WHAT'S NEW WITH EARTHSMART?
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EarthSmart Grants Awarded: Five Cool School Projects!
- No Child Left Inside Update: Environmental Literacy in Obama's education budget!
- EarthSmart in the News
- Be An EarthSmart Volunteeer
EarthSmart Grants Awarded!
The goal of the EarthSmart grant program is to provide funding for schools to decrease their waste, conserve resources and educate students about waste reduction, recycling and conservation through innovative projects. Here is a quick rundown of our 2009/2010 grant winners!
Redmond High School: The RHS student Green School Club received a grant to reduce school food waste with the purchase of 2 compost tumblers to begin the school restaurant composting project in conjunction with the culinary classes. Compost will be donated to the Brown School garden project.
Ponderosa Elementary School: 5th grade teacher Jeremy Hought will use the grant funds to purchase solar energy teaching kits for his classroom to increase student's awareness of alternative energy at school and at home.
Summit High School: Student Naomi Wright and the SHS Roots & Shoots Club will be using the EarthSmart grant to fund 3 projects: increase recycling bins in the commons area, reduce lunch waste by providing reusable lunch sacks through a pledge system, and create food cycle awareness through worm composting and building a small raised bed garden.
Westside Village Magnet School: Students at WVMS will conduct student investigations into composting at home. This grant is to fund the purchase of compost bin supplies to bring composting kits to approximately 25 homes.
Three Rivers School: This grant is to help continue and expand the successful composting program that was established last year to reduce school lunchroom waste, and begin a school garden in conjunction.
The EarthSmart grants are a project of The Environmental Center and are sponsored by Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste, Bend Garbage and Recycling, Cascade Disposal, High Country Disposal, Wilderness Garbage & Recycling, Madras Sanitary Services, and Prineville Disposal.
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Literacy: $450 million, an increase of $36.7 million, to consolidate 7 existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs into a new program that would help States and local education authorities improve literacy skills by supporting professional development and improved instructional materials.
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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): $300 million, an increase of $119.5 million, or 66 percent, to expand the Federal investment in improved teaching and learning of STEM disciplines, especially in high-need schools and school systems, and prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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A Well-Rounded Education: $265 million, an increase of $38.9 million, or 17 percent, to consolidate 7 current authorities and expand support for the subjects important to a complete curriculum, including: history, the arts, foreign languages, environmental literacy, and economic and financial literacy.
