The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 8, 2024, that four organizations in New England have been selected to receive a total of $380,000 in environmental education grants. These grants aim to empower youth to address environmental challenges, foster community resilience, and advance environmental justice in underserved communities. The four New England recipients are part of 38 organizations nationwide receiving over $3.6 million under the EPA's Environmental Education Grants Program.
"Environmental education isn't just about learning facts and figures; it's about equipping young people with the skills and knowledge to find solutions to real-world problems and make a real difference in their daily lives and communities," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "From students in New Haven tackling environmental justice issues and high schoolers in Massachusetts leading climate resilience projects, to Ipswich River Watershed youth participating in a Floating Classroom and students in the Connecticut River Valley finding nature-based solutions through design and engineering—this year's selectees from New England are bringing the environment to life for our kids, and showing them that they have the power to protect and improve the world around them."
This year's funded projects include:
- Helping New England's youth grow into a new generation of environmental justice problem-solvers through interdisciplinary projects at Common Ground High School.
- Empowering high school students from low-income populations in Massachusetts to resolve climate-related issues through civic action projects.
- Providing underprivileged youth in Essex and Middlesex Counties with experiential learning opportunities on the Ipswich River.
- Enabling youth in rural underserved communities in Western Massachusetts to develop problem-solving skills related to water quality, air quality, and climate change.
The grant funding ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 per organization for conducting environmental education activities. This year’s recipients will conduct project activities primarily in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The selected organizations are:
1. **New Haven Ecology Project** - $100,000
- The project at Common Ground High School will help students become environmental justice leaders through various educational experiences.
2. **Massachusetts Audubon Society** - $100,000
- The Climate Democracy Project aims to empower high school students from low-income populations by involving them in civic action projects focused on climate resilience.
3. **Ipswich River Watershed Association** - $100,000
- This project provides experiential learning on the Ipswich River for underprivileged youth while developing a watershed study curriculum.
4. **Hitchcock Center for the Environment** - $80,000
- The SEEDS program will engage students with design challenges related to water quality, air quality, and climate change.
Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.7 million annually through its Environmental Education Grants Program, supporting over 3,960 projects with more than $95.1 million. For more information about current and past award winners or future grant competitions, visit https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants.
