Ohio EPA Education Grant to Fund Hands-on Learning in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties

12/28/15
PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER, (614) 644-2160
MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Fee Oros
CITIZEN CONTACT: Mike Settles

Ohio EPA Education Grant to Fund Hands-on Learning in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties

Drawing inspiration from nature, Great Lakes Biomimicry is developing and will be teaching site-specific wetland ecology lessons and project-based learning activities for school field trips to two University of Akron field stations. Approximately 800 Akron City Schools middle and high school students will visit the Panzer Wetland Wildlife Reserve and Bath Nature Preserve for hands-on educational opportunities.

Students will be responsible for designing interpretive signs, maps, brochures for self-guided walking tours and a field library for use by other groups and school districts.

The project is being funded in part with a $47,440 Ohio EPA grant. Seven grants were awarded statewide for $261,183. The Ohio Environmental Education Fund provides funding each year for environmental education projects serving kindergarten through university students, the general public and the regulated community.

Eligible grant recipients include environmental groups, public and private schools, colleges and universities, trade or professional organizations, businesses and state and local governments. Letters of intent for the next grant round are due to Ohio EPA no later than Jan. 8, 2016, and applications are due no later than Jan. 15, 2016. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Ohio Environmental Education Fund on the web or at (614) 644-2873 to discuss project ideas.

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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.

Ohio EPA Education Grant to Fund Hands-on Learning in Cuyahoga and Summit Counties
Source: Ohio Environmental News