SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the selection of 33 organizations nationwide to receive over $3.1 million in funding for projects under the Environmental Education Grants Program, including two organizations in California.
“We know that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and it demands bold and innovative solutions, especially in California,” said Mike Alpern, Public Affairs Director for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “This year’s grant recipients represent some of the most innovative thinking about advancing environmental protection in California. They demonstrate the power of environmental education, and a true commitment to creating a future with clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet for all.”
The California recipients and projects are:
- Orange County Coastkeeper (Orange County, $98,492 grant) – This grant will enable Orange County Coastkeeper and Inside the Outdoors to develop and implement a solutions-based climate resilience curriculum for middle and high school students in underserved communities in Orange County. The program will provide students a combination of in-class lessons and field trips to the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve. Participating students will also complete a community action project and attend a symposium where they share their stewardship projects with the members of their community.
- Sequoia Riverlands Trust (Tulare County, $100,000 grant) – This grant will support EARTH Academy, a year-long, project-based learning program offered by Sequoia Riverlands Trust to high school students in Tulare County. 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. The majority of students in the county come from immigrant or migratory families, live in rural areas, and are low-income. The EARTH Academy 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.
The EPA funding will range from $50,000 to $100,000 to each of the 33 organizations nationwide. The groups all provide environmental education activities and programs. This year’s grantees will conduct project activities in 27 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Among the grant recipients are four Minority Serving Institutions. EPA anticipates providing funding for these projects once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5 million in EE grant funding each year, for a total of over $91.3 million supporting more than 3,922 projects. The program traditionally provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques. For more information, visit the Environmental Education webpage.
To learn more about current and past award winners, or to apply for future EE grant competitions, visit the Environmental Education Grants webpage. This page is updated as future competitions are announced and additional grants are awarded.
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