HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett has announced that he is awarding $334,074 in environmental education grants to 92 schools, universities, non-profit organizations and conservation districts across Pennsylvania.
“Education is the basis for fact-based environmental protection,” Governor Corbett said. “On Earth Day and every day, I am pleased to support efforts aimed at increasing environmental awareness and protection through learning.”
Grant recipients will use the funding for various initiatives, including farm field days, summer camps, exploratory learning activities, professional development, soil testing exercises and explanatory signage along watersheds. Through these initiatives, students, teachers, farmers and others will learn about a variety of environmental issues ranging from rain barrels, stormwater management and hydroponics in agriculture, to Marcellus Shale and the Chesapeake Bay, among other topics.
The grant program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates setting aside five percent of the pollution fines and penalties the Department of Environmental Protection collects annually for environmental education in Pennsylvania.
For more information about environmental education, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click “Environmental Education,” or call 717-772-1828.
Editor’s Note: Grant recipients are listed below with the award amounts, alphabetically by county. Organizations that are marked with an asterisk (*) represent the total of two awards.
Adams
Gettysburg College, $4,500
Lake Meade Property Owners Association Inc., $3,000
Allegheny
Allegheny County Conservation District, $2,518
Citizen Power Inc., $3,000
Forbes Road Career and Technology Center, $7,500
McKeesport Area School District, $5,133
STREAM Academy, $5,135
Riverquest, $4,500
Redevelopment Authority of the County of Allegheny, $4,500
Spectrum Charter School, $1,856
Armstrong
Armstrong Conservation District, $2,997
Beaver
Allegheny Aquatic Alliance, $3,000
Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators, $4,500
Berks
Albright College, $762
Alvernia University, $4,340
Twin Valley School District, $2,939
Bradford
Wyalusing Area School District, $2,859
Bucks
Buck County Conservation District, $3,750
The Middle Bucks Area Vocational Technical School Authority, $3,000
Butler
Butler Area School District, $3,130
Penn Christian Academy, $3,000
Stream Restoration Inc., $4,500
Cambria
Cambria County Conservation District, $4,148
Carbon
Carbon County Conservation District, $3,000
Centre
Bald Eagle Area School District, $2,981
The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, $4,148
State College Area School District, $2,992
Chester
Avon Grove Charter School, $4,106
Chester County Economic Development Foundation, $5,319
Chester County Intermediate Unit 24, $3,000
Coatesville Area Arts Alliance Inc., $2,988
Delaware Valley Earth Force Inc., $4,500
Green Valleys Association of Southeastern PA Inc., $2,920
The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, $2,917
Urban and Rural Science Alliance Inc., $2,850
Clearfield
Trout Unlimited Inc., $4,800
Columbia
Columbia County Conservation District, $4,360
Municipal Authority Borough of Catawissa, $2,892
Cumberland
Mechanicsburg Area School District, $2,900
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, $2,998
Dauphin
Dauphin County Commissioners – Parks and Recreation, $3,000
Dauphin County Conservation District, $2,861
Harrisburg Area Civic Garden Center Inc., $4,000
National Audubon Society Inc., $4,260
PA Biomass Energy Association, $4,500
West Hanover Township, $4,200
Delaware
A Few Steps Foundation, $2,850
Ridley School District, $4,674
Pennsylvania Resources Council Inc., $4,500
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, $4,300
Elk
Keystone Elk County Alliance, $2,473
Erie
Erie City School District, $6,000*
Erie County Conservation District, $1,700
Gannon University, $4,250
Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5, $2,998
Fulton
Fulton County Conservation District, $3,000
Lancaster
Lancaster County Conservation District, $4,150
Lancaster Farmland Trust, $3,130
Manheim Central School District, $6,500
Lawrence
Lawrence County Conservation District, $3,447
Lebanon
Lebanon County Conservation District, $3,000
Lebanon Valley College, $3,000
Lehigh
Wildlands Conservancy Inc., $2,692
Luzerne
Wilkes-Barre Area School District, $4,500
Montgomery
Lower Merion Township, $4,281
Schwenksville Borough, $5,000
McKean
Pennsylvania State University Office of Sponsored Programs, $4,500
University of Pittsburgh – Bradford Campus, $4,500
Mercer
Grove City Area School District, $2,675
Mercer County Conservation District, $2,662
Shenango River Watchers Inc., $4,500
Monroe
Brodhead Watershed Association, $3,833
Northampton
Nurture Nature Center Inc., $4,400
Philadelphia
Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia Inc., $4,500
GVF TMA Foundation, $4,424
School District of Philadelphia, $1,000
The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, $4,500
Pike
Pike County Conservation District, $4,800
Snyder
Lower Penns Creek Watershed Association, $2,951
Selinsgrove Area School District, $3,000
Snyder County Conservation District, $5,143*
Tioga
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, $4,390
Tioga County Conservation District, $5,627
Washington
Avella Area School District, $2,874
Westmoreland
Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center, $5,260
Municipality of Murrysville, $3,000
Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc., $3,184
Saint Vincent College, $2,935
Westmoreland County Conservation District, $912
York
Spring Grove Area School District, $5,000