Region 5 of the U.S. EPA Awards Educational Grants

Washington, DC - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently awarded $190,000 for environmental education projects to 23 recipients in the Midwest.

More than 150 organizations competed for funds. As required by law, most of the awards are for grass-roots programs costing $5,000 or less.

In the past 10 years, Region 5 has awarded more than $1.5 million in educational grants to academic institutions, nonprofit groups, park districts and tribes in the Midwest. EPA is awarding these funds under the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, which gives EPA the authority to support and create environmental education programs nationwide.

The awards given were for environmental education projects:

• Michigan, $15,000. The projects include educating residents of the Huron River watershed about stream ecology, teaching high school students how to test for biological contamination of waters around a popular recreation area and educating a tribe about radon. The recipients are Huron River Watershed in Ann Arbor, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi.
• Minnesota, $26,485. The projects include a water festival for fifth-graders, a workshop series about environmental issues in the Twin Cities area, a teacher-training workshop on bio-monitoring streams and an educational series about organic gardening. The recipients are Carver County, Eco Education in St. Paul, Minnesota State Horticultural Society and Prairie Country Resource Conservation and Development.
• Indiana, $14,770. The projects include a course on urban environmental issues for college students, an environmental summer camp and teacher training. The recipients are Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Friends of the Indiana Dunes in Beverly Shores and Rensselaer Central Middle School.
• Illinois, $23,355. The projects include teacher training workshops and activities for middle school students. The recipients are Lake County Forest Preserve District, Lake Michigan Federation, Wheaton Park District and Windy City Earth Force.
• Ohio, $64,152. The projects include a butterfly observation deck, lessons in integrated pest management for managers of child care centers, workshops on water pollution and virtual field trips to Lake Erie for students. The recipients are Clark Center Alternative School in Marietta, Environmental Health Watch in Cleveland, Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District in Burton, Ohio State University Research Foundation, and Public Broadcasting Foundation of Northwest Ohio.
• Wisconsin, $46,238. The projects include an online directory of nature centers, classes about the Milwaukee River, teacher training and an environmental education conference. Recipients are the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona, the River Revitalization Foundation in Milwaukee, the Superior School District and the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education in Stevens Point.