Teachers Encouraged to Apply for PSEG Environmental Education Grants

NEWARK, N.J., April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachers in New Jersey and Delaware are encouraged to apply for funding through PSEG's Environmental Education Grant program, which provides grants to educators who can link their students' understanding of science, mathematics, computer science and/or technology with an enthusiasm and appreciation for the environment. The PSEG Foundation will award a total of $35,000 for the purchase of equipment, materials and field trips that would not normally be provided by the school or school district.

"Education is fundamental in helping our youth develop passion for and appreciation of their environment," said Sheila Rostiac, PSEG director of corporate responsibility, and President of the PSEG Foundation. "I'm proud of our investments in programs and partnerships that provide opportunities for students to experience real-life application of skills, as well as those that expose them to career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and math."

Teachers of grades K-9 are encouraged to apply. Grants of up to $3,500 per project are available. Specific budget criteria are provided on the grant application. Applications that focus on ideas for the development of one or more classroom units, expansion or refinement of an existing course or curriculum, and extension of classroom work to community or after-school activities will be considered. Projects must be conducted over at least two years. Grant winners will be announced in the fall.

Teachers from schools in PSE&G's utility service area and PSEG's Estuary Enhancement Program area may apply, as well as all schools in New Jersey's Salem and Cumberland counties and the State of Delaware. Public, private, parochial, and charter schools may apply for funding. For more information on the eligible towns, and to download an application, visit www.pseg.com/eegrants. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, June 15th.

The PSEG Environmental Education Grant Program began in 1991 as a partnership with the New Jersey Business/Industry/Science Education Consortium (NJ BISEC) and it is designed in cooperation with the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE). The goal is to provide financial resources to help inspire teachers to implement an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about the environment and to foster new ideas. Since its inception, PSEG has awarded more than $388,000 to fund 160 projects in over 105 school districts.

Last year's winning projects:

Belleville High School
Paul Aiello's project, Bakka Environmental Courtyard, teaches 9th graders about the balance of nature and the environmental threats to air, earth and water. His students are designing and constructing a courtyard consisting of a pond, butterfly hatchery, herb garden, walking path and benches.

North Plainfield High School
Stream Ecology Investigation gives Dr. Sarah O'Donnell's 9th – 12th graders an opportunity to study the ecosystem of a large stream bordering their school. Students are learning about various fish and plant life, the ecological food chain and effects of pollution. 

Nicholas Oresko School in Bayonne
Through Teaching Awareness of Endangered Species through Local Songbirds, Stacy Casais is educating 8th graders about local songbirds, with the goal of discovering nesting patterns. Students are using handheld GPS units to plot and track nests, sightings and population changes. 

Ewing High School
Christopher Heywood's project is helping 9th graders understand the adverse affects of storm water runoff and water pollution. Through On the Ground, In the Creek!, students are building their own watershed model, being trained by scientists to test the water quality of a local creek and learning about the local aquatic ecosystem.

Christa McAuliffe School (P.S. #28) in Jersey City
Jennifer Mulewski and Robert O'Donnell are helping 7th graders learn about a local reservoir and the plants and animals that call it home. Project Reservoir enables students to preserve and transform this body of water into a natural preserve for the community, while witnessing first-hand the life cycles of important aquatic animals.

Carlstadt Public School
Through Mathematics and Paper Conservation, Esther Fletcher is teaching 7th and 8th graders how to apply mathematics to prove the financial and environmental benefits of paper conservation. Students are researching their school and community's paper consumption and using their findings to spread the word about the benefits of conservation and recycling.

Roselle Park High School
As part of their STEMming Across the Disciplines project, Raymond Bangs, Danielle Romero and Dennis Dagounis are helping 9th – 12th graders design and construct an outdoor environmental education center. In addition to visiting the New Jersey Meadowlands Environmental Center, students are conducting experiments and learning how to incorporate green concepts into planning and construction.

Cherokee High School in Marlton
Through Trout in the Classroom, Kellie Nash is helping 9th – 12th graders raise freshwater brook trout in the classroom, then release the fish into the wild. This project encourages students to become stewards of the animals living within and around New Jersey's freshwater bodies.

Developmental Learning Center in New Providence
Claudine Stryker is helping students understand plant and animal life native to Union and Somerset counties by creating a schoolyard habitat. Through Planting Seeds, Growing Awareness, students are observing how food is grown and harvested and exploring the affects of rainfall, wind, soil composition and sunlight.

Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy company with three principal subsidiaries: PSEG Power, PSEG Energy Holdings, and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G). PSEG has a long tradition of caring for New Jersey's people and communities. Each year, the company and its employees invest millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. The company's culture dictates that service to customers and community go hand-in-hand.  For more information, visit www.pseg.com.

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SOURCE Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)