Press Release on EPA Environmental Literacy Subgrant Awards

Maine Organizations Awarded Grants to Improve Environmental Literacy

Rising to the top of a highly competitive process, Maine Audubon, Maine TREE Foundation, Appalachian Mountain Club (on behalf of the Maine Outdoor Coalition), and Schoodic Education and Research Center each received $5,000 grants to increase community awareness and knowledge about the environment. These programs will contribute to increasing the environmental knowledge and skills of students, teachers, and families in the state of Maine.

Made possible by a $150,000 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the New England Environmental Education Alliance (www.neeea.org), in partnership with the Maine Environmental Education Association, received close to 100 proposals for educational programs that focus on learning about the environment. Nineteen projects throughout 6 New England states were funded. Acknowledging the importance of an environmentally literate citizenry, the EPA states, “environmental challenges require a population that is diverse, informed, and environmentally literate, willing and able to translate their knowledge and skills into decisions and actions that protect the environment in their communities.”

Maine Audubon (Falmouth) was selected for their project: “Principles & Practice for Effective Environmental Literacy Experiences”. A working group of educators and other stakeholders will be convened for the purpose of establishing research-based principles and practices for effective environmental literacy experiences, which will then be shared with classroom and non-formal educators throughout the state.

The Maine TREE Foundation (Augusta) plans to partner with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife using Project WILD, the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission using Project WET, and National Project Learning Tree on their project “Woods, Water and Wildlife: Collaboration to Create a Statewide Model for Sustained Environmental Education”. This project is designed to deliver professional development for ten teams of teachers interested in using the outdoors as a learning environment. Kits containing supplies for conducting student led field studies will be provided to participating schools.

In the project “Maine Outdoor Coalition: Building a Strategic Network”, the Appalachian Mountain Club (Portland) plans to assist the advancement of the Maine Outdoor Coalition from its current status as a group of loosely associated non-profits and businesses committed to supporting Mainer’s connection to the great outdoors, into a strategic network by defining leadership and common goals.

The Schoodic Education and Research Center, or SERC, (Winter Harbor) will implement “ACORN – Advancing Capacity of Regional Networks: Planting the Seed for a New England EE Research and Evaluation Institute”. This effort will build capacity for collaborative evaluation through a regional needs assessment, the results of which will be used to design and host a regional meeting of New England environmental education practitioners to share findings and best practices.

Together, the environmental education projects funded in New England will develop and test new educational techniques and approaches that address critical environmental resources and issues while advancing Maine’s core science standards and helping the public make informed decisions that affect environmental quality in Maine.