Recent Awards

2009-10 Academic Year:

The Science & Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut was awarded $10,000 to develop an Arboretum on a piece of land adjacent to the school.  Students will create a comprehensive development plan for a .33 acre parcel of land to be used as an outdoor educational classroom for students and community groups. The project will be integrated with the New London Greenway project in conjunction with Mitchell College and Connecticut College.

Waterford High School in Waterford, CT was awarded $5,000 for students to research and study the possibility of having a wind turbine located on the high school grounds. Students will use an Anemometer to measure the wind speed on the grounds of Waterford High School for the academic year.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Calvert Marine Museum Society in Solomons was awarded $10,000 for point-to-point video conferencing technology via the internet. With this technology, museum educators can offer real time educational programs through a virtual on site visit.

Cardinal Hickey Academy in Owings was awarded $3,426 for its WISHING OUR WELLS WELL (WOWW) project. The project is designed to teach children the values of conserving and recycling water, cleaning contaminants from water, smart use of fresh water, and how to teach others to do the same. This project hopefully is the first phase of a larger initiative at the Academy to combine the power of solar energy and natural and man-made cleansing agents to remove contaminants and purify water in the many wells in Calvert County.

Chesapeake Public Charter School in Lexington Park was awarded $10,000 for its 'NorthBay Adventure Week,' a five day overnight experience focused on environmental science and character education for middle school students. The inquiry-based, active learning environment will teach students to appreciate and nurture the environment while enhancing student academic performance.

Girl Scouts of the National Capital Area was awarded $5,000 for the 'Forever Green Community Action' project in southern Maryland. The project is designed to give girls the opportunity to discover environmental issues, connect with others to identify solutions and take action to preserve natural resources. Projects will include improving air quality, waste management and water use.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Bentley Elementary School in Salem, MA was awarded $5,000 for the use of a touch screen tablet that students will use to create bar graphs to measure air, water, and soil temperature using probes. Students also will use the tablet to explore habitats and make correlations between animals, temperature and light.

Urban Ecology Institute in Chestnut Hill, MA was awarded $10,000 for students to study human use, human ecology, and the history and importance of the local body of water to the location of the community and the watershed that serves that community.  Students will study intertidal and coastline ecology, beach habitats, and estuaries.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Cape Hatteras Secondary in Buxton was awarded $6,400 for its 'Stewards of the Pamlico Sound' project which will allow students to build rain gardens around campus to prevent storm water runoff that negatively impacts the estuary. The project also will rehabilitate the oyster populations through the construction of oyster reefs.

The Development Foundation of NC Center for the Advancement of Teachers in Ocracoke was awarded $6,500 to strengthen educational instruction in the teachers' classrooms and retain teachers in the profession. The grant will provide development opportunities for teachers to improve their math and science instruction skills.

Perquimans Central School in Winfall was awarded $800 for its 'Feeling a Little Puzzled' project designed to help and assist students with special needs. Through motivational and environmental techniques, such as puzzle building, students will improve their visual and spatial experiences.

Port Discover in Elizabeth City was awarded $6,400 for its 'Plankton Watch' project designed to strengthen students' interest, knowledge, and involvement in science and math. Students will work together to study plankton and the ecosystem and share their findings with their community.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Crestwood Local Schools in Portage County was awarded $9,800 to transform students in grades K-3 into "Nature Detectives."  The program will allow students to explore nature in the community and their own schoolyard, developing knowledge about how the elements of nature function and work together. As students progress in the program, they will expand their knowledge and strengthen their relationships with nature.

Geauga Park District Foundation in Geauga County was awarded $9,700 to help develop a middle school curriculum project known as "Binoculars to Telescopes."  The Geauga Park District will organize an Educational Advisory Council to assist in program development.  Math and science teachers will receive continuing education in astronomy and earth science.  Middle school students will learn to use telescopes through hands-on, inquiry-based activities.

Grand Valley Local in Ashtabula County was awarded $9,500 to help sixth grade students learn about the many energy issues that impact them as citizens.  Areas of focus include renewable and nonrenewable resources. Students will ultimately learn and understand the importance of personal responsibility for energy consumption.

Green Intermediate School in Summit County was awarded $5,400 to further develop the sixth and seventh grade science curricula, focusing on the environment.  Students will research potential drilling sites for natural gas and oil wells, manage resources, rock cycles and the different types of rock formations.  Through distance learning, students are making connections between science and technology and the human influence on both of those areas.

Katherine Thomas Elementary School in Portage County was awarded $6,700 to help construct an outside work area that will give students a firsthand experience of the very environment they are learning about in the classroom.  The outdoor work area will consist of a pavilion set to seat 30.  Plant and animal identification, along with birdhouses, will also occupy the space and add to the students' area of observation and learning experience.

Marion Local High School in Mercer County was awarded $10,000 to provide students an opportunity to study water quality and understand their role in maintaining it.  Students will take trips to local watersheds, where they will use tools to test for pollutants, temperature, nitrates, and phosphates.  Biology students will learn how community members are affected by watersheds, while earth science students will study the human impact on watersheds.

New Philadelphia High School in Tuscarawas County was awarded $3,900 to study streams that have and have not been affected by acid mine drainage.  Students will use software to compare and contrast different factors (water chemistry and leaf decay rate) among stream types.  Through field study, students will learn about ecosystem processes and key ecological concepts.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Cuyahoga County was awarded $10,000 to help pilot two new programs for middle and high school students focusing on sustainability and human health.  Students will study science and nature up close and in person through the CMNH.  Topics include: climate change, global climate change, and potential health impacts.

Woodridge Middle School in Summit County was awarded $10,000 to give their students more of a hands-on learning experience.  They will explore subjects such as ecosystem maintenance, man's impact on the environment, and the importance of protecting the nitrogen cycle.  Students will use the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as an outdoor classroom, and an indoor aquatic ecosystem that they will create themselves.

2009-10 Academic Year:

ACLD-Tillotson School in Pittsburgh was awarded $4,000 to provide their students with a more hands-on learning experience through different field trips to places such as the Pittsburgh Zoo, Round Hill Farm and Round Hill Park. During the visits, students will study the many habitats of animals, plants, and natural resources of the world. This first-hand experience also will show students their important role in helping their community face many environmental challenges.

Clarion Limestone Area JSHS in Clarion County was awarded $4,000 to renovate both a greenhouse and a work building for food production. They will produce food using worm composting of cafeteria organic wastes. Students will be hands on with the producing and selling of the food, installing of worm bins, measuring soil composition and testing the microbial societies in soil layers. Students will study how recycling cafeteria waste impacts the environment, the use of solar power and the transferring and obtaining of energy.

Greater Latrobe School District in Westmoreland County was awarded $7,000 to help construct a conservation project on a local stream.  With help from community partners, students will restore 500 feet of eroding stream bank.  Students will gain knowledge in such areas as species interactions, biodiversity, cycles in nature, forest ecology and many more.  Students will play a role in conservation with this project, receiving an opportunity to apply classroom concepts to real-life science problems.

Greencastle-Antrim School District in Franklin County was awarded $7,500 to help students connect in-class lessons and real-life issues using the environmental center. At the environmental center, students will use classroom-based and portable technology to locate, identify, and inventory invasive and native plant life. The project connects math, science, technology, and environmental education to assist the 6th graders in becoming "invaders of the local Ecosystem."

Our Mother of Sorrows School in Cambria County received $7,500 to help students research, design, build, maintain and evaluate three on-site gardens. The gardens serve as hands-on learning tools for students in grades 3-8, as well as connecters between several subjects. The "learn by doing" concept will strengthen students' critical thinking and problem solving skills.  Students will research different plants, study soil conditions, hydration and sunlight. As students progress in years, they will have charted data, and will study trends and predict outcomes.

2009-10 Academic Year

The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Providence, RI was awarded $10,000 for students to research alternative fuel sources for vehicles, then buy a used bus and convert it to run on both diesel and used vegetable oil. Students will document the process and the learning that occurs through it in a short educational film.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Booker T. Washington Middle School in Newport News was awarded $5,000 for the 'BTW Explores, Serves and Protects the Bay' project. The project will provide an environment-based curriculum for the students that are selected to participate in the Marine Science/Pre Advanced Placement Magnet Program. Students will implement quantifiable recycling and conservation efforts at school and with their families.

Carson Middle School in Herndon was awarded $9,875 for the 'Carson FREE: Future Renewable Energy Effort' proposal. The school plans to install an array of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the school. The panels will generate pollution-free electricity from sunlight and will be used to motivate and educate students, staff and community to conserve electricity.

Castlewood High School in Castlewood was awarded $2,500 to add an environmental science component to each science class. The component will encourage students to pledge to do something personally to help protect the environment by changing their lifestyle, such as turning off lights when they leave a room.

Clarksville Elementary School in Clarksville was awarded $2,000 for the 'Buffalo Springs, A Sweet Taste of Eden' project. Fourth grade students will participate in a fall environmental educational project allowing them to beautify, stabilize and recreate spring water access to a watershed on the school property.

Girl Scouts of the National Capital Area was awarded $10,000 for the 'Forever Green Community Action' project in Leesburg. The project is designed to give girls the opportunity to discover environmental issues, connect with others to identify solutions and take action to preserve natural resources. Projects will include improving air quality, waste management and water use.

Hollin Meadows Science/Math Focus School in Alexandria was awarded $6,775 for its 'Solar Vision' project. The project will use solar electricity as a teaching tool for all students in grades K-6 to help improve students' understanding and achievement in science and math. Hands-on learning will be incorporated through the creation of a "Solar Farm" designed to offset students' energy consumption at the school. The project also will become a feature at the school's annual Earth Day celebration by adding "Alternative Energy Week" to its April activities leading up to Earth Day.

J.R. Tucker High School in Richmond was awarded $7,500 for students to study and understand the components of power generation, fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.  Through hands-on projects, students will gain an understanding of electric transmission and distribution.

Linwood Holton Elementary School in Richmond was awarded $5,000 to implement a climate change and sustainability curriculum.  Students will learn ways to protect their environment by planting an organic garden and conducting an energy audit on their school.

Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County (Richmond) was awarded $7,500 to create an outdoor classroom where students can study plant life native to Virginia. As part of the classroom, a butterfly garden will provide live subjects for students to examine.

Petersburg High School in Petersburg was awarded $10,000 for the 'Student Water Analysis & Monitoring Project' (SWAMP). Plans are to create an outdoor classroom that will include space for 25 students to analyze water samples. Laboratory stations will allow students to work, study, analyze, and observe first-hand the elements that impact water quality.

Prince Edward Schools in Farmville was awarded $6,700 to provide the knowledge, tools and support to science and math teachers in grades 4, 5 and 6. Teachers will learn to incorporate hands-on, investigative, inquiry-based learning into their classrooms.

Trevilians Elementary School in Louisa was awarded $8,700 for an interactive year-long study of environments within the United States. Working with a partner school, students will create web pages, exchange email and communicate using Skype and web cams. Throughout the project, participants will share information with other students by creating displays around the school.

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach was awarded $2,500 to support 'Exploring Marine Careers,' a collaborative project with CHROME (Cooperating Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering) to target minority and female students and to expose them to careers in science. Students will gather information from stranded marine animals while learning to identify species, take measurements, record data, and determine causes of injuries.  

Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited was awarded $5,000 for its 'Trout in the Classroom' project. The program is designed to increase student knowledge of water quality and coldwater conservation and to reconnect youth to the system of streams, rivers, and watersheds that sustain them. The grant will provide 10 teachers across the state with support to purchase the necessary equipment to start the program in their schools.

Virginia/DC First Lego League in Charlottesville was awarded $10,000 for its FIRST LEGO League (FLL) hands-on, interactive robotics program. The 2009 "Smart Move" challenge asks: Can FIRST LEGO League teams transform the way we look at transportation? Teams of up to 10 students will focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking to develop a well thought out solution to the challenge. In this journey, teams will consider many modes of transportation beyond their daily routine and streamline their options by making smart moves!

Virginia Section of the American Nuclear Society in Richmond was awarded $6,000 to conduct a four-day science teacher workshop for middle and high school science teachers from the state. The teachers will be exposed to classroom training, hands-on laboratories and technical tours on various topics dealing with nuclear energy, nuclear science and technology, and radiation. The teachers will also each receive a Geiger-Muller radiation detector for their classroom.

Western Branch Middle School in Chesapeake was awarded $3,500 for its 'A Long Swim Home' project. Students will partner with fisheries scientists of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and volunteers from Trout Unlimited to raise and release 200 trout. The project will empower middle school students to make a positive difference in environmental issues.

Williamsburg Middle School in Arlington was awarded $5,000 for the 'Freedom for Inquiry' project. For many students, the concept of science can be highly abstract so the importance of hands-on education in the sciences is vital for long-term comprehension. With the purchase of LabQuest portable computers, teachers will be able to take students out of the classroom to engage them in highly motivating and accurate experiments. Teachers and students will have the freedom to conduct inquiry lessons with immediate feedback outside of the standard classroom.

Windsor Middle School in Isle of Wight (Windsor) County was awarded $2,900 for its 'World Wind' project which will allow students to construct simple wind generators capable of lighting LEDs.  Students will construct and use anemometers and wind generators to learn how to measure wind velocity and voltage, while demonstrating how the power of the wind can be controlled, transformed and used as electrical power to turn on a light.

Youth Motorsports Academy in Charlottesville was awarded $6,250 to support the 'Design+build+live green' project. This unique, hands-on environmental program uses construction-related professions as a platform to encourage young people to see the importance of math and science, engage in real world applications, and to raise awareness about the principles of green building.

2009-10 Academic Year:

Doddridge County Middle School in Doddridge County received $2,000 to open a summer camp to 300 current 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The summer camp will use the First Lego League Robotics program to offer hands-on activities to students, as well as integrate math and science. The program will expand students' knowledge in areas such as programming, mechanics, engineering, simple machines, sensors and electronics.

Gilmer County High School in Gilmer County received $9,000 to purchase 10 wireless laptop computers equipped with Microsoft 2007, which Algebra I students will use to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the energy use in their homes and find cost-effective ways to reduce energy consumption. Students will create electronic portfolios containing results of their energy conservation study.

Morgantown High School in Monongalia County received $6,000 to provide students with background information needed to make sound decisions about the future of biotechnology to safeguard the planet's ecosystems. Students will gain knowledge in biotechnology by finding solutions to problem scenarios. Students also will study the effects of genetically modified organisms.

Tucker County High School in Tucker County received $8,000 to develop a cooperative program involving the math, science and the career and tech programs. Students will learn how electrical energy is quantified and calculated. Students will learn these methods by studying the energy usage at the facility and searching for ways to improve it. One of their areas of focus will be wind power options.