as it relates to climate change education. KAEE’s target is to reach more than 200 Title I schools, which are more likely to be adversely affected by climate change, serving high percentages of low income, minority, rural and tribal communities. In 2021, the SEEA states conducted a regional landscape analysis of EE providers, engaging in a robust mapping process to gather and share the insights and offerings of 646 organizations across the southeast. By coupling this with a school district regional analysis, we will equip the organizations conducting environmental-related work in the southeast with the tools to address gaps, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately meet the goal of increasing environmental literacy levels and stewardship behaviors. This project will spur strategic conversations through subgrants that will determine next steps for the development of state-level strategies to increase and support climate literacy education in schools and to strengthen partnerships between formal and nonformal educators. This project seeks to go beyond mapping environmental and climate literacy efforts by providing online trainings and a platform for discourse around systemically infusing environmental and climate education into school systems with support from community EE providers.
2022	FL	4	Florida A&M University - $100,000 Dr. Juyeong Choi, 252 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee FL 32310 Educating the next generation of engineers on sustainable demolition practices The state of Florida has various initiatives to achieve a statewide recycling goal of 75% to minimize environmental degradation. However, the low recycling rate of construction and demolition waste is an obstacle to the state’s ability to achieve this goal. This grant project aims to instill in students and the public a positive attitude toward demolition waste and educate the next generation of engineers to make more sustainable decisions. This project will perform four educational activities in Tallahassee, Florida to achieve these project objectives: 1) Florida A&M will recruit 15 middle school students to make artwork with demolition materials and present them during an outreach event in order to improve the students’ and public’s perception of demolition waste; 2) 20 African American students from the Florida A&M’s construction material course will be exposed to various sustainability challenges through small-scale demolition simulation; 3) 6 instructors and 25 undergraduate students from 5 universities in Georgia and Florida, including minority students (African American and Hispanic students from FAMU and FIU, respectively), will be invited to an educational workshop; the students from different institutions will work together to maximize the recycling of demolition waste in given simulated demolition scenarios and; 4) the instructors will discuss the development of course modules on sustainable demolition practices to be integrated into their institutional curricula. Overall, this project will contribute to improving the climate ideal for the recycling and reuse of demolition materials.
2022	MS	4	University of Mississippi - $100,000 Dr. Matteo D’Alessio, 100 Barr Hall, University, MS 38677 Monitoring water quality through high school students in underserved communities in northern Mississippi The chronic lack of students from underserved communities in STEM fields including environmental education (EE) has been constantly observed by the University of Mississippi. The goal of this grant project is to enhance EE in five underserved communities in northern Mississippi through hands-on activities and student-led community service projects focused on water resources and water quality. High school students, after being exposed to basic and advanced concepts on water resources, water quality, fate and transport of pollutants, and water treatment using hands-on educational kits, will 1) identify water bodies impacted by natural or artificial adverse environmental conditions within their communities, 2) develop and implement an environmental sampling campaign, 3) evaluate the temporal water quality changes occurring within the identified water bodies, 4) share their results with their communities by participating in local events. These students will also participate in a one-day water quality event during the University of Mississippi’s Green Week. University of Mississippi anticipates project participants to include 120 high school students and 12 high school teachers, all from Title I schools. The educational kits and the low-cost water quality testing instruments call easily be reused after the project period for at least five to ten years.
2022	KY	4	Groundwork Ohio River Valley - $100,000 Tanner Yess, 3696 Kendall Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45208 Laying the Groundwork: Northern Kentucky’s First Climate Safe Neighborhoods Campaign The jurisdictions bordering the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky are at increased risk of severe climate-related issues including flash flooding, contaminated sewer overflows, and extreme heat within the next thirty years. With this project, Groundwork Ohio River Valley will raise awareness of local climate issues and empower Northern Kentucky residents and organizations in green infrastructure development. Groundwork will partner with Northern Kentucky University students to build Kentucky’s first climate vulnerability dashboard and identify local communities most severely impacted by climate change. The dashboard will highlight data related to the local impacts of climate change and relevant demographic data. Groundwork will collaborate with 20-30 Northern Kentucky University students to critically interpret the dashboard information and create community outreach materials including a climate communication toolkit. Data collected from the dashboard will guide a student-led community engagement and environmental literacy campaign within the affected communities. This project will culminate with three or more neighborhood workshops reaching at least 150 community members. At these workshops, priority environmental justice issues and adaptation strategies will be evaluated by local partner organizations and community members. Through this project, students will gain an increased awareness of climate disparities and environmental equity issues and will be motivated to fight environmental justice issues in their community.
2022	IL	5	The University of Illinois Chicago Energy Resources Center - $100,000 Klaudia Kuklinska, 1737 W Polk St., Chicago, IL 60612 The STEM Scholars Program The STEM Scholars program is an after-school program and internship designed for high school students interested in STEM, energy efficiency, and environmental justice. The after-school sessions will reach an anticipated 240 high school students in marginalized communities across Chicago. Webinars and tours are expected to engage 30 high school students, 20 students from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), 10 energy efficiency interns from UIC’s the Energy Resource Center, and 20 students from participating community colleges in Chicago. Students will learn about the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities as well as current ongoing research to mitigate the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions with biofuels. Students will learn the signs of food deserts in low-income communities and communities of color and be able to identify the impacts of food inequity, the impacts of food waste, and the benefits of anaerobic digesters in reducing food waste and related greenhouse gasses. Students will also learn about environmental injustice and be able to recognize it in their own communities as well as learn about the impact of community projects focused on alleviating environmental justice problems. During the summer with the STEM Scholars interns, postsecondary students at the UIC and participating community colleges will be educated on environmental and energy conservation activities, engage in on-site tours of a working biodigester, and take part in a university campus level trash audit.
2022	IL	5	Audubon Great Lakes - $99,931 Troy Peters, 125 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606 Wild Indigo Experiential Environmental Education Program The Calumet Region of Chicagoland is home to some of the most heavily industrialized municipalities in the nation. Due to this, the area has lost more than 90% of its original coastal and riparian wetlands. Yet, threaded through this landscape of industrial development and contamination, the Calumet Region is home to a resilient diversity of unique plants and animals. For these reasons, the education and conservation priorities in this project center on opportunities and challenges that the communities’ experience with these wetlands. This project will introduce conservation practices and environmental careers to 20 teen and intern experiential leaders from majority “Latinx” and African American communities. It will also train 40 educators and 25 parents, which will help extend the programs reach to more than 600 community members. With a specific focus on water, local watersheds, and wetlands of the region, this program will integrate Audubon Great Lakes community engagement and conservation stewardship programs including professional development classroom visits (in‐person or virtual), natural area field trips, and restoration and monitoring service days. These experiences will be synthesized into community targeted presentations that share their experiences and inspire broader community involvement and a deeper understanding of the local environment.
2022	MI	5	Adamah Detroit (formerly Hazon) - $80,748 Amit Weitzer, 25 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Climate Conversations Project Hazon and its partner, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light (MIIPL), will conduct an educational series of 20 Climate Conversations with more than 240 diverse members of the Metro Detroit community. These members are drawn from Jewish synagogues, Christian churches, other religious groups, and are of all races and socio-economic backgrounds. This educational series will discuss the realities of climate change and its disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities and provide a framework for transformative individual and collective actions. The Climate Conversations project is designed to connect people morally and spiritually to the environmental movement and equip them with practical steps and knowledge that facilitate lasting eco-friendly behaviors, systemic changes, and climate justice. Through meaningful community dialogues, participants will understand the realities of the climate crisis in relation to their faith and become inspired to take action via personal and community strategies that support a more just, sustainable world. Climate Conversations will be held at Detroit-area houses of worship and nonprofit sites. An average of 12 people will participate in each session. All 20 Climate Conversations host sites will subsequently implement follow-up environmental impact initiatives (supported with coaching from Hazon and/or MIIPL and EPA subaward funds) which will impact as many as 60,000 members of the Metro Detroit faith community.
2022	OH	5	Ohio University - $100,000 Nicole Kirchner, 1 Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 Appalachian Ohio Climate Literacy Network Ohio University (OHIO) and its partners in rural Appalachian Ohio will develop place-based programming to increase climate literacy through interactive lessons and onsite activities designed to engage 860 K-12 students, 10 pre-service teachers, 20 area educators, and seven climate site partners. OHIO proposes to foster a regional network of entities in creating a shared story of local climate adaptation and resilience. These efforts promote environmental stewardship and help develop informed, knowledgeable, and environmentally responsible citizens in underserved communities in Appalachian Ohio. The Appalachian Ohio Climate Literacy Network project aims to help shift the narrative from one of 200+ years of mining in Appalachian coalfields, which have impacted the landscape and created a legacy of air and water pollution, into one of informed action. Opportunities for education, empowerment, and stewardship are ever more important in how Appalachian communities can increase resiliency in a changing climate. The proposed project aims to achieve the following: engage pre-service teachers in learning about a climate literacy and stewardship framework based on the U.S. Global Change Research Program Climate Literacy Guide; develop online climate lessons via the OHIO Appalachian STEM Enrichment Academy; foster and support a network of place-based partner sites in Appalachia with educational programming that is linked through a shared story of climate adaptation and resilience; and connect area teachers with the climate programming network.
2022	NM	6	Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program - $100,000 Zoe Wadkins, 4000 Bosque School Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 BEMP Environmental Education Program The Middle Rio Grande Bosque, the cottonwood forest that borders the Rio Grande River through New Mexico, provides critical habitat for birds, mammals, insects, spiders, and crustaceans. With this project, Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program aspires to expand its environmental education program to reach every seventh-grade student in the Middle Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program, in conjunction with five partner schools, will take over 1,000 students to sites along the Middle Rio Grande River to facilitate experiential place-based learning on bosque ecosystem health. Students will measure the depth of groundwater and volume of precipitation and investigate how it impacts the plants, invertebrate animals, and humans who depend on the bosque and the Rio Grande. Students will also explore the path pollutants such as oil, plastic, and bacteria take to reach the bosque and the Rio Grande and discuss water sampling data that measures the presence of contaminants like E. coli. Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program will consolidate the collected data into a technical report and will conduct program evaluations to track the effectiveness of the project on student environmental literacy. Subawards will fund professional development for 50 teachers at Title I schools through workshops on community collaboration, environmental stewardship, and ecosystem health. By participating in this project, students and educators will be motivated to engage in environmental stewardship activities, and students will be empowered to view themselves as scientists and consider that career path.
2022	NE	7	University of Nebraska-Lincoln – $99,795 Rachael Herpel, 2200 Vine St., Lincoln, NE 68583 Know Your Well High School Curriculum Development For decades rural Nebraska communities in the High Plains/Aquifer system have seen significant growth in the use of irrigation throughout the area. The use of fertilizer has resulted in a steady increase of nitrate concentration in the underlying aquifer – leading to a widespread decline in ground water quality. This grant project has two primary goals: 1) expand the existing Know Your Well (KYW) program 2) develop a high school curriculum with the support of local university experts aimed at increasing science literacy and local groundwater stewardship outcomes. The newly developed curriculum will involve training students and teachers to collect samples for specific contaminants and provide the ability to roll-out this curriculum to rural communities across the state. The hope is that targeting this project to an agricultural state with highly vulnerable groundwater will help promote agricultural management changes throughout the United States and lead to the more efficient use of fertilizers/pesticides. In total this project aims to support at least 120 high school students, 25 high school agricultural education and science teachers and 12 groundwater protection program partners from at least five school districts in the Nebraska.
2022	CO	8	Mountain Studies Institute - $100,000 Amanda Kuenzi, 116 E. 12th St., Silverton, CO 81433 Bridging Mountains: Enhancing Equitable Environmental Education for Southwest Colorado A defining characteristic of schools across the San Juan Mountains range in rural Southwest Colorado is their isolation and small size—which educators say is the greatest challenge to offering programs that prepare students for the future. Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) initiated the Bridging Mountains Network to unite and coordinate environmental education (EE) programs across the San Juans to advance environmental literacy, academic enrichment, service learning, stewardship, and career and technical experiences. To help identify evidence-based needs, MSI conducted the Bridging Mountains Needs Assessment (BMNA) in 2020-21, which engaged teachers, informal educators, parents, and students. The data is rich and illuminates strengths and challenges by geographic area, school, and other demographics. The Bridging Mountains: Enhancing Equitable Environmental Education for Southwest Colorado program will address the identified needs and barriers for delivering relevant EE content to students of all ages in 15-20 schools in 8 communities. The San Juan Mountains and watersheds are home to communities of various demographics, including the two federally recognized tribes in Colorado. To empower our youth to become leaders in identifying solutions to the changing demands of climate and drought, we need to give them the tools to address future climate scenarios through comprehensive EE. The project will work towards these objectives by 1) providing outdoor activities and field trips that incorporate field work, hands-on stewardship opportunities, and data collection; 2) providing professional development for educators through on-the-job training opportunities, working with school districts to provide EE trainings during in-service days and summer workshops; and 3) providing mentorship opportunities for middle through high school students and young adults. The project will reach 80 K-12 teachers with professional development; 400 K-12 students through environmental-focused field trips; 300 students in grades 7-12 through the San Juan Resilience Youth Summit; and 90 community member volunteers through stewardship experiences.
2022	CO	8	Left Hand Watershed Center - $79,923 Jessica Olson,6800 Nimbus Rd, Longmont, CO 80503 Building Resiliency to Fire and Flood through Applied Environmental Education The St. Vrain Watershed is at high risk of catastrophic wildfire, which would result in poor water quality, risk to community safety, and decline of forested ecosystems. In response, education efforts that increase the ability of communities to build resilience to flood and fire are urgently needed. The Left Hand Watershed Center proposes to do this through three main programs: P1) inquiry-based 5th grade curriculum development and implementation which will be publicly accessible and built on adaptive management processes and protocols used by scientists and land managers, P2) workshops for teachers that provide them with experience and tools to implement this curriculum in their classrooms, and P3) higher education and leadership opportunities for high school students that prepare them to be environmental scholars and leaders in their communities. Project leaders from the Left Hand Watershed Center will teach their curriculum in an elementary school that lies at the Wildland Urban Interface, whose students are at risk of being directly impacted by fire and flood, as well as at an environmental education center which serves 4,500 5th graders across two school districts and 350 Latino families per year (45% of their participants are people of color and linguistically diverse). Project leaders will also implement their curriculum at a Title 1 school where students are at risk of poor water quality due to high-severity wildfire (90.8% of students are eligible for free/reduced lunch and 90.5% of students are of a racial minority), and where students receive only 2.2 hours of environmental education on average compared to 18.9 hours at a school in the neighboring school district. Together, this programming will provide knowledge and tools for communities to increase their resilience to wildfire and flood, and will decrease a significant gap in access to environmental education between local schools.
2022	MT	8	Project WET Foundation - $98,448 Julia Beck, 1407 Gold Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715 Building the Capacity to Teach Climate Change through the Climate, Water and Resilience Program This project will use hands-on, inquiry-based lessons to teach 100 educators and 3,000 students about climate change on a global and local level. Experienced Project WET trainers from Project WET and National Wildlife Federation will conduct 10 professional development training workshops for educators in underserved rural and urban communities in Montana, building capacity for them to teach about climate change in Montana and in their communities. Project WET will recruit educators from four tribal nations, 10 Title I or targeted assistance schools, and 10 different communities around Montana to attend educator trainings, receive stipends, continuing education units (CEUs) and become Eco-School and WaterStar Certified. This project’s ultimate goal is to see an increase climate change education in Montana over the next few years. Immediate project results will see an increase in the knowledge and understanding of climate change from participants in the program.
2022	CA	9	Sequoia Riverlands Trust - $100,000 Logan Robertson Huecker, 427 S Garden St., Visalia, CA 93277 EARTH Academy EARTH Academy is a year-long, project-based learning program offered by Sequoia Riverlands Trust (SRT) to high school students in Tulare County, California. The program began in 2018 to promote environmental education in underserved communities. Tulare County is one of the top agriculturally-productive counties in the country and has regularly suffered from severe droughts, extreme temperatures, wildfires and poor air quality. Most students in the county come from immigrant or migratory families, live in rural areas and are low-income. Local schools lack resources to provide much exposure to environmental topics or careers. This program aims to address these issues by increasing awareness and understanding about ecosystem health and management techniques that can improve water quality, air quality, and carbon sequestration. Annually, this program will engage 40-60 high school interns from Tulare County. The program has eight modules, each of which builds on the last to create a comprehensive view of regional ecosystems. In each module, interns will participate in a classroom session, followed by a field trip to one of SRT’s seven nature preserves to apply what they have learned. Interns will work with field professionals while exploring and learning about the land around them, collecting data and gaining skills needed for future employment. Over a single year, interns will teach and engage with over 100 ranchers, farmers, professionals and community members, and over 600 elementary and middle school students and teachers from the county. Interns can gain nearly 140 work-based learning and internship hours through this project. Through the EARTH Academy program, these interns will gain insight into their local environment, the world beyond, and tools needed to become successful community leaders and environmental stewards before graduating high school.
2022	CA	9	Orange County Coastkeeper - $98,492 Dyana Peña, 3151 Airway Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Climate Literacy Education and Community Stewardship Orange County Coastkeeper’s Climate Literacy Education and Community Stewardship project aims to develop and implement a solutions-based climate resilience curriculum for middle and high school students in underserved communities within Orange County, California. The goal of the project is to empower students with tools and resources to be active participants in the environmental movement. History shows low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately afflicted by environmental injustices and repercussions of climate change. These same communities face systemic barriers that suppress educational and recreational experiences by creating inequitable access to natural spaces and quality STEM education. This project will provide students a combination of in-class lessons and field trips to the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve to gain hands-on experience learning evidence-based curricula and developing solutions to climate change-induced problems. Students will participate in ongoing water quality and ecosystem monitoring, which will provide connections between classroom concepts and real-world environmental issues. Students will apply this knowledge by actively participating in a community action project and attending a symposium where they share their stewardship projects with community members. The project will also produce a climate resilience curriculum guide and provide educators training to continue educating students beyond the scope of this project and build a network of engaged local youth and teachers. In total, this project aims to reach 1,000 middle and high school students and 15 middle and high school science teachers.
2022	AZ	9	University of Arizona - $96,000 Paul Sandoval, P.O. Box 210158, Rm 510, Tucson, AZ 85721 Improving Groundwater Quality Through Community Education This project will feature a roving, interactive exhibit on the groundwater system for underserved community members and professional development opportunities for Title I school educators. Educating the public on groundwater is of paramount importance for several reasons: 1) Arizona’s rural residents are almost entirely dependent on groundwater, 2) Arizona does not require private well owners to test the water quality of their wells which could impact their health, 3) conditions of water overdraft already exist in many rural areas, 4) many Arizonans don’t understand how water wells function, and 5) Arizonan’s have the right to know where their drinking water comes from and how safe it is. The portable exhibit will travel to 12 underserved communities, one per month. Each visit will feature a “movie-night” showcasing newly-developed videos on the groundwater system and a guest speaker to discuss specific groundwater conditions in their community. Visits will also include interactive components for all age groups, including a groundwater system coloring contest. Winning entries will be assembled into a fun, fact-filled 12-month calendar. Attendance for each exhibit opening is estimated at 20-40 people (240-480 total). Additionally, the traveling exhibit will provide educators with several ready-to-implement lessons on the groundwater system. These educators will have an opportunity to check-out groundwater models to use with their students while the exhibit is on display. It is anticipated that 3-8 educators per location will receive professional development training and share their knowledge with approximately 40-60 students per teacher, for a project total of approximately 60 educators from rural Title I schools who will provide instruction to roughly 2,400 – 3,600 K-12 students.
2022	NV	9	Envirolution - $90,000 Laura Scarselli, 3355 Downey Ave., Reno, NV 89503 Project ReCharge Envirolution is a nonprofit organization, based in Reno, Nevada, dedicated to developing dynamic K-12 education, youth leadership engagement, and community outreach programs focused on energy efficiency, sustainability, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) career opportunities. Project ReCharge is a formal hands-on, project-based STEAM effort that will provide 50 new Nevada teachers with quality curriculum, training, material resources, and career development opportunities for their students. During the 2023/2024 school year, approximately 3,750 4th-12th grade students will engage in hands-on STEAM education from these educators that encourages them to pursue careers in STEAM disciplines and take an active role in creating a more sustainable world. This grant will also support the development of the Project ReCharge curriculum by revising and adding three lessons focused on geothermal energy, transportation/electric vehicles, and climate change. Additionally, Project ReCharge will provide Northern Nevada students the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Reno employees and renewable energy industry professionals to develop two educational resources to be integrated into a new community pool. The facility will utilize geothermal energy to offset heating costs and provide educational spaces for students and the community to learn about local renewable energy resources. Once the facility is completed, approximately 50 Washoe County students will have the added benefit of touring the new educational community pool to engage in place-based learning. In this innovative program, students learn about sustainability and climate change through 22 hands-on lessons and activities totaling over 140 hours of direct instruction. Funding provided to Project ReCharge will result in an increase in student comprehension of STEAM and sustainability concepts, increased student interest in pursuing STEAM and sustainability careers, and a positive impact on the local and global environment by reductions in carbon emissions through energy-saving projects.
2022	WA	10	Environmental Science Center - $100,000 Kelly Steffen, 126 SW 148th St., Burien, WA 98166 Salmon Heroes to Schoolyard Heroes The Salmon Heroes to Schoolyard Heroes project uses salmon as a local phenomenon to educate students on the critical watershed issue of stormwater pollution in south King County, Washington. Over two years, this project will target 2,400 4th-8th grade students from Title 1 schools in this diverse, low-income community. The six-hour program is designed to increase student understanding of habitat and water quality needs, to think critically and brainstorm local stormwater pollution solutions, and to act to physically improve their schoolyard habitats. Stewardship messaging shared with students and their families will be translated and taught in Spanish to increase access and impact. A complimentary, in-depth teacher training will reach 60 of these teachers over the two years to help them incorporate themes of environmental justice in the curriculum and give them confidence to not only continue but expand upon these school campus environmental improvement projects in the future. During the project period, students will research and investigate local issues of poor water quality including low salmon populations. Participating students will also study the interaction of the water cycle and stormwater management practices including pollution from everyday citizen actions. At the end of the project, participating students become “Salmon Heroes,” by taking a pledge to choose to do everyday activities that protect their watershed and salmon, and participate in stewardship actions to improve the waters around their local schoolyard. Ultimately, this project aims to improve environmental literacy by using field-based education experiences to encourage positive connections to local, natural settings, to increase awareness and understanding of limiting factors to salmon survival, and to improve stewardship behaviors to keep the waters healthy for salmon and humans alike.
2022	AK	10	Kenai Watershed Forum - $98,622 Katey Shedden, 44129 Sterling Highway, Soldotna, AK 99669 Fostering interconnectivity between formal environmental education curriculum and traditional knowledge of Alaska indigenous communities This project will foster interconnectivity between formal environmental education curriculum and traditional ecological knowledge of Alaskan indigenous communities by working with underserved youth and students to infuse traditional application into a culturally sustaining and place-based curriculum. The grantee will expand the delivery of the Adopt-A-Stream curriculum to co-create and deliver watershed education grounded in local culture to underserved youth, students, and families and build more meaningful partnerships in Alaska’s rural Kenai Peninsula communities. The project will support the continuation of high-level conservation education and dissemination of water quality curricula to K-12 students while delivering learner-centered, culturally sustaining curriculum through positive outdoor experiences to Title I schools, tribal organizations, and underserved communities. Grantee staff will work with teachers at 15-20 schools reaching about 750 students to schedule monthly creek and classroom visits which educate students in crucial water quality parameters, salmon life cycle, macroinvertebrates, stream ecology, and ecosystem management. With the focus on local ecosystems, the Adopt-A-Stream curriculum guides students to adopt and monitor nearby creeks, to help the students gain real-world context and cultivate their ability to reason using evidence from their local environment.
2022	WA	10	Washington State University - $100,000 Dr. Patricia Townsend, PO Box 641060, Pullman, WA 99164 Washington State Naturalist Program: Building a Pipeline for Water Resource Environmental Education Washington State University’s (WSU) Naturalist Program: Building a Pipeline for Water Resource Environmental Education will build environmental education capacity statewide. Many environmental organizations could increase their reach with more educated and trained volunteers. The two goals of this pilot project are (1) increasing the number and knowledge of individuals interested in volunteering for environmental education, stewardship, and monitoring, achieved thorough education that offers flexibility, equitability, and support resulting in a university-backed certificate; and (2) building an environmental education pipeline from volunteer naturalists to community youth. Certified Naturalists will volunteer with the project’s partner organizations to increase youth environmental education capacity on the science and practices for clean and healthy resources. During this two-year project, WSU will pilot a new online water centered Naturalist Program with over 60 participants and develop a field requirement for participants to complete before graduation. The Naturalists will volunteer with four project partners to do water resources education with youth. During the project period, WSU expects their partners to use the Naturalists to reach an additional 2,000 youth. Four of the partners are working to reach underserved youth including low income, rural, Latinx, and Tribal communities. This pilot project will help improve and implement the Naturalist Program statewide and create knowledgeable volunteers in virtually every part of Washington State.
2022	WA	10	Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association - $90,000 Annitra Peck, 3057 E Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226 Students for Salmon Program: Freshwater Rearing Tank Extension Salmon are an icon of the Pacific Northwest’s economy, culture, and ecosystem. Unfortunately, salmon populations have dwindled over the past 100 years. As we look to the future, we must work harder and think about localizing solutions to the problems salmon are facing, starting with education and stewardship. Therefore, salmon serve as an ideal local phenomenon to focus learning through the Students for Salmon Program. This program is the only watershed science field program offered at no cost to fourth-grade classrooms in Whatcom County, Washington state. Participating youth are from six rural school districts, serving families in over a dozen communities including Lummi and Nooksack Tribes. The Students for Salmon Program is a series of educational activities, first building knowledge and awareness of local salmon habitat issues, and then providing an in-depth opportunity for over 1,000 students to investigate a local stream near their school to see if it is healthy enough for salmon. Through collecting field data and critically evaluating their findings, students will use their decision-making skills to take action to correct imperfect stream conditions by creating a streamside restoration plan for that location to help solve the problem(s) they identified. Students will work alongside community partners to accomplish a shared goal of improved habitat conditions and recognizing the role of partnerships in healthy watersheds while building strong stewardship ethics. Ten college interns will also gain valuable learning and career experiences by working with participating youth on their projects. This expanded project will enhance the Students for Salmon Program by adding freshwater salmon rearing tanks to around 50 classrooms and raising baby salmon for release, complimented by a salmon release ceremony with tribal and community participation, to encourage salmon habitat-friendly behaviors and environmental stewardship.
2023	CT	1	New Haven Ecology Project - $100,000 Joel Tolman, 358 Springside Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515 Growing Environmental Justice Problem-Solvers in New England Public Schools The New Haven Ecology Project (NHEP) aims to help New England’s youth grow into a new, inclusive generation of environmental justice problem-solvers through their Growing Environmental Justice Problem-Solvers in New England Public Schools project. New Haven Ecology Project will work with Common Ground High School, an environmental justice-themed charter school, to accomplish this goal. Project participants will engage in a series of linked experiences, starting with interdisciplinary healthy communities’ projects in grades 9 and 10, continuing with courses and internships that deepen students’ capacity as environmental justice leaders, and culminating in senior leadership portfolios and capstone projects. A total of 225 Common Ground High School students will participate in environmental justice leadership training and learning while engaging in meaningful environmental stewardship activities. Community-based nonprofit organizations will play a key role in supporting environmental justice learning and leadership experiences. While building and strengthening a model for teaching environmental justice at Common Ground High School, NHEP will also bring together environmental justice organizations and other public high schools across New England, creating and sharing high-quality teaching resources, model curricula, and educator professional development opportunities, all aimed at advancing environmental justice teaching in the region’s public high schools.
2023	MA	1	Massachusetts Audubon Society - $100,000 Jennifer Feller, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 Climate Democracy Project: Culturally Responsive In-School Climate Change Education Toward Local Civic Action and Resilience The goal of the Climate Democracy Project (CDP) is to empower high school students from low-income and environmental justice populations in Massachusetts to resolve climate related issues that impact their local environments. CDP will take place in three Title I schools in Worcester, Springfield, and Attleboro, Massachusetts. All three of these cities are designated as Gateway Cities, meaning they each face persistent economic and social challenges. CDP anticipates recruiting at least three classroom teachers, six non-formal educators, and 120 8th - 12th grade students to participate in the project. Project participants will have the opportunity to partake in youth-led, non-partisan civic action projects focused on community-based climate resilience. Massachusetts Audubon Society (Mass Audubon) will collect data and resources during this pilot program to create a toolkit and training program that can be used by educators across the state to build a foundation for a more environmentally literate citizenry in Massachusetts, aware of the issues behind climate change, and experienced in the civic engagement skills necessary to create just and healthy solutions for their communities.
2023	MA	1	Ipswich River Watershed Association - $100,000 Emma Hughen, 143 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938 Breaking down barriers to place-based education and environmental careers in the Ipswich River watershed This project will take place in communities that are part of the Ipswich River watershed or drink Ipswich River water, and in other nearby communities in Essex and Middlesex Counties, including Peabody, Salem, Lynn, Lawrence, and Gloucester, Massachusetts. These communities are identified as having environmental justice concerns by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. The project has three audiences and accompanying programs: 1) underprivileged youth participating in summer enrichment programming, 2) 7th grade classrooms, and 3) underprivileged high schoolers seeking environmental career paths. This project will support the ongoing Floating Classroom program at Ipswich River Watershed Association, which brings youth to the river for experiential programming and environmental education. This project will provide 600 youth and 60 adult chaperones with experiential learning, kayaking/canoeing, and watershed education on the Ipswich River during summer 2025. This project will also support the development of a place-based watershed study curriculum reaching 200 Ipswich River middle schoolers and at least 20 7th grade teachers and paraprofessionals in the 2024-2025 school year. There are eight Title I middle schools in Salem, Lynn, North Reading, and Andover which will be invited to participate in the 7th grade program along with other interested middle schools. This project will also support two high school youths’ 6-week internship in summer 2025 exploring environmental careers in monitoring, restoration, and environmental education. The project will ensure that the internships are available to a diverse pool of applicants, allowing young people who may experience barriers to participating in internships with an opportunity to explore environmental careers.
2023	MA	1	Hitchcock Center for the Environment - $80,000 Nicole Freidenfelds, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT 06269 William Spitzer, 845 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002 Schools Exploring Engineering, Design and Sustainability (SEEDS) The Hitchcock Center’s SEEDs project will enable youth to develop problem solving skills related to water quality, air quality, and climate change. Participating students and their teachers will explore the intersections of engineering, technology and design and their critical role in meeting many of the environmental challenges that confront society today. This project will use design and engineering challenges to help students understand the idea of using nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges, identify new career pathways, get excited and inspired about science and nature, and stay hopeful about climate change solutions. By the end of the project period, the hope is that participating students will be able to apply the newly acquired tools and concepts of systems thinking in their present lives and to inform future choices. Over the two-year project period, the Hitchcock Center will work with Title I schools in 4 districts representing rural underserved communities in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts, engaging approximately 16 classrooms and 400 5th grade students. Each class will participate in four design challenges (water filtration, stormwater management, erosion control, and air quality) and join a field trip to the Hitchcock Center to see nature-based solutions in action. By developing, testing, and refining the program model with the pilot schools, the Hitchcock Center aims to engage additional schools as partners in the future.
2023	NY	2	Trail Blazers - $100,000 Tiffany Caton, 495a Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11225 IMPACT Project IMPACT will engage 60 children and teens throughout Brooklyn, New York in climate literacy programming, a program design choice informed by the rise of climate anxiety in young people. Participant outcomes include increased climate literacy, increased environmental affinity, increased environmental knowledge/stewardship skills, and age-appropriate ability to recognize and implement stewardship actions. To deliver these outcomes, Trail Blazers (TB) will implement research-based methodologies proven to effectively engage multiple learning-styles and create lasting impact in young people’s interest and ability to engage in environmental issues throughout their lives. This includes a place-based and outdoor-oriented model to facilitate exploration of the ways our built environments and natural environments are interconnected; hands-on and project-based activities to build knowledge and real-world skills; and a capstone community service project, which participating youth will design and implement themselves, to help them develop agency and see they can have a real and immediate impact. To reach the target number of participants, TB will work with The Brooklyn Green Magnet School of Eco-Activism, a Title I school located in a “disadvantaged community” (as determined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool). TB also plans to engage additional partner schools in Brooklyn to meet project goals. Through a subaward program, TB will expand their community’s access to climate literacy programming.
2023	NY	2	New York Sun Works - $100,000 Manuela Zamora, 157 Columbus Avenue, Suite 432, New York, NY 10023 Educating the Next Generation of Environmental Innovators: Bringing Environmental & Climate Education to NYC Public Schools New York Sun Works will deliver their climate and environmental education program to 8 schools in New York City (4 in Brooklyn; 2 in Queens; 2 in Manhattan), reaching 1,600+ K-8th grade students and training 8 educators. All participating schools serve historically marginalized communities, the majority of which are also contending with disproportionate environmental burdens. Across the 8 schools, 82% of the students reached through the program are minorities and 72% live in poverty, with that figure rising to over 90% in several of the schools. Additionally, six of the participating schools are located in disadvantaged communities per the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). Through the program, which will take place in the 2024-25 school year, New York Sun Works will: 1) build students’ proficiency in an inquiry-based, grade-specific way about climate & environmental science; 2) build teachers’ and students’ understanding of the role of urban agriculture in sustainable and resilient communities; and 3) expand teacher knowledge and instructional capacity in climate & environmental science and urban farming so they can confidently and effectively extend the learning to successive classes of students. Key project activities include weekly climate and science instruction in the hydroponic classroom (40 sessions per school year per school); weekly student farming and crop cultivation activities; weekly teacher mentoring and hydroponic systems maintenance; teacher professional development sessions (3 one-on-one and at least 1 group professional development session throughout school year); and at least 4 harvest distributions to students to share with their families. Combined, these activities will achieve the core outcome of increasing climate and environmental literacy for teachers and students in targeted schools, so they are empowered to advocate for and investigate solutions to create more sustainable communities.
2023	NJ	2	Rowan University - $100,000 Mahbubur Meenar, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028 Greening Camden: Educating, Empowering, and Enriching Communities for Climate Action and Cleaner Air Rowan University’s project proposes an innovative environmental education project aimed at addressing the intersection of climate change, air quality, and urban greening, focusing on Camden, New Jersey, an environmental justice and overburdened community. Camden faces severe air pollution issues from point and nonpoint sources, including industries, transportation centers, and highways with heavy truck traffic, exacerbated by climate change, increasing health risks for residents. This project advocates for a multifaceted solution to air pollution through urban greening initiatives (e.g., tree planting, nature-based solutions, and urban gardening), led by Rowan University in collaboration with Cooper Medical School and five community partners (nonprofits), empowering residents through both formal and nonformal education. The target audience includes 6-12th grade students and K-12 teachers from Title I schools, college students, and community members. The significant project activities encompass all seven stages of the environmental education continuum (e.g., awareness, knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, action, and stewardship). By collecting and analyzing air quality data, identifying pollution sources, and engaging local residents in data collection, Rowan University hopes this project will raise local environmental literacy and empower Camden residents to mitigate air quality problems through urban greening efforts.
2023	VA	3	Henrico County Public Schools - $100,000 Eric Byers, 3820 Nine Mile Road, Henrico, VA 23223 Green Wheels for Bright Minds: Henrico's Eco-Bus Adventure The "Green Wheels for Bright Minds: Henrico's Eco-Bus Adventure" project is an innovative environmental education (EE) project designed to deliver EE directly to the heart of underserved schools and communities in Henrico County, Virginia. This project will leverage a state-of the-art electric bus by transforming it into a roving electric classroom that brings immersive EE experiences to 21 Title I elementary schools. This novel approach not only circumvents the barriers (economic, site-based, educational, etc.) to accessing quality EE resources, but also serves as a beacon of innovation in education. The Eco-Bus initiative is poised to enhance EE capacity among teachers significantly. By providing 300 educators with hands-on training in EE, the project will equip them with the skills, understanding, and knowledge to integrate environmental topics into their teaching repertoire, thereby amplifying the program's reach and sustainability. The bus will also be a symbol of environmental stewardship, a tangible representation of the community's commitment to ecological responsibility. With an anticipated engagement of 7,500 students, the project's mobility ensures that environmental literacy is not confined to the classroom but is a lived experience. The bus will also catalyze community involvement, with over 1,100 community members expected to participate, reinforcing the significance of environmental stewardship. The Eco-Bus stands as a hallmark of educational innovation, a tool for capacity building among educators, and a vehicle for environmental stewardship in Henrico County. Through this project, environmental education and stewardship becomes attainable and accessible, teachers will become empowered as conduits of change, and the community will be unified under the banner of responsible citizenry and sustainability.
2023	MD, PA, VA	3	CASA, Inc. - $100,000 Yasmin Viera, 8151 15th Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20783 The Climate Justice Fellowship at CASA: Environmental Education for Community Leaders CASA, Inc. plans to educate local community leaders and broader communities on climate issues and community-based solutions that will contribute to lasting environmental change in underserved communities across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. This project’s major activity focuses on the creation of a Climate Justice Fellowship, where 40 young community leaders will work with CASA staff and external incubator organizations. During the fellowship, the 40 Fellows will engage in climate justice coalitions, address climate change in their local communities, and complete a train-the-trainer curriculum. Upon completion of CASA’s train-the-trainer curriculum, the 40 Climate Justice Fellows will train an additional 2,000 community members in climate justice during standalone workshops. This project’s target audience consists of emerging youth leaders from working-class Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities across CASA sites in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. By the end of the project period, CASA anticipates seeing increased levels of climate literacy and critical thinking skills, climate justice coalition building, and ultimately policy change in the targeted communities.
2023	PA	3	Women for a Healthy Environment - $100,000 Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, 401 N Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Eco-Student Stewardship Program Southwest Pennsylvania has a legacy of environmental pollution from industry along the river valleys dating back to the Industrial Revolution. Women for a Healthy Environment sees a need for school-age children in Southwest PA to have a platform to help them engage in eco-healthy practices and advocate for environmental justice so they can be the next leaders in the climate movement. The Eco-Student Stewardship Program aims to accomplish this through the creation of afterschool Environmental Stewardship Clubs in 7 underserved communities within Allegheny County, PA. This project’s target audience consists of high school teachers and their students. Through the Eco-Student Stewardship Program, 5 instructors/Green Champions will be given the tools to lead student sessions focusing on climate change and improving air quality. At least 50 high school Eco-Students, with the support of Green Champions, will complete a 32-week afterschool course to become environmental stewards in their schools. Upon completion of the program, Women for a Healthy Environment anticipates participating students will gain the skills needed to implement learned practices into their day-to-day lives while inspiring other young individuals and community members to start similar initiatives in their schools, homes, and workplaces.
2023	MD	3	The Living Classrooms Foundation - $100,000 Christine Truett, 1417 Thames Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 Stream and Watershed Investigations at Masonville Cove The Living Classroom Foundation (LCF) will implement Stream and Watershed Investigations at Masonville Cove for Baltimore City Title I students and community members at the Masonville Cove Environmental Education Campus in South Baltimore. LCF will do this via a three-pronged program: 1) Watershed Stream Studies (WSS), a field trip and action project for 400, 9th grade students from public high schools; 2) School Leadership in Urban Runoff Reduction Project, (SLURRP), a year-long Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) for 200, 4th and 5th grade students; and 3) community engagement programs for residents in South Baltimore communities near Masonville Cove. All three program elements aim to address the local stormwater runoff pollution problem in the Patapsco watershed. Project participants will engage in action projects, intended to encourage lifelong environmental stewardship. LCF plans to target recruit these participants from communities that have been adversely affected by environmental problems due to historic policies like redlining. The hope is that by the end of the project period, program participants will understand the need to protect their watershed and develop an attitude of lifelong stewardship.
2023	TN	4	Ivy Academy - $100,000 Holly Slater, 8520 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379 Tennessee Environmental Education Conference and Cohort The state of Tennessee has warmed significantly over the past 20 years and the impacts of global warming on the state are dire. While climate change education was adopted as part of Tennessee K-12 state standards in 2016, a 2021 Landscape Analysis conducted by the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) determined that many teachers in the state feel unprepared to incorporate climate change education into their lessons. Ivy Academy will partner with the Tennessee Environmental Education Association (TEEA) to create the Tennessee Environmental Education Conference and Cohort (TEECC) project. Educators, particularly from persistent poverty counties, high poverty counties, and Title I Schools in Tennessee will be recruited to participate in one of two year-long cohorts focused on environmental education (EE) through the lens of addressing climate change. Educators who are part of the project will impact an estimated minimum 7,000 students in the first year and each year thereafter. Moreover, by the end of the project period, participating educators will be positioned to train fellow educators to incorporate Environmental Education with a focus on Climate Change into their lessons, thereby increasing the number of students impacted each year. A long-term goal of this project is for cohort members and members of a recently created EE advisory board to leverage their positions to guide the creation of EE degrees and/or certificate programs in Tennessee institutes of higher education.
2023	MS	4	Angie Templeton, 301 Research Boulevard, Starkville, MS 39759 Ashley Hoffman, PO Box 2739, Elizabethtown, KY 427570 Sparking stewardship through community-based watershed education and monitoring in Mississippi’s urban communities Mississippi has ecosystems that reside in three Gulf of Mexico watersheds, diverse aquatic ecosystems, and more than 225,000 acres of freshwater. Yet the state faces a number of barriers to watershed protection at local scales. For this reason, Mississippi State University (MSU) is proposing to expand the Mississippi Water Stewards (MSWS) program to provide water resource education and outreach activities that will build stewardship in communities that need it most. This work aims to utilize a mini-grant program for community-based organizations (CBOs) to lead 1-year water monitoring and outreach programs to strategically expand MSWS in communities in Mississippi, with a special emphasis on the Jackson metro area. Targeted communities will include locations identified as disadvantaged by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, high-poverty areas, persistent poverty counties, and Title I Schools. The existing infrastructure of MSWS will allow MSU to organize a call for mini-grant proposals from CBOs, select five awardees, and partner with CBOs to provide consistent educational training to 100 community monitors. Training will be delivered through a hybrid approach that includes online training modules and 5 in-person workshops to each CBO group, who will collect over 220 data water quality observations across five watersheds. Paralleling the CBO activities, MSU’s team will coordinate peer-learning opportunities for CBOs to share best practices that help them increase their impact, operational efficiency, and outreach strategies to be sustainable. Drawing upon the success of MSWS and MS Master Naturalist programs and networks, this program’s intent is to build technical capacity in these critical environmental needs within the proposed communities.
2023	GA	4	National Wildlife Federation - $100,000 Brendon Barclay, 600 W. Peachtree Street NW, Ste 1860, GA 30308 Eco-Schools U.S. Atlanta Like many urban areas, the Metro-Atlanta region is suffering from the ravages of climate change, and these effects are even more prevalent in low-income and/or minority communities in the region. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) sees that Metro-Atlanta youth need help learning not just what climate change is, but how it affects their communities disproportionately more than others and how they can be part of the solution. Through the Eco-Schools U.S. Atlanta project, NWF will engage 8 Title 1 schools, 240 underserved minority students, 20 teachers, and 30 community members in Georgia’s Greater Metro Atlanta region in climate education, climate resilience, and action. The implementation of NWF’s Eco-Schools US (ESUS) “Action Cards” aligned to Georgia’s Science Standards of Excellence will address the lack of standardized and robust climate change education guidelines and knowledge of local climate change vulnerabilities. Students (with the help of teachers and community members) will design and implement on-the-ground natural infrastructure projects on their school campuses (Environmental Action Project – EAP), to demonstrate nature-based methods for reducing runoff, mitigating pollution, reducing heat, and sequestering carbon dioxide. Thirty of the participating students will also attend a youth environmental leadership summer institute and conduct a community service project. All participating teachers will receive paid professional development and all participating schools will earn ESUS certifications. By the end of the project period NWF hopes to see an increase in environmental literacy, environmental stewardship, and campus climate resiliency.
2023	Fl	4	Youth Environmental Alliance - $100,000 Kristen Hoss, 6900 SW 21st Ct #8, Davie, FL 33317 Project EEASY - Education and Engagement to Active Stewardship with Youth Environmental Alliance (YEA) Youth Environmental Alliance’s (YEA) Project EEASY aims to close environmental education (EE) gaps and combat compounding environmental issues in southern Florida. This is a region where overconsumption of freshwater resources has resulted in increased runoff pollution and saltwater intrusion. YEA’s plans to recruit 10 participating schools that will receive in-person EE courses coupled with eco-actions, including the installation and maintenance of native vegetation and food forests. YEA anticipates targeting a minimum of 600 K-12 Title I and underserved students, 10 educators, and at least 300 community members. By the end of the project period, YEA aims to increase participant knowledge of local environmental issues, increase project participants’ feeling of connection to nature, and increase participating educators’ ability to incorporate gardening and eco-actions into the state science standards. Long-term outcomes of Project EEASY include the creation of ongoing EE programs in underserved communities within southern Florida and the elimination of barriers to participate in outdoor programming in the region
2023	WI	5	Neighborhood House of Milwaukee - $100,000 Niki Espy, 2189 West Richardson Place, Milwaukee, WI 53208 Nature J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Environmental Education Project Residents living in Milwaukee’s near North and West side neighborhoods deal with deforestation, crumbling infrastructure, and a lack of green space. The conditions in these neighborhoods make them more vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. The Neighborhood House of Milwaukee sees the need for a greater understanding of climate change and its impacts on air quality in underserved communities as critically important in these Milwaukee neighborhoods. Neighborhood House of Milwaukee’s N-JEDI project will provide 400 underserved youth in grades 1-12 with environmental education focused on climate change. Project participants will learn about their local environments, how climate change is impacting their local environments, and climate change solutions that incorporate environmental justice teachings and Indigenous traditions. Students will use this knowledge to act and create solutions aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change such as planting trees, removing invasive plant species, creating organic gardens, and developing a community information campaigns about climate change.
2023	IL	5	Openlands - $75,000 Lucia Whalen, 25 E. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602 Empowering Teacher Leaders: 'Expanding the Birds in My Neighborhood' Program This project will expand on the Birds in My Neighborhood program. The train-the-trainer model has the potential to increase impact with each Pre-K - 5th grade teacher influencing not only their students, but also fellow educators, parents, and their respective administrations. This expansion will create teacher leaders who will have an in-depth understanding of birds and introduce the topic of trees to their students. Activities include professional development focusing on birds, the relationship between birds and trees, and the effects of climate change on both, as well as curriculum integration and individualized coaching to support implementation in the classroom. Additionally, educators will conduct a student-led environmental stewardship project that aims to increase climate resiliency by planting trees to expand the urban canopy and educate the community surrounding each school. Over 17 schools, 1,020 students, and 34 educators in the Chicagoland area will be reached by the end of the project period.
2023	MN	5	Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District - $98,000 Crystal Mathisrud, 603 North Central Avenue, Park Rapids, MN 56470 Addressing Rural Environmental Education Capacity as Part of the Forest Regeneration for Water Quality, Climate Resiliency Curriculum This project aims to teach participants in northern Minnesota about the forest’s role in climate resiliency through the water cycle, carbon cycle, biodiversity, and watershed management. Project partners will work with 8-10 Title I Schools, volunteers, local environmental groups and non-profits to 1) support teachers in using hands-on projects to engage students in environmental issues 2) interweave teaching about multiple environmental concepts with the skill of cone collecting for sale to the state nursery as a method to fund educational programs and projects 3) empower lower income and rural communities to engage with each other 4) establish a community environmental education and action volunteer group to continuously host seed/cone collecting events and 5) assist teachers and community groups in obtaining funds from the cone/seed collecting hands-on activities and in applying earned funds toward their additional projects and goals. The project will provide modules, kits, resources, and implementation support to at least 8 school districts, reaching more than 1,000 people.
2023	MN	5	Minnesota State University, Mankato - $100,000 Kimberly Musser, 236 Wigley Administration, Mankato, MN 56001 Southern Minnesota Conservationists in Training Minnesota State University, Mankato believes there are only a limited number of field-based outdoor experiences and limited exposure to natural resource career paths for middle and high school students in their region. The Southern Minnesota Conservationists in Training project will collaborate with local community partners to provide immersive environmental education and stewardship opportunities for middle school, high school, and university students. This project has three components: high school environmental field days, creating college and school environmental stewardship teams, and providing outdoor adventure experiences. These components will be met by 1) Hosting four day long environmental field days in Minneopa State Park to expose area high school students to environmental professionals, and regional watershed issues (1,000 students); 2) Create environmental stewardship focused GreenCrews that will be developed at Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2 high schools, and 2 middle schools to implement conservation projects (200 students, 16 field experiences); and 3) Outdoor adventure experiences for participating GreenCrew students who will be able to paddle area rivers, hike or camp at regional parks (200 students, 2 adventures each). Project participants will increase their literacy of watershed ecology and health, clarify career paths in conservation, participate in leadership and hands-on watershed stewardship experiences, and build competence in outdoor recreational skills for a lifetime of future outdoor adventures.
2023	NM	6	Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum - $100,000 Kristin Leigh, 1701 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104 Planting Seeds of STEM and Stewardship Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum notes that women and students of color are two groups traditionally underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through this project, Planting Seeds of STEM and Stewardship, Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum will conduct interrelated activities designed to increase scientific knowledge and activity, particularly around environmental issues, for these groups in Albuquerque’s South Valley, Moriarty, and the Village of Los Ranchos, NM. In the first year, Explora will convene partners monthly for planning, brainstorming, relationship-building, and program development. In the second year, monthly project team meetings will continue, and Explora will refine curriculum and programs, based on year one feedback and the results of evaluation and research. The project will be undertaken with the involvement of families, farmers and others in food production networks, science museum educators, and nonprofit advocacy organizations and service providers. 40 youth and their families will participate in drop-in programs on topics such as water filtration, the role of pollinators in the environment, and soil quality at six local growers markets. Five schools will participate in an education program that covers content about plants, soil health, water filtration, and pollinators; includes a field trip to a local farm; and includes two speaker visits. 30 teachers will participate in a workshop on topics connected to environmental stewardship, such as soil health and water. This project will result in increased student environmental literacy and stewardship around water and land contamination, an increase in student behavior that benefits the environment and natural resources in local communities, and more teachers equipped with tools for using the outdoors to support educational outcomes for students.
2023	TX	6	Galveston Bay Foundation - $100,000 Cindy Wilems, 1725 Highway 146, Kemah, TX 77565 Building Transformative AP Environmental Science Field Opportunities Galveston Bay Foundation has recognized a lack of field opportunities in the Houston region for students of Advanced Placement Environmental Science classes and recognizes the environmental importance of wetlands. The organization expects to complete construction of a new education center in 2025 in Kemah, TX. This project, Building Transformative AP Environmental Science Field Opportunities, will expand the reach of the center’s education opportunities to 155 environmental science teachers and 500 students. The project will create a focus group consisting of environmental science teachers, Galveston Bay Foundation educators, and project partners from University of Houston Clear Lake and Rice University. Over the first year, the focus group will learn from climate change and environmental education experts, review environmental science curricula, and adapt resources to the local ecosystem and climate change issues. The focus group will create a menu of activities for field trips and will plan semester-long research opportunities for environmental science students to implement at the education center. In the second year, teachers will pilot the activities at the education center with their classes and provide feedback. The project culminates with professional development for Houston teachers to learn about the new programs and hear from climate experts. This project will result in improved environmental literacy of wetlands and how climate change affects the Galveston Bay Ecosystem, an increase in student scientific problem-solving and experience doing research, and improved resiliency to climate change-related issues within the Houston region.
2023	LA	6	Louisiana Environmental Action Network - $100,000 Marylee Orr, 162 Croydon Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Providing EJ Education to Louisiana Youth For over three decades Louisiana Environmental Action Network has been working at the level of person-to-person and community-to-community to address environmental justice issues throughout Louisiana. Utilizing this extensive experience and collection of artifacts, Louisiana Environmental Action Network has incorporated and institutionalized this knowledge into an outreach and education program for K-12 students in Louisiana. The Environmental Justice Curriculum created includes issues on environmental hazards, race, equity, health disparities, and risk assessment. This project, Providing EJ Education to Louisiana Youth, will establish partnerships with 20 pilot educators and implement the curriculum of material for 260 middle school students and high school students through classrooms or after school focus groups in Southeast Louisiana. In addition, this project will conduct community group workshops on the curriculum and collect and incorporate feedback from pilot implementations. The second year of the project will promote statewide distribution of the curriculum, expand reach of the materials to educators, and conduct community workshops on data literacy. Anticipated to reach over 1,000 community members, this project will result in improved student and community member environmental literacy of Louisiana air quality, water quality, and waste management issues; more students and community members with the capacity to analyze air and water quality data; and more community members participating in community organizing and environmental advocacy.
2023	TX	6	National Wildlife Federation - $100,000 Marya Fawler, 505 East Huntland Drive, Suite 485, Austin, TX 78752 Resilience in Schools and Communities (RiSC), Houston National Wildlife Federation states that a major concern about city flooding is that the most vulnerable residents, those who live in the lowest-lying areas or in neighborhoods without green space to absorb water, are often poor and/or members of minority groups, and this is demonstrated in the greater Houston region. Through this project, Resilience in Schools and Communities (RiSC), Houston, National Wildlife Federation will directly engage with 180 high school students, six teachers, and two community members to serve on two school watershed steward teams in Channelview, TX and Houston, TX. The organization will use “Meaningful Watershed Experiences” outdoors and in the classroom to empower students, teachers, and community members in underserved communities to be watershed stewards by designing nature-based solutions to flooding that will reduce storm water run-off and the associated pollutants from entering the water supply. The project includes conducting vulnerability assessments of neighboring school communities, development of community resiliency plans, an environmental action day at a local bayou, an outdoor field experience in the Galveston Bay, and two student-led community forums. The experiences will focus on how hands-on efforts to make Houston more resilient to real and increasing threats of flooding will also contribute to the health of Galveston Bay and the watershed. National Wildlife Federation will engage 40 community members through eight community engagement sessions to learn the environmental and cultural history of each community. This project will result in increased understanding by students, teachers, and community members of environmental justice and watershed climate resiliency connected to flooding and water quality; and more educators trained on climate change, resilience education, green infrastructure, watersheds and project-based learning.
2023	KS,MO	7	Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education - $100,000 Laura Downey-Skochdopole, 2610 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 66502 Preparing the Next Generation for Green Careers in Climate Change The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) acknowledges the lack of diversity in the conservation and environmental movement as a serious issue that reduces the reach and impact of this important work. KACEE’s Preparing the Next Generation for Green Careers in Climate Change project seeks to address this serious issue by engaging students from diverse backgrounds to come together, dialogue, and take action to address barriers to their involvement and interest in green careers. By seeking out and strengthening student leaders in the conservation movement KACEE hopes to provide opportunities to expand ideas, increase diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations and begin to move beyond dialogue to taking action for change. The major environmental and educational activities for this project center around creating a green career pathways website, organizing a virtual youth green careers summit, engaging students in school-based action projects addressing climate and environmental issues in schools, and connecting students with mentors to explore potential careers. Participating educators will also receive professional learning and curriculum around climate literacy and green jobs. This project anticipates reaching approximately 30 educators and 1,000 middle to high school students from 6 underserved communities in Kansas and Missouri.
2023	KS,MO	7	Missouri River Bird Observatory - $80,000 Dana Ripper, 406 Main Street, Arrow Rock, MO 65320 Empowering Kansas City residents to take Environmental Action The Missouri River Bird Observatory’s (MRBO) Empowering Kansas City Residents to Take Environmental Action project aims to directly address the pressing environmental challenges facing Kansas City’s underserved communities by creating more informed, empowered, and environmentally conscious communities that can better protect their interest the environment. The long-term outcome of the project is to create a lasting partnership with environmental stewards who improve individual and community health through effective dialogue on environmental policies. MRBO plans to partner with community members, business owners, community-based organizations, Title I school parents, and subaward recipients in five underserved communities located in Tier 1 environmental justice geographies as defined by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Comprehensive Conservation Strategy. MRBO and its partners will host Conservation Café listening sessions and co-produce Environmental Education (EE) curricula with participating Kansas City residents. In the second year of the project, MRBO will focus on delivering science-based workshops and engagement events (e.g., resident-led service projects). In total this project aims to host 50 events that engage, educate & empower 740 residents. By fostering informed and engaged community members, MRBO anticipates this project will have a ripple effect where project participants educate additional community members and encourage them to actively participate in discussions related to the local environmental issues and environmental justice concerns.
2023	IA	7	Upper Iowa University - $100,000 Barbara Ehlers, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142 Learning and Living In A Changing Climate Learning and Living In A Changing Climate project aims to educate project participants on the impacts of climate change and actions that can be taken to improve air quality and revitalize land through immersive three-day educator workshops and virtual follow up sessions. Workshops will be dispersed throughout Iowa (Fayette, Mt. Vernon, Marshalltown, and Davenport). The target audience for this project is Pre-K – post-secondary teachers and their students, student teachers, and informal environmental educators in Iowa. IUI aims to train 88 educators, impacting up to 4,800 Pre-K – 12th grade students, with most participants living and/or working in underserved communities. Participating educators will practice stewardship through lifestyle practices, incorporating practices into their classrooms and implementing community projects. By the end of the project period UIU hopes to improve teacher skillsets and their understanding of climate change and land revitalization at the local level. The long-term outcome of the project is to improve environmental education by disseminating and supporting environmental education practices, methods, and techniques throughout Iowa.
2023	MT,WA	8	Ecology Project International - $100,000 Noreen Humes, 315 South 4th Street East, Missoula, MT 59801 Empowering Local Environmental Leadership Ecology Project International’s (EPI) Empowering Local Environmental Leadership project aims to engage up to 340 middle and high school students and their teachers from in or near the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in 30 immersive field science and habitat restoration programs over two years, with a focus on climate change's effects on the health of the GYE. The project aims to recruit at least 50% of participants from Title I schools and/or disadvantaged counties identified by the Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool (primarily in Montana and Wyoming). EPI acknowledges rural and tribal schools in this region are typically remote, underfunded, and struggle to retain (particularly) math and science teachers. Through the five-day EPI Yellowstone Wildlife and Winter Ecology courses, the Bitterroot Wildlife Internships, and the Alumni Leadership Awards, the project will progressively empower the youth they work with to become critical environmental thinkers and thoughtful stewards of the land upon which they live. Additionally, the project aims to provide mentored, independent research internships to up to 24 youth and EPI Yellowstone alumni through the Bitterroot Wildlife Internship program. Lastly, the project aims to provide up to 10 Alumni Leadership Awards to youth and EPI Yellowstone alumni who submit proposals for community or school-focused environmental restoration or education projects that positively impact the environment and community in which they live.
2023	CO,UT,WY	8	Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education - $100,000 Katie Navin, 1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 314, Denver, CO 80202 Preparing the Next Generation for Careers in Climate Change The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) recognizes that diversifying the environmental movement entails more than just recruiting people from diverse backgrounds; it requires individuals that understand how all people interact, relate, and care for the environment and how environmental threats impact all individuals and communities. CAEE’s Preparing the Next Generation for Careers in Climate Change project will engage 100 students, particularly from rural disadvantaged communities including La Junta, CO; Riverton, WY, and Roosevelt, UT to come together, dialogue, and take action to address existing barriers to their involvement and interest in green careers. By strengthening student leaders in the conservation movement, we have the opportunity to expand conservation ideas, increase multicultural awareness in conservation organizations, and begin to take action for change. The major environmental and educational activities for this project center around creating online career resources, organizing a statewide virtual youth green careers summit, engaging students in school-based action projects, and connecting students with mentors to explore potential careers. At least 30 Educators will also receive a curriculum around climate literacy and green jobs. Expected outcomes include increased student engagement in green career exploration, student led action projects addressing climate and environmental issues in schools, and educators with enhanced skills to teach about climate and environmental topics.
2023	WY	8	Protect Our Water Jackson Hole - $80,120 Meghan Quinn, 260 East Broadway Avenue, Jackson, WY 83001 Teton County Water Awareness Initiative The Teton County Water Awareness Initiative in Jackson, Wyoming will educate and motivate a community of water quality stewards towards action that protects groundwater and surface water quality, thereby informing and safeguarding both human and environmental health. The gravel-bed river floodplain ecosystem that supports Teton County is as fragile as it is beautiful. Water quality degradation threatens the Sole Source Aquifer and the world-renowned recreational opportunities provided by the surface waters. Streams are impaired for altered habitat, E. coli, and (soon) nutrients. Even the mighty Snake River now experiences algal blooms every summer and fall. There are groundwater problems too. In parts of Teton County, residents cannot safely drink their well water. Programs that educate and empower residents of all ages to understand, restore, and protect our water resources are needed now more than ever before. The primary audiences for this project are teachers, students, and Teton County community members. The primary goal of the Teton County Water Awareness Initiative is to educate and motivate a community of water quality stewards towards action that protects groundwater and surface water quality, thereby informing and safeguarding both human and environmental health. These educational goals will be accomplished through hands-on learning, outreach events, and stewardship activities like water quality testing and citizen science reporting. The expected outcomes of the project are: launching eight public events over the two-year course of the grant, providing science-based education for students through six class lessons, and educating Teton County community members about local water quality issues.
2023	AS, GU, HI, MP, PW	9	Learning Endeavors - $80,000 Diana Warren, 2679 Wai Wai Place, 202C, Kihei, HI 96753 Champions of Coastal Resilience: Wetland Education and Restoration in the Pacific Learning Endeavors recognizes that the climate crisis disproportionately impacts underserved, rural, and indigenous populations on Pacific Islands, who often lack the expertise, funding, or capacity to combat these increasingly complex coastal challenges. The Champions of Coastal Resilience: Wetland Education and Restoration in the Pacific project is a climate science education initiative with a solution-oriented approach designed to reach and empower communities in the Pacific, a region disproportionately affected by coastal flooding, erosion, and other effects of climate change. During the project period, eight local organizations and/or schools will elect one professional educator to participate in a train-the-trainer course. Participants will facilitate trainings for local high school science teachers, who will go on to prepare future generations of students to lead coastal resilience efforts in their communities. Students will learn about wetland restoration as a possible nature-based solution, connecting indigenous cultural knowledge of coastal wetlands with scientific knowledge. The project’s major environmental education activities are to: 1) Modify and expand existing Hawaii-focused Champions of Coastal Resilience (CCR) wetland education curriculum for use in other Pacific Islands; 2) Train a cohort of trainers from subaward recipient organizations and schools to use new CCR Wetland Case Study pedagogy and resources; and 3) Provide ongoing support for CCR trainers facilitating local teacher training and supporting student classroom- and field-based learning. Expected outcomes include enhanced partnerships between teachers, schools, and community partners; increased wetland education and stewardship activities in secondary schools; community awareness of the need for increased coastal resilience; empowerment of indigenous peoples; and increased environmental justice. In total this project aims to reach 8 local trainers, 80 secondary teachers, and 1,920 students.
2023	NV	9	Desert Research Institute - $100,000 Emily McDonald-Williams, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512 Mitigating Microplastics: Increasing Nevada’s Environmental Literacy through STEM Education Interventions The primary goal of the Mitigating Microplastics: Increasing Nevada’s Environmental Literacy through STEM Education Interventions project is to increase environmental literacy and stewardship in Nevada by utilizing Environmental Education (EE) strategies to address the issue of microplastic pollution in Nevada’s waterways. The project design will focus on increasing access to high-quality student education and teacher preparedness and support among Nevada’s underserved communities. Through an EE lens, participants will address the environmental issue of microplastics in Nevada's waterways. Replicating the Desert Research Institute’s “Microplastics in the Great Basin” 6th – 8th grade STEM Curriculum Kits, the project will serve as a model for statewide and local teacher trainings. Middle school teachers will lead students in hands-on lessons using the STEM Kits, based on the 5E model – engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Both educator and student participants will learn about the environmental impact of microplastics within their communities, and work to develop solutions through critical thinking and self-directed problem solving. To expand our impact, investigators will collaborate with community nonprofit organizations to provide opportunities for community-wide, intergenerational EE engagement on the same topic. The project will grow Nevada’s environmental stewards and promote statewide environmental equity, bridging knowledge and action to create a more sustainable and informed future for Nevada’s communities. The project anticipates developing 3 STEM Kits and engaging 180 middle school educators, 865 middle school students, and 810 community members through project activities.
2023	CA	9	Sierra Streams Institute - $100,000 Sol Henson, 117 New Mohawk Road Suite H, Nevada City, CA 95959 Leveraging Place-Based Education from the Valley to the Foothills The Leveraging Placed-Based Education from the Valley to the Foothills project aims to increase region-wide youth participation in place-based environmental education (EE) opportunities and promote communication around watershed health to enhance ecological stewardship. Situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Central Valley of California, both Western Nevada County and Yuba County are at high risk for severe drought and catastrophic wildfire, which threaten to displace underserved communities and degrade water resources. To address this risk, communities need to increase their knowledge of watershed management and stewardship. This project seeks to fill this place-based knowledge gap at the level of youth engagement and education. This will be achieved via 3 objectives: (1) The creation of an interactive database called the EE Opportunities Database (EEOD). This database of outdoor EE field sites and existing programming will be available to over 50 schools and builds capacity for teachers, parents, EE organizations, and informal educators seeking accessible outdoor spaces and EE activities for the 25,000 K-12 youth within the region. (2) The development of a Watershed Communication Toolkit (WCT) that supports youth in critical thinking and science literacy by communicating with their peers around region-wide watershed issues. The WCT will include activities on Indigenous ways of knowing that have been shared by tribal organizations. (3) To pilot the WCT as an extension of existing EE programs in the region, with at least 8 different 4th – 8th grade classes. This communication within and across watersheds will promote diverse perspectives from Western Nevada County and Yuba County students through a lens of watershed science and stewardship.
2023	CA	9	Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (Ignited) - $60,000 Emily Dilger, 5301 Stevens Creek Boulevard, PO Box 58059; MS WO, Santa Clara, CA 95052 Water Weeks Expansion Project - Early Environmental Justice Education Communities across many San Francisco Bay Area counties struggle amid challenging environmental conditions such as a rising climate, persistent drought, and explosive population growth. Such conditions threaten the seawalls, pipes, pavement – the very future of a region built on the water. These threats are compounded for low-income, historically underserved communities. In partnership with BAYWORK and area water agencies, the program will offer weeklong externships. Program externs will lead K-12 teachers from Title I schools in environmental and educational activities. Throughout the program, teachers will meet industry professionals and tour facilities like wastewater plants, freshwater reservoirs, and dams. The program will also pair teachers with a Curriculum Coach to craft lessons plans that get students excited about environmental protection and future careers. Ignited recognizes that teachers have the unique ability to change the trajectory of their students’ lives and are aptly positioned to influence career decisions. This project will better equip teachers in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties to inspire their students to pursue water and wastewater careers and ultimately become environmental stewards.
2023	PW	9	University of Maine - $69,814 Christopher Boynton, 5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469 Youth-led community action braiding Indigenous and Western science to address conflict contamination and prevent future military contamination in Palau In alliance with Indigenous Palauan communities in Peleliu, Angaur, and Ngaraard States, the project’s core mission is to braid Indigenous and Western science through youth-led community action that addresses contamination left behind from World War II. This project’s work team will provide environmental education (EE) on chemical contamination in the Republic of Palau. The core of University of Maine’s project is an intensive 8-week course to empower a cohort of Palauan high school students with the skills and networks to learn both Indigenous conservation techniques and Western science-based approaches to maintaining healthy soils and warding off contamination. Intended to challenge and inspire youth, boost critical thinking skills, and enhance ecological know-how, this project includes practical activities for the youth, such as: 1) Interviews - Participants will conduct videorecorded interviews of Indigenous leaders, leaving a record of their findings for future generations of environmental stewards; 2) Community action plans, where youth will design and lead collaborative water monitoring and restoration activities within communities at high risk of contamination; and 3) Youth-led workshops, where students will collaborate with local science teachers to integrate contamination into classroom curricula. The University of Maine hopes this project will expand the Palauan population’s knowledge base about contamination risks and restoration to enable more informed environmental decision-making toward stewardship and environmental justice. In total, this project anticipates reaching 30 Indigenous leaders, 100-200 community members, 13 educators, and more than 1,000 students.
2023	AK	10	Takshanuk Watershed Council - $97,640 Thereesa Wirak, HC 60 Box 2008, 425 S. Sawmill Road, Haines, AK 99827 Jilkaat Aani Ka Heeni (Chilkat Watershed) Stewardship Project This project will involve collaborative partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations to orchestrate community involvement in participatory science investigations, implement new educational programs, and recruit volunteers in coastal restoration. Partnering with local tribes, the Takshanuk Watershed Council will link Indigenous Knowledge and environmental education (EE) to create culturally relevant and inclusive instruction. Stream Team, a citizen science project using nationally recognized Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) protocols will connect both youth and teachers from Skagway School and underserved Title I Schools in Haines and Klukwan to their local watersheds through hands-on and inquiry-based learning. The project will also focus on marine education and restoration through Harmful Algal Bloom and Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning monitoring and education about debris and removal procedures. Research and data from this and the Stream Team project will be shared through a communal ArcGIS Story Map created by students from the Haines School. The project will nurture environmental stewardship and civic responsibility by offering weekly field experiences to K-12 students and teachers in Haines, Klukwan and Skagway and engaging the general public in educational workshops and volunteer opportunities.
2023	WA	10	Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association - $99,735 Annitra Peck, 3057 E Bakerview Road, Bellingham, WA 98226 Future Leaders of Whatcom Waters (FLOW) Program The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) recognizes that Washingtonians have a substantial role in ensuring that salmon remain to enrich the spirit of the Pacific Northwest and the lives of those who call this place home. NSEA’s FLOW Program aims to educate the younger population in Whatcom County, a county where 20% of the population is under the age of 18. The (FLOW) Program will collaborate with Western Washington University (WWU) to host competitive internships, specifically recruiting historically underrepresented students to the field of environmental restoration to earn a certificate adding experience and trainings to their job skills and credibility to their resumes. Interns will lead classroom lessons and outdoor field experiences for 4th grade students; lead preschool groups with nature-based connections; lead ClimeTime workshops and training classroom teachers with climate science curricula to implement student action projects, lead the Nooksack River Stewards Program; and lead the Stream Stewards Program connecting partners and volunteers to salmon habitat restoration projects. The FLOW program aims to develop informed, knowledgeable, and responsible young professionals, while helping promote environmental stewardship for thousands of teachers, students, and community members beyond the grant project period through NSEA’s core community programs.
2023	WA	10	Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group - $100,000 Alexandra Ehrich, 600 NE Roessel Road, Belfair, WA 98528 Theler Environmental Education Programs (TEEP) TEEP is located on the Hood Canal Watershed, home to threatened species of salmon and highly sensitive to the increasing effects of climate change. This project will address issues facing the local ecosystem as well as local communities who rely on the area’s natural resources. Students and community members will adopt positive environmental behaviors and participate in local stewardship and habitat restoration activities. The project will work with six Title I Schools. This program also will work with a local outdoor learning program, Barnacles and Bees, and the general public. Examples of environmental and educational project activities include: tree plantings, water quality testing, studying macroinvertebrates and stream health, monitoring flora and fauna, and using indigenous knowledge for stewardship practices and developing new perspectives towards the environment. The project will increase participants’ knowledge of the local environment and human impacts, increase environmental stewardship and thoughtful daily actions to protect local ecosystems, and increase student awareness and consideration of environmentally related careers. The Theler Wetlands and Union River Estuary Preserve will become ‐ more resilient to the effects of climate change from TEEP restoration activities.
2023	AK	10	University of Alaska Anchorage - $100,000 Ingrid Harrald, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 Connecting Communities Through Peatland Ecology The University of Alaska will work with the city of Homer, local conservation organizations, and regional tribal organizations to create K-12 classroom and outdoor learning spaces for hands-on education, science, and monitoring on a peatland conservation parcel the city recently acquired. The full breadth of this project will allow students to propagate, grow and transplant native plants they raise during the school year, providing a sense of stewardship and connection to this ecosystem. The University of Alaska recognizes peatland conservation as the most efficient method of counteracting the threat of climate change in Kachemak Bay’s coastal communities. Impacts of climate change include increased flooding, coastal erosion, and unpredictable weather events such as drought and excessive rain, which have occurred in recent years, threatening landscape stability and freshwater drinking sources. Healthy peatlands effectively absorb stormwater runoff, store carbon in the landscape, and protect coastlines from erosion and pollution; therefore, educating about peatland conservation is of paramount importance. The Connecting Communities Through Peatland Ecology project will work with schools on Alaska’s Southern Kenai Peninsula, including six Title I schools. The project will provide school visits and field trips engaging students directly with local peatlands and building native plant gardens at schools or city sites, developing their science monitoring, observation, and stewardship skills. Teachers from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will attend a three-day district-led peatland and Orchids in the Classroom curriculum training including a professional development opportunity for credit through the University. Internship opportunities will be offered for post-secondary students at the local University campus to assist with peatland monitoring and education. By disseminating the project to local community members, city, borough and state governments, this project will showcase how nature-based solutions can be used in cold climates to benefit Alaskan communities.