PA DEP Awards Grants for Environmental Education and Stewardship

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced today it is awarding $642,835 in environmental education grants to 147 schools, universities, non-profit organizations and conservation districts across Pennsylvania.

"These grants help build the foundation for educating communities about their environmental resources and how to protect and sustainably use them," DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. "Teaching moments like these give all Pennsylvanians a better understanding of our beautiful state."

Grant recipients will use the funding for various initiatives, including environmental field trips for students, implementing environmental education curriculum at schools, purchasing new recycling containers to reduce waste, developing workshops on how to build rain barrels and planting community gardens.

The grant program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates setting aside five percent of the pollution fines and penalties DEP collects annually for environmental education in Pennsylvania.

For more information on environmental education, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click "Environmental Education," or call 717-772-1828.

Media Contact: Lisa Kasianowitz, 717-787-1323

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 County
Upper Adams School District, $3,750
Gettysburg College, $3,750
Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, $3,000

Allegheny County
Riverview School District, $2,775
North Hills School District, $7,497
Avonworth School District, $3,000
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, $6,185
Kingsley Association, $6,470
Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers, $7,500*
Allegheny County Conservation District, $10,411*
Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, $5,516  
3 Rivers Wet Weather Inc., $3,750    
Group Against Smog and Pollution Inc., $6,617 
South Fayette Conservation Group, $3,715
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, $2,998
evolveEA, $7,500

Beaver County
Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators, $7,500 

Bedford County
Chestnut Ridge School District, $4,149
Northern Bedford County School District, $2,909

Berks County
Twin Valley School District, $2,765 
Reading Area Community College, $3,000 
Berks County Conservation District, $6,202
Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association, $3,000 
Kutztown Area School District, $3,000 
Reading I-LEAD Charter School, $7,000
Berks County Intermediate Unit 14, $3,750
Alvernia University, $2,955               

Bucks County
United Friends School, $3,000
Bucks County Conservation District, $7,350

Butler County
Butler Area School District, $3,300
Stream Restoration Inc., $3,750
Connoquenessing Watershed Alliance Inc., $3,000        

Cambria County
Saint Francis University, $14,476*  
Friends of Johnstown Flood National Memorial, $3,750  
Natural Biodiversity, $7,300  
Penn Cambria School District, $2,950
Forest Hills School District, $3,000    

Cameron County
Cameron County Conservation District, $5,353* 
Cameron County School District, $3,750

Carbon County
Palmerton Area School District, $3,000       

Centre County
Bald Eagle Area School District, $3,750       
Pennsylvania State University, $3,750        
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, $6,987   
Spring-Benner-Walker Joint Authority, $3,000      
ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania Inc., $5,000 

Chester County
Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, $7,356   
Green Valleys Association of Southeastern PA Inc., $6,105  
Chester County Intermediate Unit 24, $3,750    
Practical Energy Solutions, $3,750
West Chester Area School District, $3,750  
Coatesville Area Arts Alliance Inc., $2,584
Upattinas School, $3,750         
Urban & Rural Science Alliance Inc., $3,000
Chester County Conservation District, $3,750    
Avon Grove Charter School, $5,890   

Clarion County
North Clarion County School District, $2,866
Clarion University of Pennsylvania, $3,750 
North Central Region Math/Science Education Collaborative, $3,750 

Clearfield County
Curwensville Area School District, $2,513

Clinton County   
Trout Unlimited Inc., $3,750    
Keystone Central School District, $6,234              

Crawford County
Crawford County Conservation District, $5,283*
Allegheny College, $3,750       

Dauphin County
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, $6,200   
National Audubon Society Inc., $3,750       
Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, $3,750        
Paxton Creek Watershed and Education Association, $3,000   
Pennsylvania State University Milton Hershey Medical Center, $3,750      
Londonderry School, $3,000    
Commonwealth Connections Academy, $2,979

Delaware County
Elwyn Inc., $2,824         

Elk County
Elk County Conservation District, $3,000

Erie County
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, $3,619   
Northwestern School District, $3,749 
Environment Erie, $3,750 
Erie City School District, $6,745*    
Erie County Conservation District, $3,750  
Millcreek School Foundation, $1,924           

Fayette County
Brownsville Area School District, $7,500               

Franklin County
Polly & Stone Concessions, $3,000             

Greene County
Carmichaels Area School District, $3,000    

Huntingdon County
Juniata Clean Water Partnership, $5,550
Southern Huntingdon County School District, $3,750

Jefferson County
Brookville Area School District, $7,324        

Juniata County
Juniata County Conservation District, $3,750       

Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County Conservation District, $2,373
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, $3,750 
Green Field Energy Solutions, $3,750
Countryside Conservancy, $2,561

Lancaster County
Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, $7,500*
Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance, $3,000      
Eastern Lancaster County School District, $4,655 
Lancaster Investment in a Vibrant Economy, $3,750

Lebanon County
Lebanon County Conservation District, $3,750               

Lehigh County
Wildlands Conservancy Inc., $3,750
Wildlife Information Center, Inc., $2,850

Luzerne County
Wilkes University, $3,750   
Pittston Area School District, $2,975 

Lycoming County
Pennsylvania College of Technology, $3,750        

McKean County
Beacon Light Behavioral Health Systems, $3,000
McKean County Conservation District, $3,750
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension, $3,750  

Mercer County
Slippery Rock University, $6,495
Mercer County Conservation District, $2,689        

Monroe County
Pleasant Valley School District, $3,750       
Stroudsburg Area School District, $7,500    
Brodhead Watershed Association, $3,000   

Montgomery County
Riverbend Environmental Education Center, $3,750 
Cheltenham Township, $3,750
Abington Friends School, $3,750    
Cheltenham Township School District, $3,748 
Montgomery County Conservation District, $2,622 
Upper Dublin School District, $3,000 
Plymouth Township, $3,165
Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association, $3,750   
Upper Moreland Township School District, $2,968 
Upper Merion Township, $3,000
Friends' Central School Corporation, $3,000

Northampton County
Lehigh University, $7,445

Northumberland County
Northumberland County Conservation District, $6,000* 

Perry County
Perry County Conservation District, $7,200
Susquenita School District, $6,418   

Philadelphia County
Delaware Valley Earth Force, $6,872
Imhotep Institute Charter High School, $3,000
Delaware Valley Green Building Council, $3,750 
Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory, $5,897
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, $3,750  

Pike County
East Stroudsburg Area School District, $3,000
Pike County Commissioners, $3,000  

Potter County
Potter County Conservation District, $7,500

Schuylkill County
Pottsville Area School District, $2,504
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, $2,332
Blue Mountain School District, $3,000         

Snyder County
Lower Penns Creek Watershed Association, $5,830*  
Snyder Union Mifflin Child Development Inc., $3,750     

Somerset County
Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District, $3,000      

Susquehanna County
Friends of Salt Springs Park Inc., $7,477
Forest City Regional School District, $5,235
Susquehanna County Conservation District, $5,500       

Warren County 
Warren County Conservation District, $3,857       

Washington County
Washington School District, $3,000   

Wayne County
Wayne Conservation District, $3,415
Western Wayne School District, $3,750      

Westmoreland County
Saint Vincent College, $3,750 
Westmoreland County Conservation District, $7,348
Norwin School District, $2,949 

Wyoming County
Keystone College, $7,330

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection