Profiles of Environmental Education Grants Awarded to Organizations in Illinois
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Board of Education City of Chicago 299: Service Learning Initiative Environment Program $192,200
Samantha Ozik, 501 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60626-3507
http://www.cps.edu
Calumet Is My Back Yard (CIMBY)
Calumet is My Back Yard (CIMBY) trains and engages more than 700 predominantly minority, low-income students and their science teachers from 13 Chicago Public High Schools and three Northwest Indiana High Schools in the Calumet Region of Chicago’s far Southeast side and Indiana’s Northwest side. Teachers are trained each September in the CIMBY curriculum and students learn science using the interactive, place-based curriculum, which meets Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Standards and 21st Century Learning Outcomes. The CIMBY Program emphasizes building knowledge, skills and sense of connection to nature during a total of more than 2,000 on-the-ground restoration and stewardship volunteer hours on more than 40 field trips in local natural areas. There is a disproportionate impact of air and water pollution on low-income, minority populations living in the Calumet region. The intent of CIMBY is to generate curiosity, empathy and a sense of accomplishment among this population through the powerful experience of service to improve the community.
Chicago Horticultural Society $137,948
Jennifer Schwartz, 1000 Lake-Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022
Chicagobotanic.org
Connecting Climate to Communities Initiative (C3I)
The goal of the Connecting Climate to Communities Initiative (C3I) is to increase knowledge, leadership and engagement in climate action among diverse communities by building on local assets to connect community life to climate change and climate action. C3I’s target audience includes community organizations broadly defined (schools, social service providers, small businesses, senior centers, congregations, youth groups, etc.) and their members in diverse communities across EPA Region 5, including individuals in both formal and informal settings.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources $20,946
Valerie Keener, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702
Student/Youth Wildlife Habitat
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources addresses a lack of environmental literacy education for Illinois youth, especially in underserved communities. It has created the Illinois Student and Youth Wildlife Habitat Action Grant project. The project provides pre K-12 students and youth group participants in inner-city and early childhood communities the opportunity to develop or enhance wildlife habitats on school grounds or other public properties. Through a competitive grant process, 20 grants ($1,000 maximum each) are awarded to applicants that can demonstrate how the wildlife habitat will be used to support Illinois environmental learning standards that focus on EPA priorities such as Cleaning Our Communities and Environmental Justice. Students involve themselves in the design, implementation and maintenance of the project for a minimum of 5 years. Examples of student projects include butterfly gardens, prairie plots, rain gardens, and outdoor classrooms.
Chicago Horticultural Society $78,060
Jennifer Gallard, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Science First and College First
Through the Science First and College First project, the Chicago Botanical Garden (CBG) aims to increase students' interest in environmental sciences, improve their academic performance, and encourage them to consider careers in environmental science. The project targets a diverse, predominately low-income population of middle and high school students and educates them through both formal and informal settings. Science First is a four-week intensive summer science program for rising 8th- through 10th- grade students from Chicago Public Schools. Using a rotation of three different themed curriculums based in biology and scientific inquiry, instructors integrate classroom learning and indoor activities with outdoor inquiry-based learning. At the conclusion of the program, students present their findings at an open house for families, CBG staff, and the public. College First is a year-long program that begins with an eight-week paid internship for Chicago Public School rising 11th- and 12th grade students and continues with school-year college preparation meetings. During this program, students learn about various topics such as plant identification, ecosystems, and invasive species in the classroom and take part in field trips to explore higher education opportunities and careers. Both programs include mentoring programs for students as well as parent workshops, which are intended to build parental awareness of and support for careers in environmental science and stewardship.
Monmouth College $35,137
Brenda Tooley, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth, IL 61462
Green and Growing
The Green and Growing project implements a campus garden at Monmouth College that is maintained by students and community members. The college is located in a rural Midwestern town where the effects of industrial agriculture are apparent throughout the community. The campus garden showcases sustainable gardening practices such as composting, mulching, local production and consumption, and nutrition to educate community members on practices that are less demanding on the environment. The vast audience includes local students in kindergarten through grade 8, parents, and teachers, clients and counselors of Warren Achievement Center and Jamieson Community Center, Monmouth College students and faculty, community members, and residents of Warren County. The program reaches these audiences through educational kiosks located throughout the garden, interactive workshops for college students, faculty, and community members, field trips to the garden, elementary curriculum, and an educational live-feed website that captures daily activities at the garden. The Monmouth College campus garden educates the community on the impacts of industrial agricultural practices on the environment and provides the tools for the implementation of sustainable alternatives.
Angelic Organics Learning Center $18,439
Corinne Reynolds, 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011
Creating a Healthy Food System
The goal of the Engaging Youth as Peer Educators in Creating a Healthy Food System project is to teach skills in environmental education to youth peer educators and their teachers through hands-on food and farming activities. Food and farming are cross-cutting ecological issues that affect many areas of environmental and human health. Project training increases knowledge and critical thinking skills related to these issues among school age students. Youth educators help to lead environmental education activities for peers and initiate environmental stewardship projects at school. Through the project, Angelic Organics Learning Center grows a network of schools and individual youth leaders engaged in building a healthier food system. The audience for the project includes youth peer educators (grades 6 through 12) and their teachers from schools in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The youth peer educator and teacher teams work with students from their schools during a field trip at a farm-based learning center. A follow-up stewardship project reaches even more students and family members.
Chicago Public Schools, District #299 $90,307
Jon Schmidt, 125 South Clark Street, 12th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603
Carbon Emissions Reduction Action Project (Ce-RAP)
The Chicago Carbon Emissions Reduction Action Project (Ce-RAP ) creates opportunities for students and teachers in the district to learn about climate change by implementing environmentally focused service-learning projects. Through Ce-RAP, high school students work to reduce carbon emissions in their communities and address the problem of climate in a structured manner. The expected outcome of Ce-RAP is to implement carbon emissions reduction projects across the district and enable schools to work together to address climate change. As a part of the carbon reduction projects, students learn about the consequences of climate change, become familiar with the city's Climate Action Plan, and learn how to conduct carbon emission inventories. Using this knowledge, students conduct emission inventories of their schools, homes, and at local organizations to gather data and establish a baseline of emissions. Students then work with their schools and families to begin to reduce the carbon footprint. The projects are led by teachers and supported with resources, technical assistance, and access coordinated by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS)-Learning Initiative. Ce-Rap builds instruction capacity among teachers by providing training, curricular resources, and access to hands-on service projects that enhance classroom learning. Key partners include the City of Chicago's Department of Environment, the Sierra Club of Illinois, and the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
Friends of the Fox River $45,900
Jenni Kemph, P.O. Box 1314, Crystal Lake, IL 60039
Monitoring Network Expansion
Expansion of the Fox River Water Monitoring Network increases the geographic area monitored, protects more underserved areas of the watershed, and increases citizen participation. Many of the volunteer monitors are teachers and students (grade 3 through college). The Fox River Watershed Monitoring Network provides services that enable students to better understand water quality issues and perform real science while developing a stewardship ethic. The network's expansion attracts more students and teachers from underserved areas and provides added services and opportunities to those in the rest of the watershed. Teachers and students learn new mapping skills, present data, and write local area descriptions for a watershed curriculum to be used by thousands of their peers under new program initiatives. Students attend an annual conference to learn more from professionals and to share information. These students also attend a watershed congress to collaboratively develop initiatives. Network expansion also forms new agency partnerships in underrepresented regions and establishes new training sites and equipment loan locations.
Chicago Horticultural Society $14,000
Patty Benveniste, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022
Fairchild Challenge Chicago
The Fairchild Challenge Chicago is a series of multi-disciplinary educational challenges that increase student knowledge of local environmental issues and facilitate informed decision making and problem solving skills that enable students to address these concerns. Developing these challenge projects involves students in an array of activities, including civic engagement, service learning, marketing, and a variety of artistic options. The diverse challenge categories provide multiple entry points for varied backgrounds and interest levels, attracting a wide cross-section of youth. Student’s work is recognized at a public awards ceremony and traveling gallery exhibit that highlights their ability to take action on local environmental interests, while bringing regional conservation messages to an array of community stakeholders.
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County $11,054
David Guritz, 3 South 580 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Earth Partnership for Schools
The Earth Partnership for Schools curriculum is a nationally recognized model for restoration-based educational programming. The program trains teachers in methods for active engagement of their students in an inquiry-based process for restoring native plant landscapes. Teacher teams attend a 5-day summer institute. After the training, partner agencies provide support services, including classroom outreach, field trip instruction, and technical support for development of native plant landscapes on the school grounds for each participating team.
Illinois Department of Public Health $40,589
Ken Runkle, 525 W. Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62761
Online Safe Chemicals in Schools Workshop
The Safe Chemicals in Schools workshop has been a successful environmental education program for teachers to learn about proper chemical storage and handling. In response to increased demand for the workshops, the project takes materials and lessons learned from the workshops and adapts them to an online format. Topics included in the workshop are hazardous chemicals, how to physically store chemicals in the school, microscale and green chemistry, proper purchasing, and how state learning standards can be used to teach science safety more effectively.
Northern Illinois University $26,689
Dara Little, 301 Lowden Hall, Dekalb, IL 60115
Integration of No Child Left Inside to Promote EE
Teachers are trained on integrating the concept of “No Child Left Inside” within the “No Child Left Behind” framework through the design, development, and delivery of innovative workshops on environmental education. Formal and nonformal teachers identify and gain knowledge about local environmental issues and develop competencies in addressing challenges related to nature deficit disorder. Teachers participate in a training workshop that helps them design a 12-week-long teaching unit and project to integrate into their courses. At the end of the implementation effort, participants are invited to share their outcomes with other educators. A complimentary workshop is offered to nonformal educators.
2007 Grants
Chicago Academy of Sciences $16,038
Rafael Rosa, 2430 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
TEENS: Teenagers Exploring and Explaining Science
The education resources at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum are paired with the field-based environmental and conservation organizations in the Chicago Wilderness coalition to provide underserved and minority students in Chicago public high schools with opportunities to increase knowledge in environmental science: gain exposure to careers in environmental research, conservation and education; and participate in environmental monitoring and restoration in the Chicago area. Opportunities for learning are delivered through TEEN’s program expansion model’s two new environmental career tracks for students: environmental guides (E-Guides) working alongside museum educators and translating science knowledge into interactive programming for museum visitors; and environmental investigators (E-Investigators), working alongside scientists in local environmental monitoring and conservation initiatives. The program increases or expands participants’ educational aspirations, educational and work skills, attitudes toward careers in science; attitudes in science learning and knowledge about science and science-related careers. Outcomes include increased occupational and post-secondary aspirations among program participants, particularly in the sciences and science education; improved student knowledge of and attitudes toward environmental and natural sciences; a national model for museums to implement effective out-of-school time programs for urban teenagers in collaboration with other science research and education organizations; enhancing the ability and capacity of program partners to conduct environmental monitoring and restoration; and developing a model to build capacity for training Chicago’s and the nation’s next generation of environmental scientists and educators to reflect the region’s and nation’s rich cultural diversity.
Chicago Public Schools, District #299 $86,303
John Schmidt, 125 South Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60603
Adopt-an-Ecosystem Imitative
This initiative engages teachers and high school students in low-income communities in service-learning projects that strengthen and enhance the science curriculum and restore and conserve critical urban green and waterway spaces throughout the City of Chicago. Partnering organizations engage schools near identified ecosystems and deliver training, support, and curriculum resources. Teachers who participate in the Adopt-an-Ecosystem Initiative attend workshops to receive training that provides them with tools tot enhance their knowledge of environmental issues. Teachers use classroom curricula to prepare students for stewardship. In turn, students learn about threats to the environment, including invasive species, development, pollution, and neglect, and consider strategies for developing responses to restoring and conserving natural areas in the city. After the classroom lessons, students complete initial site assessments of the ecosystem chosen and spend multiple days involved in on-site restoration and conservation. Partners on this project are the Alliance of the Great Lakes, Friends of the Parks, Building Opportunities for Leadership Development (BOLD) Chicago, Friends of the Chicago River, and the Field Museum.
2006 Grants
City of Chicago, Department of Environment, Community Programming and Outreach $43,345
Juri Jones Moore, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60602
Becoming an Environmental Steward
Local university interns educate students in 24 Chicago public schools about environmental issues in the urban community. The project is an outgrowth of activities used to promote America Recycles Day and incorporates the Growing Green environmental education curriculum developed by the state Department of Environment. The project is divided into two phases. The first phase focuses on recycling. Students explore issues related to recycling and its environmental implications, such as resource depletion and finite landfilling capacity; and barriers to recycling in urban environments. They also study efforts the city is undertaking to encourage recycling; the benefits of recycling, both economic and environmental; steps students and individuals can take to increase recycling at school, home, and play; and ways to make recycling a factor in daily decisions and choices. They capture the information on video. Interns are trained to work with students in developing creative videos that focus on the environmental issue of the students’ choice. In the second phase, the students select another issue as a focus for Earth Day. The issue concentrates on plants, natural resources, energy, and recycling. The second issue also is captured on video as a class project.
CSA Learning Center $10,000
Tom Spaulding, 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011
Roots and Wings
The Roots and Wings program increases the capacity of at-risk youth in the Rockford, Illinois, area to serve as environmental stewards in their community through hands-on farm- and garden-based education and community service. Youth learn about the environmental and health impacts on the food system and serve as peer leaders to help design and lead activities. Parents, community members, and civic leaders are engaged with environmental and health issues through the expansion of a youth-led farmers market business and production of the area’s first youth-generated arts performance about food, health, and the environment.
Lewis and Clark Community College $35,521
Jessica Pascoe, 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035
Environmental Conflict Resolution
In an effort to develop a best practice in environmental stewardship, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) established a program of participative experiences in conflict management on environmental policy issues. NGRREC is a partnership of three primary parties: the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Lewis and Clark Community College, and the Illinois Natural History Survey. High school teachers and their students are targeted from southwest Illinois. A teacher professional development workshop is created to cover the following issues: techniques of conflict resolution, background on environmental issues such as management of wetlands in the Mississippi and Illinois River watersheds, building levees for economic development, conservation, environmental protection, protection of agricultural areas and tourist areas, and identification of the primary interests of all parties involved in these issues. These parties include promoters of economic development, tourism, transportation, recreation, and agriculture. Teachers are provided with a curriculum to integrate into their lesson plans.
2005 Grants
Grand Boulevard Federation $45,515
Greg Washington, 715 East 47th Street, Chicago, IL 60653
Reducing Air Pollution Impacts
The Dan Ryan Expressway reconstruction project is under way in an area of Chicago where asthma rates are among the highest in the city. The Grant Boulevard Federation issues Community Air Alerts, which are based on air quality data provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation. These alerts are issued in an effort to improve community awareness of the impact of air quality on lung health and to promote residents’ understanding of available air quality data related to the Dan Ryan project, Federation community educators also deliver workshops on air quality and asthma. The workshops raise awareness of air pollutants, health impacts, and government health standards for air and prevention tools. Community health educators increase awareness about and knowledge of asthma management in the community by offering “Asthma 101” and “Open Airways for Schools” programs to area schools, centers, and churches. The project empowers the community to apply asthma management techniques in home and school environments, thereby reducing the number of people - especially children, the elderly, and those with lung disease - exposed to asthma triggers from a large-scale construction project. Community educators provide both door-to-door community education and education at senior and recreational centers, parks, libraries, and day care centers and nurseries.
Prairie Grove Consolidated School District $9,996
Kathy Wolfe, 3223 Illinois Route 176, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Prairie Grove's Green Lab
The Prairie Grove Consolidated School District works with kindergarten through grade 5 students and staff, and the community in and around McHenry County. The students learn about seeds, soils, and plants in the classroom before they travel to the school’s land laboratory to experience hands-on activities. Classes also study conservation by taking trips to the McHenry County Conservation District’s Education Center. The school is located in McHenry County, which is one of the fastest-growing counties in Illinois. Prairie Grove was once a strong, agricultural, rural community, but has quickly become a suburban community fighting hard to keep its green space.
2004 Grants
Center For Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation $98,835
Trudi Volk, 1925 New Era Road, Carbondale, IL 62901
EE Leadership Project
In an effort to expand the number of teachers trained and qualified to use the Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions (IEEIA) curriculum, the Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation (CISDE) is conducting a 6-day national workshop for 30 teachers and EE professionals with outstanding leadership abilities. IEEIA, an instructional model designed to help teachers understand the inquiry-based process of investigating environmental issues, trains teachers to better incorporate inquiry-based learning techniques into their EE programs. The teachers and EE professionals then plan and conduct 10 to 12 regional workshops in order to instruct approximately 250 teachers and environmental educators in how to use the IEEIA curriculum. The IEEIA-trained educators reach approximately 3,000 students across the nation who benefit from instruction in the development of critical thinking and decision-making skills. Key project partners are the Department of 4H and Youth Programs and the University of Florida.
Lake Michigan Federation $5,000
Stephanie Smith, 220 South State Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60604
Great Lakes in My World
Great Lakes in My World is a kindergarten through eighth-grade curriculum designed to teach students about the Great Lakes based on the core curriculum areas of science, social studies, and language arts. The project curriculum, which may be used by both formal and nonformal educators, is consistent with state learning standards for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The project originated with a 2002 environmental education award that was used to develop and evaluate the pilot curriculum.
Lewis and Clark Community College $24,986
George Banziger, 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035
Environmental Education Watershed Stewardship
In this project, 35 middle and high school teachers as well as a select group of high school and college trainers participate in an engaging, hands-on watershed education experience that includes both laboratory and field testing. The teachers conduct tests on local watersheds and the high school students and college trainers lead trips to the watershed and oversee water monitoring by students. The objectives of the project include involving teachers in field experiences at watershed sites and using methods of scientific inquiry to monitor watersheds.
St. Charles Park District $1,800
Renae Frigo, 8 North Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174
Native Illinois
The St. Charles Park District is developing a cross-curricular field trip program that combines elements of earth science with a social studies unit that covers American Indians. The program focuses on how American Indian communities use natural and ecological resources. The program is being coordinated with the district's third-grade curriculum.
2003 Grants
Building Opportunities for Leadership Development - Chicago Institute $5,000
Shelly Field, 4865 North Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60640
Calumet is My Backyard
This service-learning program connects 12 teachers and 125 students in public high schools to environmental issues in the Lake Calumet region of southeast Chicago. Through participation in the program, people become leaders and take responsibility for the condition of the Lake Calumet area. The program also allows the Building Opportunities for Leadership Development Chicago Institute to offer coordinated group training for teachers. The program is designed to become a model that can be duplicated in other schools and geographic areas.
Champaign County Forest Preserve District $4,475
Erin Taylor, 2573 S. Homer Lake Road, Homer, IL 61849
Taking a Closer Look at Our Champaign County Environment Educator Workshop
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District is planning a 3-day workshop to instruct kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers about Champaign County's natural resources in terms of their history, current trends, and the future outlook. The workshop is a continuation of a previously offered pilot program. Workshop elements include hands-on field work and a multidisciplinary approach that is correlated with state learning goals and standards. Participating teachers receive a resource kit containing field guides, historical documents, posters, publications, and data collection tools that allow them to conduct lessons in their own classrooms.
Community Supported Agriculture Learning Center Inc. $24,316
Tom Spaulding, 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011
Roots and Shoots
The Roots and Shoots program explores environmental and human health issues through the lens of the nation's food system. The program involves 50 children of ages 8 to 14 living in low-income urban neighborhoods, their families, eight community organizations, and an additional 250 adults and young people. Participants in the program are offered opportunities to obtain fresh produce from community farms and through farmer’s markets. The program also teaches participants how to grow their own produce. In addition, workshops are conducted to share the program model with other groups and organizations.
Interstate RC&D $5,000
Mark Jackson, 3020 East First Avenue, Milan, IL 61264
Project Smart Bus
Project Smart Minds Are Reading Thoroughly (SMART) Bus reduces illiteracy, educates young people, and promotes environmental careers through a series of presentations and hands-on activities. The project materials are kept on a bus that travels to communities in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. The bus, which is similar to a bookmobile, reaches about 2,000 students and 1,500 adults.
Northern Illinois University $24,726
Murali Krishnamurthi, Mail System, Dekalb, IL 60115
Teacher Training on Web-Based Environmental Management Systems
This project involves the design, development, and distribution of a web-based training program for high school and college teachers. In workshops focusing on environmental management systems, the program is used to train the teachers about creative approaches to pollution prevention in homes, communities, and businesses. Evaluators and a teacher focus group conduct program assessments before and after the training to determine whether learning goals are being met.
Wheaton Park District $7,685
Kelly Joslin, 666 Main Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
Forging Partnerships Between Environmental Educators and Preschools in Suburbia
Naturalists are expanding on previous work involving creation of a preschool version of the Wetlands Wonder program. The project is introducing hands-on environmental education for up to 800 preschool students and their teachers. Teacher training workshops are scheduled for fall 2003 and spring 2004. As an incentive, teachers who complete the training are invited to either participate in a complementary program at a local marsh or have a naturalist lead their students in an exploration of their schools’ natural surroundings.
2002 Grants
Lake County Forest Preserve District $5,000
Nan Buckardt, 2000 North Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville, IL 60048
Ecosystem Investigation Institute
The Lake County Forest Preserve District is conducting a 5-day ecosystem investigation workshop for third- through eighth-grade teachers highlighting three of the major ecosystem types in Illinois. The purpose of the workshop is to connect teachers with content and resources to strengthen their curricula dealing with ecosystems.
Lake Michigan Federation $4,900
Stephanie Smith, 220 South State Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60604
Great Lakes in My World
This project trains 25 teachers to use the "Great Lakes in My World" curriculum (kindergarten through grade 8). The curriculum is being revised to align with state learning standards and education reform, and includes problem-solving, project-based, interdisciplinary, and real-world learning experiences. Training takes place through in-service workshops.
Rockford Public Schools No. 205 $97,817
Sharon Wynstra, 201 South Madison Street, Rockford, IL 61104
Collaboration Leading to Environmental Awareness in Rockford (CLEAR)
Using an interdisciplinary approach, the project incorporates the study of water resources in relation to science, social science, math, English, and communications. The project begins with a training institute for teachers held by museum educational staff and local conservation and ecology experts. The teachers subsequently develop a program that provides classroom instruction to students prior to field trips. Middle grade students are engaged in a series of classroom and field studies during which they learn about water resources. Key partnerships include the Burpee Museum of Natural Science and INSIGHT Communications. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the City of Rockford Water Division, and the Winnebago County Forest Preserve will provide additional training and technical support.
Wheaton Park District $3,455
Kelly Joslin, 666 South Main Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
Forging Partnerships Between Educators and Preschools in Suburbia
Forging partnerships between environmental educators and preschools in suburbia, naturalists are working with 20 preschool teachers and curriculum development professionals to refine the "Wetlands Wonders" program. The goal is to educate teachers on how to provide nature-based programs in the classroom and at a natural area. The project introduces experiential environmental education to as many as 400 preschoolers and their teachers.
Windy City Earth Force $10,000
Julie E. Schultz, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, The Field Museum - Environmental and Conservation Programs, Chicago, IL 60605-2496
Lake County Indiana Initiative
Windy City Earth Force is partnering with the Grand Calumet Task Force and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to develop activities for approximately 100 fifth- through ninth-grade students to prepare them for a community action project on an environmental issue of their choice.
2001 Grants
Environmental Education Unit, Chicago Housing Authority $89,325
Kathryn Greenberg, 626 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661
Healthy Homes Education Project
Through training, hands-on demonstrations, and tool kits, residents of public housing developments in Chicago are participating in a program that addresses health problems that affect residents of impoverished minority communities because of exposure to indoor air pollutants, allergens, and pesticides. Participants in the project learn how to promote environmentally healthy homes through intensive training sessions, workshops, and home visits. The project educates residents of public housing developments, staff of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), managers of private property, and pest control subcontractors about integrated pest management and the environmental health hazards caused by indoor air pollutants, allergens, and exposure to pesticides. That goal will be accomplished by: (1) increasing awareness and knowledge on the part of residents about interrelated environmental issues, (2) increasing their knowledge about asthma management, (3) increasing implementation of asthma management plans for families residing in public housing who are affected by asthma, and (4) decreasing the number of pests present in housing units and the amounts of pesticide used in those units. Supporters of the project include CHA’s Environmental Unit, Pediatric Case Management Services, the American Lung Association, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Safer Pest Control Project.
Interstate RC&D $5,000
Mark Jackson, 3020 East First Avenue, Milan, IL 61264
Outdoor Nature & Environmental Education
The Outdoor Environmental Education Program of Interstate RC&D provides teacher training and hands-on experiential learning activities for 2,000 students in grades 3 through 8. It is intended to give students and teachers a basic understanding and knowledge of plant and animal communities native to northwestern Illinois and eastern Iowa. The students are instructed in the wise use and management of local natural resources.
MidAmerica Leadership Foundation - Ecovida $4,990
Alicia Gutierrez, 1840 South Throop Street, Chicago, IL 60608
Ecological Pilot Program at Manuel Perez Elementary School
In partnership with the Manuel Perez Elementary School, Heifer Project, and Community Supported Agriculture of Angelic Organics, Ecovida implements aquaculture, vermiculture, organic gardening, and various other programs that focus on themes related to ecology at Manuel Perez Elementary School. The project is a pilot program during the 2001-2002 school year.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences $22,700
Rafael Rosa, 2060 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Chicago Del Sol
Chicago Del Sol is a pilot project that teaches environmental science to elementary students through an innovative technology initiative promoted by the city of Chicago. The academy works in partnership with Reilly Elementary School, the first public school in Chicago to install solar panels. At least four solar energy activities geared toward students in grades 4 through 6 are developed and posted on a web site. In addition, a live web chat is developed to allow students to talk on line with experts in solar energy.
Thornton Fractional Township High School $5,000
Robert Wilhite, 1601 Wentworth Avenue, Calumet City, IL 60409
Prairie Heritage Project: Reestablishing a Native Illinois Sand Prairie
The science department of Thornton Fractional Township High School plans to use the Prairie Heritage Project to help students reestablish links to their communities’ natural heritage. Thornton’s environmental club completes the initial phases of the project before the school year begins. The land also is used as a classroom without walls and a demonstration site for neighboring communities. During the school year, students in freshman biology classes participate in reclaiming land, monitoring changes, and learning about the role of prairie environments in a healthy ecosystem.
2000 Grants
Benedictine University-Jurica Nature Museum $4,999
Mary Mickus, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
Outdoor Field Training Workshop for Elementary Educators
In partnership with the DuPage County Forest Preserve, Jurica Nature Museum of Benedictine University offers a collaborative field training workshop to 20 elementary teachers. The goal of the four-day workshop is to help teachers improve their environmental education teaching skills by integrating outdoor field experiences into already existing curriculum materials. The workshop focuses on local streams and offers outdoor field training with hands-on activities, including data collection and computer data entry. The curriculum integration component correlates with the Illinois goals for professional development for teachers and science education for students.
1999 Grants
American Lung Association (ALA) of Illinois $4,900
Karen Lanter, 1600 Golfview, Suite 260, Collinsville, IL 62234
Managing Asthma in the Daycare Setting
The American Lung Association (ALA) of Illinois conducts train-the-trainer sessions for daycare providers in the East St. Louis metropolitan area. Using the Children's Television Workshop's A is for Asthma video, the ALA educates the providers about the environmental factors that trigger asthma attacks in young children. The preschoolers then learn from their daycare providers how to prevent or manage their asthma attacks.
Bi-State Regional Commission $10,000
Gena McCullough, 1504 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61204
Illinois-Iowa Quad-Cities Air Quality Project for Teachers
The goal of the project is to improve public education in the Quad-Cities metropolitan area in issues related to air quality and air pollution. The project focuses on health risks related to air pollution. A workshop for teachers, for which an existing curriculum is used, is reinforced by the pursuit of air quality issues on a World Wide Web site. The teacher education project is the first of a number of public education projects developed through the efforts of the Quad Cities Air Quality Task Force.
Edgar County Public Health Department $16,209
Jeff Murphy, 502 Shaw Avenue, Paris, IL 61944
Environmental Education in the Paris School District
The Edgar County Public Health Department and Southeast Missouri State University work with teachers and students in the Paris School District to provide training and resources for the implementation of an environmental education program that features the investigation of an ecosystem adjacent to the city's drinking-water source. The program establishes and implements an innovative multidisciplinary science education and research program that includes both classroom and field components for 1,000 students in grades 6 through 12.
Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI) $5,000
Mary Rice, Spring Valley Nature Center, 111 East Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194
Implementing the State Strategic Plan for Environmental Education
The Illinois Environmental Education Advancement Consortium (IEEAC) sponsors a one-and-one-half-day workshop immediately preceding the state environmental education conference. Using the Open Space process, participants further the state's environmental education (EE) master plan, strengthen newly formed regional EE teams, and enhance support for EE and coordination of EE programs in the state. The Open Space format allows both the Environmental Education Association of Illinois (EEAI) and IEEAC to identify and train new leaders, while at the same time energizing the environmental education community.
Friends of the Chicago River $4,999
Chris Parson, 407 South Dearborn, Suite 1580, Chicago, IL 60605
Rivers in the Classroom
Friends of the Chicago River is conducting a one-week teacher training program in the summer of 1999. More than 30 teachers are trained to implement the Rivers in the Classroom curriculum and receive graduate credit for their participation. After five full days of classroom instruction and hands-on field work, participants are ready to implement a unit on rivers in their classrooms. Friends of the Chicago River provides postworkshop support through that organization's Chicago River Schools Network program.
Lake County Forest Preserve $24,330
Lynn Hepler, Ryerson Woods, 21950 North Riverwoods Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
Youth Stewardship Education Project
The Youth Stewardship Education Project provides students with the opportunity to help restore the natural qualities of the forest preserve lands in Lake County. The program is presented as part of the curriculum in participating classes and includes presentations by staff of the forest preserves in the classrooms. Teachers participate in hands-on workshops, and students visit the forest preserves to assess, evaluate, and remediate the habitats.
1998 Grants
Business and Professional People for the Public Interest $24,192
Jill Viehweg, 17 E. Monroe Street, Suite 212, Chicago, IL 60603
Integrated Pest Management
The Safer Pest Control Project (SPCP) educates community leaders and residents of neighborhoods in Chicago about techniques of integrated pest management (IPM). SPCP provides an educational comic book through which readers learn the appropriate techniques for controlling cockroaches in their homes, while avoiding indiscriminate or illegal use of pesticides. In an effort to reach diverse audiences, the comic book is made available in both English and Spanish. SPCP also conducts a series of train-the-trainer seminars, during which participants learn how to implement IPM in their homes and receive the supplies they need to teach others about IPM. SPCP trains 100 to 150 community leaders who in turn reach 350 to 400 residents of Chicago communities.
Chicago Academy of Sciences $24,550
Phil Parfitt, 2060 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Butterfly Gardens in Schools
Using the successful Ecological Citizenship program (funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) as a model, the Chicago Academy of Sciences trains teachers to use butterfly gardens as educational tools. Selected teachers and their respective students in six Chicago schools participate in the program. Teachers attend three workshops to study biodiversity and learn strategies for teaching ecological issues. Students create, design, and develop a butterfly garden at their schools and are responsible for maintenance of the gardens. During the school year, staff of the academy make three visits to the classrooms of participating students and provide continual assistance to ensure the success of the program. Three lectures provided at the newly constructed nature museum give members of the communities involved the opportunity to learn from butterfly experts and to view the newly created exhibit Butterfly Haven.
Illinois Easter Seal Society $95,322
Tom Berkshire, 2715 S. 46th, Springfield, IL 62703
TASK: Teaching Agricultural Safety to Kids
The educational priority of TASK: Teaching Agricultural Safety to Kids is to address health issues and mitigate the threats to human health posed by environmental pollution, as such pollution and health threats affect children on farms and in rural communities in Illinois. The project trains 100 high school students to teach 50 classes of students in grades five through eight about rural environmental pollution, agricultural safety, and responsible decision making. The high school students learn to use educational material and apply teaching techniques. They develop leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills that allow them to take action on environmental issues. The curricula for the elementary classes cover such environmental issues as runoff, spills, and disposal of chemicals; burning of solid waste; crop dusting and its effect on air quality; and generation of dust and molds from storage of feed and grain and the health and safety concerns related to those issues. The TASK curriculum has been translated into Spanish for presentation to migrant farm workers. Partners in the TASK program are the Illinois State Board of Education, Future Farmers of America (FFA) of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Lincoln Park Zoo $11,842
Susan Teller-Marshall, P. O. Box 14903, 2150 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
People, Places, & Change
The Lincoln Park Zoo is expanding its People, Places, & Change teacher education program. Participants in the program examine historical change and development in an area and then determine the nature and causes of the change. The curriculum of the workshop is correlated to the state's science standards, thereby dramatically increasing use of the resources and materials. The zoo uses the grant funds to double the workshop hours, provide a stipend to participating teachers, and enhance the teaching materials provided. Environmental professionals in a variety of areas provide teachers participating in the workshop with background information about environmental issues. They also serve as resources for the participants after the workshop has concluded. The workshop therefore is more comprehensive than past programs, and teachers have support available after the program has ended.
St. Clair County Health Department $5,000
Barbara A. Hohlt, 19 Public Square, Suite 150, Belleville, IL 62220-1624
Clear the Air/Save the Environment
The St. Clair County Health Department increases awareness of air pollution issues and educates community members about the effects of ozone on public health. The department provides an educational display that is used at a variety of conferences throughout the year. The department also conducts three training sessions to educate community members about air pollution, ozone depletion, and the adverse health effects associated with various air pollutants. The county's clean air hotline is updated regularly, and a communications system is used to notify local businesses about ozone action and alert days.
1997 Grants
American Lung Association of Illinois $4,953
Karen Lanter, 6100 Center Grove Road, Edwardsville, IL 62025
Open Airways for Schools
Under this project, the American Lung Association (ALA) of Illinois is training nursing students at Southern Illinois University and school nurses in East St. Louis and Granite City to use the highly structured and user-friendly curriculum Open Airways. The curriculum teaches 8- to 11-year-old students how to control and manage their asthma. The trained educators will reach more than 200 students in 20 schools throughout East St. Louis and Granite City, areas in which 99 percent of the children are African American from families that have incomes less than the average in the state. Through participation in the program, children learn to manage their asthma by identifying factors that trigger attacks, including environmental conditions. Children therefore experience improved health and increase their awareness of environmental issues, particularly those related to environmental justice.
Benedictine University $4,948
Mary Mickus, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
Elementary Outreach Program - Discovery Boxes
Under this project, the Jurica Nature Museum, housed in the Scholl Science Center, is expanding its environmental education and outreach program by developing discovery boxes that focus on local issues related to biodiversity and the ecosystem. The boxes, which are distributed on loan to elementary school teachers, contain a variety of environmental lessons and activities. The project reaches more than 3,000 students in their classroom, as well as 80 school groups that visit the museum's new and improved interactive environmental exhibits. Through the discovery box activities and museum visits, students learn to identify environmental issues, state facts accurately, and resolve problems and develop an understanding of how difficult decisions are reached. The project also trains science teachers in methods of teaching a curriculum on environmental diversity.
Center for Instruction, Staff Development, and Evaluation $153,843
Trudi Volk, 1925 New Era Road, Carbondale, IL 62901
Environmental Education for Responsible Citizenship
The Environmental Education for Responsible Citizenship project builds upon an earlier project of the Center for Instruction, Staff Development, and Evaluation that trained 300 educators in 10 states and Puerto Rico in the use of two curricula. The new project introduces a leadership component, the Trainer of Trainers Workshop, which brings together 50 of the trained and experienced teachers to prepare them to conduct five-day workshops in their regions for an estimated 1,250 other educators. The project involves more than 1,200 formal and informal educators in grades 5 through 12 and makes special effort to target teachers of minorities. The curriculum is published in both English and Spanish.
Chicago Park District $4,783
Sofia Refetoff, 425 E. McFetridge Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Environmental Education in Urban Parks
Under this project, the Chicago Park District is integrating environmental education into its core program through a series of intensive staff development workshops and lectures. Managers, park supervisors, and park instructors receive training in the educational programs Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, and Project Aquatics and in waste management. Park staff learn to integrate environmental education into the district's existing programs, which serve more than 40,000 children throughout the city. In its first year, the project reached approximately 360 park personnel from 260 city parks, as well as an estimated 3,600 students influenced by the trained employees. The Chicago Park District conducts the project in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
Heartland Community College $5,000
Mark Finley, 1226 Towanda, Bloomington, IL 61701
Mackinaw Watershed Environmental Education
Heartland Community College is conducting this project designed to increase public awareness of and knowledge about environmental issues that affect the upper Mackinaw River system. The project focuses first on community education and then on teacher education. Its community courses teach high school students and members of the public to collect information about environmental assessment in the local watershed, evaluate the information, and identify stresses on the river system. In addition, a five-day summer workshop teaches educators to use the Mackinaw River as a natural laboratory. The project has reached more than 100 students and more than 30 teachers from several communities. The Heartland Community College conducts the project in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency $24,000
Brian Urbaszewski, P. O. Box 19276, Springfield, IL 62794
A Tour of the Urban Environment
Under this project, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is enhancing the air pollution component of a new environmental science exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry called A Tour of the Urban Environment. Using an interactive device and a display unit, the exhibit educates students and the public about the sources of urban ozone smog, the health risks it poses, and solutions to the smog problem. The project fosters an understanding of the human actions and scientific processes that lead to the formation of ozone and encourages consideration of preventive actions that might decrease ozone levels in the Chicago region. Each year, the museum hosts more than 400,000 students in school and other youth groups among its 1.7 million visitors.
Metropolitan Chicago Council of Campfire, Inc. $5,000
Jean D. Lachowicz, 203 N. Wabash, #1518, Chicago, IL 60601
Farm Camp
The Farm Camp project takes 40 boys and girls in the Campfire organization, along with 12 trained adult volunteers, to an organic farm in Caledonia, Illinois, where the children spend three days learning about the day-to-day operations of the farm and observing environmentally conscious food production and farming. The children explore the issues of agricultural waste, biodiversity, and erosion. Through a series of hands-on activities, the children learn to think critically and evaluate environmental issues and the relationship of such issues to hunger, land use, agricultural techniques, and earth awareness.
Public School District #29 - Sunset Ridge Elementary School $5,000
Georgia Bozeday, 525 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield, IL 60093
Impact of the Water Cycle on Regional and Global Ecosystems
Students in grades four to eight at Sunset Ridge Elementary School study their local wetlands through daily collection of various data. The activities conducted under this project include field trips to local wetland habitats and to a water reclamation plant. The students then share the data collected with others throughout the world through the GLOBE program, a worldwide network of students and scientists working together to learn about the global environment. Students also create multimedia presentations based on their outdoor investigations. In addition, educators attend GLOBE training workshops that equip them to use the computer program effectively in their classrooms. More than 250 students participate in wetland activities and the GLOBE program.
The Conservation Foundation of Du Page County $5,000
Anne Marie Smith, 703 Warrenville Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Envirothon
The Du Page County Envirothon tests students' knowledge and understanding of issues related to the use of the state's resources, cultivates a desire to learn more about the natural world, and promotes interest in environmental careers. After competing at the county level, students proceed to a statewide competition. State winners then participate in a competition that involves participants from 15 states. Du Page and Kane counties draw participants from environmental clubs at public high schools, various private schools, and 4-H clubs. The expanding program is expected to reach 140 students and 35 teachers in its second year. Du Page County and the Kane-Du Page Soil and Water Conservation District work in partnership to coordinate and host the Envirothon.
1996 Grants
American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago $4,696
Ron Burke, Director, Environmental and Occupational Health, 1440 West Washington, Chicago, IL 60607
Asthma Train-the-Trainer Program
The Asthma Train-the-Trainer Program has the goal of training health-care providers on how to reduce the prevalence and severity of asthma among low-income minorities. Health-care providers will transfer the training to their patients and teach them how to evaluate and abate home environmental asthma-causing exposures. The training will be evaluated and shared with other health-care institutions.
Center for Instruction, Staff Development, and Evaluation $110,187
Trudi L. Volk, 1925 New Era Road, Carbondale, IL 62901
Environmental Education for Responsible Citizenship
The Center for Instruction, Staff Development, and Evaluations project improves environmental education teaching skills for teachers and nonformal educators through workshops. Environmental Education for Responsible Citizenship trains 300 teachers and related personnel in Illinois to use existing research-proven environmental curricula with middle and secondary school students. The project helps these educators to conceptualize critical environmental issues and acquire and apply investigation skills for evaluation of environmental issues. These individuals are developing methodological skills to implement issue investigation and evaluation in classrooms. The project reaches 300 teachers and 10,000 students, including minorities.
Eugene Field Chicago Public School $4,358
Neal Schwartzberg, Science Lab Instructor, 7019 North Ashland, Chicago, IL 60626
Lake Links Teacher Education Program
The Lake Links Teacher Education Program is building on the partnership the Eugene Field School has developed with the Chicago Academy of Sciences in order to educate fourth through eighth grade teachers about the school's Great Lakes curriculum entitled, Lake Links. Workshops will focus on issues that are relevant to the local Lake Michigan ecosystem and will engage teachers in water quality testing. School to home connections and community involvement will be integrated throughout the project.
George Pullman Chicago Public School $4,650
Patricia Scott, Teacher, 11113 S. Forrestville, Chicago, IL 60628
Strategic Technological Environmental Project Strategies for an Ecological Utopia
Through the Strategic Technological Environmental Project Strategies for an Ecological Utopia the George Pullman Elementary School body is learning about local environmental issues in southeast Chicago and developing a school-wide conservation plan. Staff, parents and the community are participating in action-oriented projects with the students related to water quality, recycling, toxic emissions, and gardening.
Illinois Environmental Education Advocacy Consortium $5,000
Nan Buckardt, Treasurer, c/o Environmental Education Association of Illinois, 2060 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Training Workshop for Nonformal Environmental Education Providers
The Illinois Environmental Education Advocacy Consortium is refining an in-service training workshop it recently developed for nonformal educators statewide. The workshop covers environmental education pedagogy, state learning standards, assessment, and environmental education resources. The workshop is enabling nonformal educators to incorporate the latest environmental education developments into programs they offer to Illinois classroom teachers.
Regional Office of Education #40 $5,000
Kyle Hlafka, Executive Director, 220 North Broad Street, Carlinville, IL 62626
H2O Below
The Regional Office of Education is providing educator training and follow-up networking sessions to 15 rural districts and eight private schools using H2O Below, an interdisciplinary groundwater education program. Teachers will learn how to conduct a well history survey and test water quality. Teachers will also learn how to use Beaver Dam State Park and McCully Heritage Project as outdoor learning laboratories.
1995 Grants
Alexander Dumas Chicago Public Elementary School $2,319
Linda Bloise, 6650 S. Ellis, Chicago, IL 60637
The Prairie Garden
Funds from this grant will go toward the purchase of seeds and equipment to enable elementary students to plan, prepare, plant, and maintain a prairie at the school site. Dissemination of the project to other schools through a newsletter will draw in partnerships throughout the school district.
Chicago Legal Clinic $15,000
Keith Harley, 2938 E. 91st Street, Chicago, IL 60617
"Toxic Watch" Sessions: EE in Northwest Indiana
The Chicago Legal Clinic will develop and offer 15 "Toxic Watch" educational sessions in partnership with PAHLS, an environmental organization in northwest Indiana. Sessions will empower residents of northwest Indiana to form a well-grounded understanding of the nature and extent of toxics and their use and emissions at area facilities.
Chicago State University - College of Arts and Sciences $5,000
Tim Beall, 9501 South King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628
Environmental Impact Analysis Course
The result of this project will be the development of an Environmental Impact Analysis course for college students and local citizens. The course will culminate in a project which requires that participants conduct an environmental analysis of a current issue in southeast Chicago.
Herbert Spencer Chicago Public Elementary School $4,850
Sandra Givens, 214 N. Lavergne Avenue, Chicago, IL 60644
Great Lakes Education Program for Urban Students
The purpose of this project is to educate 130 6th graders on the importance of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Students will learn how to protect this ecosystem through the use of hands-on classroom activities and exposure to the issues through field trips.
Illinois Audubon Society $5,000
Susie Schreiber, P. O. Box 608, White Thorn Road, Wayne, IL 60184
Building a Network Environmental Education Coalition in Illinois
In collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Education Advocacy Consortium, Illinois Audubon will build a networking coalition of environmental education providers throughout the state in order to establish statewide, comprehensive environmental education policies and promote environmental literacy.
Illinois Benedictine College - Jurica Nature Museum $4,989
Father Theodore Suchy, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
Elementary Outreach in Environmental Education
The purpose of this project is to develop a series of workshops and discovery boxes for teachers in 150 schools in Dupage County. The focus of the workshops and boxes is on the museum's passerine and water bird collection. The project extends a 1993 EPA grant that funded the development of 14 discovery boxes for teachers to borrow and use in their classrooms for investigative, hands-on activities.
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health $22,751
Bill Knorr, 525 W. Jefferson, Springfield, IL 62761
East St. Louis Schools Lead Poisoning Prevention Education Program
The purpose of this project is to provide educational modules and workshops on lead poisoning prevention to more than 800 primary and secondary school teachers and nurses in 29 East St. Louis schools. Modules will be translated into Spanish.
Mark Sheridan Math and Science Chicago Public Magnet School $5,000
Susan O'Neill, 533 W. 27th Street, Chicago, IL 60616
Teacher/Artist Environmental Education Curriculum Implementation
This project will provide a full school teacher in-service program using the arts as a mechanism for teaching environmental education. An integrated environmental curriculum developed by science teachers and artists under an EPA 1994 environmental grant will be used.
McHenry County Defenders $5,000
Cynthia Skrukrud, 132 Cass Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
Young Defenders: Parents and Children Investigating Local Ecology
Organizers of this project will recruit and train community volunteers to offer proven, hands-on environmental education activities to groups of 8 to 12 year old children and their families. The Young Defenders Project is part of Volunteers in Neighborhood Ecology Network (VINE) of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Winnebago/Rockford Clean and Beautiful $2,615
Nancy Kalchbrenner, 6602 N. Second, Rockford, IL 61111
Wheel of 3R's Game
Organizers of this project seek to design, construct, and demonstrate a selective shopping education program called "Wheel of 3R's" that will be presented in game format. The game will be presented at schools, fairs, and conferences with the goal of encouraging purchasing habits which support waste minimization and source reduction.
1994 Grants
Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago $5,000
Ellen Glantz, 625 W. Jackson, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60661
Community Network for Solid Waste Management Education
This project will seek to develop a community network for solid waste management education. With the grant funds, the organization will offer bilingual workshops that will result in improved recycling practices and reduction of waste in the Lathrop Homes Community. Lathrop Homes is comprised of 1,000 families, predominately African American and Hispanic. The workshops, which will be presented in partnership with other Chicago non-profit organizations and local government offices, will be targeted toward parents and emphasize family recycling.
DeWitt County Soil and Water Conservation District $5,000
Carol Thompson, 804 W. VanBuren, P. O. Box 617, Clinton, IL 61727
Habitat Enhancement
The goal of this project is to collaborate on an environmental education program with Weldon Springs Foundation and State Recreational Area that will offer some 2,087 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in Clinton, Illinois the opportunity to learn about habitat enhancement and the local ecosystem. Funds will be used to develop a teacher workshop and lesson plans that present the park as a living classroom.
Environmental Education Association of Illinois $5,000
John Beaver, 47 Horrabin Hall, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455
1994 Midwest Environmental Education Conference
This project will assist the Environmental Education Association of Illinois in its sponsorship of the 1994 Midwest Environmental Education Conference. Funds will support educational programming at the conference which will be held October 27-29, 1994, at the Eagle Ridge Resort and Conference Center in Galena, Illinois. Sponsorship of the Midwest conference rotates between Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The theme of this year's conference in Illinois is "Environmental Education: Making the Right Connection." The conference, which will offer workshops, interactive sessions, presentations, and networking opportunities, is open to all Midwest environmental educators.
Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District $4,913
Larry Firkus, P. O. Box 482, Edwardsville, IL 62025
Environmental Education Programs for the Community
This project will facilitate in the delivery of environmental education programs to the community. Funds will be used to hire an environmental education coordinator to work in cooperation with several local organizations. The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District environmental education coordinator will work to integrate environmental education in 14 school districts throughout the county, make presentations to city officials on erosion control and storm water management, and assist rural landowners with sustainable agriculture research.
Mark Sheridan Magnet School $5,000
Susan O'Neill, 533 W. 27th Street, Chicago, IL 60616
Environmental Education for the Mark Sheridan Magnet School
The purpose of this project is to add a strong environmental education component to the Mark Sheridan Magnet School's math, science and art curriculum. Funds will be used to teach ten classroom teachers and five artists to integrate environmental issues into their classroom curriculum and focus on the ecosystems of Southeast Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Workshops will foster higher order thinking and learning by teaching environmental education through the arts. The project will serve as a model for teacher training at 43 other schools throughout Chicago's sixth school district.
Native American Educational Services College (NAES) $24,995
Faith Smith, 2838 West Peterson, Chicago, IL 60659
Environmental Education Program for the Native American Education Services
The purpose of this project is to develop a comprehensive environmental education program at the Native American Education Services (NAES) College campus located on the Menominee Reservation in northeastern Wisconsin. With the grant, NAES College will develop a bachelor's degree program in natural resources, formalize a community service training program with the Tribe, integrate environmental instruction into Native American study for kindergarten through 12th graders, and create a local library resource related to the environment for Menominee community members. The project will reach more than 2,000 Menominees.
1993 Grants
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine $5,000
Susan Adamowski, 55 West Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Environmental Medicine Core Curriculum
The purpose of this project is to develop a core curriculum in environmental medicine aimed at educating health care professionals so that they can serve as environmental educators in their communities. The curriculum will enable the physicians to instruct on the subject of environmental risks.
Heartland Water Resources Council $5,000
Michael Platt, 5823 Forest Park Drive, Peoria, IL 61614
Water Monitoring for High School Students
The grant funds a project intended to teach high school students about environmental damage caused by non-point source pollution by involving them in a water-monitoring program. Students will sample and measure streams and sediment deposition and present their findings to city councils and the public. Project results will be presented to 200 schools in 14 states at the March 1994 Illinois Rivers Project Student Congress.
Illinois Benedictine College $4,997
Theodore Suchy, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532
Teaching Aids for Elementary Teachers
The purpose of this project is to develop a series of teaching aids, curricular materials, and workshops which support and improve the efforts of local elementary teachers. Workshops will show teachers hands-on science strategies that focus on the Midwest ecosystem.
Illinois Department of Public Health $21,658
Sharron LaFollette, 525 West Jefferson, Springfield, IL 62761
Reduction of Lead Poisoning
This project pilots an educational program on lead poisoning and reduction in one of the most impoverished communities in the nation: East St. Louis, a high-risk, low-income community in Illinois. Funds will be used to develop a videotape and accompanying booklet on strategies for identifying and reducing sources of lead cost-effectively. The Illinois Department of Public Health will work closely with community leaders and families so that homeowners understand how to minimize risks from lead exposure.
Robert Crown Center for Health Education $3,850
Cyndi Weingard, 21 Salt Creek Lane, Hinsdale, IL 60521
Saving Mother Earth
The "Saving Mother Earth" project is an environmental/human ecology program aimed at 2nd and 3rd graders. The program uses multimedia instruction to empower young students so that they understand their role in preserving the environment. The program will reach more than 207,000 students in the Chicagoland area.
1992 Grants
Amundsen High School $12,861
Chicago, IL 60625
Environmental Studies Laboratory
This grant will help to establish an environmental studies laboratory to service the entire student body at the Amundsen High School in Chicago. This high school has recently converted the focus of its entire curriculum to that of an environmental magnet school.
Chicago Academy of Sciences $117,825
Chicago, IL 60614
Ecological-Citizenship
Project "Ecological-Citizenship" incorporates environmental education into the urban community's culture. Designed specifically for urban areas, Eco-Cit involves students, teachers, parents, and the community. The core element of the program is a multi-disciplinary ecology program involving hands-on exploration of environmental issues that affect the community. The Academy proposes to create a model program that can be used to introduce environmental education in inner-city settings throughout the country.
Gaia Theater $4,875
Chicago, IL 60645
Energy Curriculum
This grant funds the development of a theatrical presentation and curriculum package on energy conservation and consumption geared toward Chicago Public School students in grades 4 through 8.
Illinois State University, Department of Health Sciences $5,000
Normal, IL 61761
Environmental Education Curriculum
The project involves the development, implementation, and evaluation of a 1st grade environmental education curriculum with a teacher workshop.
Marist High School $2,250
Chicago, IL 60655
WEATHERFAX
This grant funds the installation of the WEATHERFAX system to allow students to interact with live, continuous, incoming weather satellite images that can be applied to the school's physics and laboratory science classes. The project also involves teacher education.
Millikin University $4,700
Decatur, IL 62522
Freshwater Ecosystems
This project introduces high school students to freshwater ecosystems. Students participate as field investigators in a six-day course, in which they learn methods of identification, collection, and the development of a plan of study.
Skokie Park District, Emily Oaks Nature Center $4,380
Skokie, IL 60076
Earth Education Program
This grant funds the development of sequential two-year cumulative hands-on earth education program consisting of a nature center and school-based activities.
South Suburban College $5,000
South Holland, IL 60473
Teacher Workshop for Environmental Science
This project establishes a teacher workshop to conduct hands-on environmental science experiences in their respective classrooms. The project also establishes a science hotline for district teachers.
Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary, Schaumburg Park $5,000
Schaumburg, IL 60194
Environmental Education Outreach Program and Nature Center
This project involves the formulation of an environmental education outreach program and nature center.