August 18, 2022

Seattle (August 18, 2022) —The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected four schools and organizations in Oregon and Washington to receive environmental education grants totaling $400,000. Across the country, EPA selected 34 organizations to receive more than $3.2 million in funding.

“Providing communities with the right tools to raise awareness and promote environmental education benefits everyone.” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan“This funding will help us empower our school students and teachers as we work together to fulfill our mission of tackling the climate crisis, promoting environmental justice, and protecting the health of all and the environment. ​​, to support community members in underserved and overburdened areas.”

“Access to environmental education programs is critical in developing the next generation of environmental stewards. EPA Region 10 Admin Casey Sixkiller“Inclusive access is even more important, and we are pleased to fund projects that instill in young people a passion for the environment and a commitment to protecting it.”

This year’s Pacific Northwest winners are:

$100,000 for Growing Gardens – Portland, Oregon
This grant provides gardening education to K-12 students and home gardeners. Students learn about soil fertility, water cycle, plant growth, and climate sustainability through agriculture. Adults learn eco-friendly and sustainable gardening methods. Her two after-school clubs for her teens covering gardening and environmental justice were provided to encourage her teens from low-income and underserved communities to participate in leadership development and environmental justice efforts. Designed for participation. The project will reach out to up to 2,500 of her K-12 students and 300 of her home gardeners living in low-income, underserved areas of the Portland metropolitan area.

$100,000 for Port Townsend School District – Port Townsend, Washington
This funding will allow the Port Townsend School District to provide two two-day professional development training sessions to 50 K-12 public school teachers in various school districts in the area. The training focuses on managing the health of aquatic ecosystems and works with project partners to reach her more than 3,000 of her K-12 students through the public school curriculum on a place-based basis. Prepare teachers to deliver environmental education. The public is invited to attend the student culmination event to see the projects students have created.

$100,000 to Gonzaga University Corporation, Spokane, Washington
Gonzaga University provides professional development to 50 middle school teachers to teach climate-related topics, reaching more than 5,000 students. Emphasis will be placed on student voices, eco concerns and the power of student agency. The project will also create a Climate Literacy Fellows program made up of Gonzaga undergraduates. These Climate Literacy Fellows offer hands-on climate literacy activities in at least 15 high school and middle school classrooms in Spokane Public Schools, aiming to reach more than 400 students.

$100,000 to the Nisqually River Foundation – Olympia, Washington
The Nisqually River Foundation aims to increase public awareness and knowledge of the Nisqually Indian Tribe Reservation and environmental protection within the Nisqually Watershed. This pilot program will advance environmental management of the Nisqually Basin by combining traditional ecological knowledge, community science, and behavioral change. The program will serve up to 30 young people from her Nisqually tribe, with her five teachers and eight of her environmental educators involved in developing the project.

Background:
This year’s grant recipients will conduct project activities in 24 states. Funding will be provided in the range of $50,000 to $100,000 to organizations that provide environmental education activities and programs.

Since 1992, the EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5 million in environmental education grants each year, totaling more than $88.3 million supporting more than 3,890 projects nationwide. The program traditionally provides financial support to projects that design, demonstrate, or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/education.

To learn more about current and past winners, or to apply for future EPA Environmental Education Grant competitions, visit https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants. This website will be updated as additional grants are awarded.