Profiles of Environmental Education Grants Awarded to Organizations in Oklahoma
- Indicates a Headquarters grant
2015 Grants
Oklahoma State University $91,000
Justin Moss, 203 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74074
http://go.okstate.edu/Exit
Incorporating Water and Environmental Education into Oklahoma City Charter School Curricula
Oklahoma State University plans to improve environmental education for the Santa Fe South Charter School—located in a disadvantaged minority urban area—by including urban agriculture in the curriculum for more than 1,500 students. The project will increase environmental and conservation awareness for school-age children and parents through school-farm and community activities. Local environmental efforts are combined with concerns for disadvantaged families by using the Santa Fe South Charter School as an environmental and experiential learning location. Environmental education will be introduced as a year-round theme for a variety of subjects (for example, in math, English, social studies, science and art) in the school—helping teachers introduce environmental concepts into their lesson plans. Students will also grow native plants in the school garden to reflect the ethnic makeup of the students who attend Santa Fe South Charter School. The garden enables the students to understand the importance of water-efficient crops and the use of those crops in landscaping, erosion control and native habitats.
2011 Grants
Ozark Tracker Society $77,021
Dr. Sarah Hammond, 16764 CR 465, Colcord, OK 74338
Ozark Nature Mentoring Initiative
The Ozark Nature Mentoring Initiative’s provides a three tier approach to Environmental Education, with the first tier providing Nature Mentoring workshops for 200 local, state, and tribal educators. The second tier consists of conducting a “virtual mentoring community”, providing additional training to educators while fostering a long-term relationship with individuals and communities. The third tier gives 80 trained educators the opportunity to work alongside the Ozark Tracker Society mentors so that they will feel capable of taking this training back to their own communities. Partners include Jon Young and the 8SG, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Corps of Engineers, Arkansas State Parks, and the Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks which consists of the Cherokee and Creek Nation, The Nature Conservancy, Land Legacy, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation each of which are providing a venue for Nature Mentoring workshops as well as recruiting educators from tribal, local, and state organizations to be trained as mentors. Target audiences in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri consist of historically underrepresented areas in Environmental Education many lying below the poverty level where economic concerns often outweigh environmental concerns as a priority. At the end of the project data will be analyzed to be reported at State Environmental Education Meetings and back to EPA. The goal of this three tiered approach is to create a sustainable mentoring community, to have project participants create nature mentoring communities in their own areas, fostering environmental stewardship at the individual and organizational level. Environmental Education Priorities addressed are EE Teaching Skills and Community Projects and the Administrators Environmental Priorities addressed are Cleaning Up Our Communities and Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice.
Up With Trees $23,666
Anna America, 1102 South Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119
Youth Citizen Forester Program
Up With Trees, a 501(c)3 non-profit, requested funding to implement the Youth Citizen Forestry program. This project addresses the Educational Priority of Career Development and the Environmental Priority of Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice. The Youth Citizen Forestry Program will enroll high school age youth from underrepresented schools and Phoenix Rising in a six-week internship program during the summer of 2012. Participants will learn environmental stewardship including how to plant, preserve, and promote trees planted throughout public areas in Tulsa. In addition to exploring the importance of and care of the urban forest, students will explore the forestry industry in Oklahoma, careers in forestry or horticulture, sustainable living practices, alternative energy and bio-fuels, and the importance of soil and water quality. Goals of the Youth Citizen Forester Program are to build a corps of young people who will accept personal responsibility for actions to improve the environment including protecting the environment in the future. Presentations will be made to the interns on forestry and environmental sciences as areas of higher education options and corresponding careers. Key partners include Phoenix Rising, an alternative Tulsa Public School, Tulsa Community College Horticulture Department, City of Tulsa Department of Public Works, Oklahoma State University Extension Center, Metropolitan Environmental Trust, Tulsa conservation District Program, American Electric Power/Public Service Oklahoma, Oklahoma Forestry Department, and Indian Nations Council of Governments Energy Program. Environmental Education Priorities are Career Development and Community Stewardship. The Administrator’s Environmental Priorities addressed are Cleaning Up Our Communities and Climate Change.
2010 Grants
Stillwater Public Schools Child Nutrition Department $14,984
Krista Kaye Neal, 114 East 32nd, Stillwater, OK 74074
Producing with Produce
The Producing with Produce project seeks to use vermiculture to reduce the amount of organic waste produced in Stillwater Public Schools (SPS) kitchens and to educate students in the agriculture education program. SPS generate a large amount of waste daily. This project helps the school system reduce the amount of kitchen waste that is sent to their community landfill; uses the products of the vermiculture or castings as a teaching tool in secondary agriculture education; educates middle and high school students to use sustainable and organic growing methods; encourages student interest in sustainable growing practices and environmental careers; and involves kitchen staff in the composting and stewardship process so that they can continue to compost, and to spread enthusiasm for composting throughout the community. Participating kitchen staff, teachers, and students receive composting training and materials. The composters are placed at middle and high schools. SPS kitchen staff recycle organic kitchen waste into compost using vermiculture. Vocational agriculture students monitor the composters and harvest the compost. The compost is then transported to the vocational agricultural facility for educational growing. Once the system is fully operational, composting and environmental stewardship should become a part of the culture of Stillwater schools. Partners include Coker Composting and Consulting, Anichini-Moore Ranch and Farm, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service, Department of Agricultural Economics, and Stillwater Community Gardens.
2009 Grants
Red Star Inc. $44,351
Rebecca Hawkins, 57251 East 120 Road, Miami, OK 74354
Train, Teach, and Track Project
The Train, Teach, and Track project provides professional development for elementary-grade teachers and others actively involved in the formal and informal instruction of pre-kindergarten through grade 5 youth in the Ottawa County, Oklahoma Project area. Project workshops recruit and accommodate both formal instructors (such as public and private school and Head Start teachers) and informal instructors (such as daycare providers and 4-H and scout troop leaders). The project makes available a wide variety of quality, stewardship-oriented, environmental education curricula and related resources in five locally held training sessions or workshops that are free to participants. The workshops provide participants with ideas for using the curricula to meet Oklahoma State education goals (Pass), methods to incorporate culturally diverse viewpoints into their instruction, and methods to find other EE curricula and evaluate them using the North American Association of Environmental Education guidelines. Participants have access to a Web site with a secure chat room to share ideas and seek assistance with curriculum questions. The project team uses the Web site to regularly survey the participants over a period of one school year to identify useful aspects of the trainings and materials presented in regards to helping the instructors effectively deliver environmental curricula in the classroom (or other instructional setting).
2007 Grants
Oklahoma State University $16,600
Huantian Cao, 431 Human Environmental Sciences, Stillwater, OK 74078-6114
Building a Sustainable Oklahoma
This workshop educates the public about the presence of toxic materials in consumer products and their role in sustainable development. The workshop is titled “Building a Sustainable Oklahoma” and is presented at the annual Oklahoma Sustainable Network conference. After the conference, workshop materials are posted on the Oklahoma Sustainability Network and Oklahoma State University Web sites for wide distribution to members of the Oklahoma Sustainable Network and other interested groups or persons.
2006 Grants
University of Oklahoma $30,951
J. Scott Greene, 731 Elm Avenue, Room 134, Norman, OK 73019
Teacher Training in Wind Energy
The Renewable Energies Educational Development (REED) program uses the three Ws — workshop, workbook, and Web site — to provide a comprehensive and cohesive renewable energy curriculum at no cost to the teacher or school district. The workshop strengthens environmental stewardship in Oklahoma by educating middle and high school teachers who will take back to their classrooms new skill sets, teaching strategies, free education materials — including an easily reproducible workbook — and classroom activities related to renewable energies. The outputs of the REED program result in a more scientifically and technologically proficient population who are better able to make decisions on the environmental welfare of Oklahoma. The workshop, workbook, and Web site incorporate concepts from the Oklahoma Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS), enabling teachers to apply and design lesson content for their classrooms and instruction. The target audience is Oklahoma teachers in grades 7 through 12.
2005 Grants
Tulsa County Independent School District #1 $38,847
Judy Fessenden, 3027 S. New Haven, Tulsa, OK 74114
Nose to Knows with Nature
Nose to Knows with Nature provides a “being there” learning experience for fifth graders in Tulsa Public Schools. This project provides transportation, supplies, and a part-time assistant for Remington Elementary’s Center for Environmental Studies, located in the Mooser Creek Watershed of Southwest Tulsa, to become an environmental center serving the Tulsa School District. This project’s goal is to raise the level of understanding and appreciation among students and the community for the interaction of different populations of organisms in an environmental community. Students work as a team to further the environmental education experience. They receive support from classroom teachers and parents. The program emphasizes the interdependence of organisms for food, shelter, and reproduction, and how changes in environmental conditions that result from natural causes and human interaction can affect the livelihood or survival of a population or species.
2004 Grants
Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma $9,886
Leslie Flenniken, 731 Elm Avenue, Room 134, Norman, OK 73019
Public Participation Geographic Information Systems
This project informs community residents about the benefits of developing and using a public participation geographic information system to address environmental issues and to encourage active participation in environmental policy decision-making at the state and federal levels. One goal of this outreach project is to create an awareness of the value of public geospatial information for community empowerment in relation to environmental issues. A second goal is to familiarize community residents with existing public databases and data-providing organizations. The final goal is that participants gain knowledge regarding the use of geographical information systems and its significance in advancing environmental justice in their communities. Presentations are held throughout the state of Oklahoma, several of which are conducted in American Indian communities.
Energy Education Partnership, Inc. $24,957
Keith T. Thomas, P.O. Box 53127, Oklahoma City, OK 73152
Improving the Environmental Education Practices in West Virginia
The Energy Education Partnership, Inc. (EEPI), serves as the coordinating agency for a 1-day coal seam natural gas (CSNG) education seminar. The seminar participants are science and environmental science teachers from middle and high schools in the Beckley and Princeton area of southern West Virginia. The objective of the project is to educate these teachers about the specific environmental impacts of CSNG exploration and production in southern West Virginia so that the teachers can accurately address this subject in their classrooms. Working with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, EEPI conducts lectures and guides field trips in the CSNG fields of southern West Virginia. These activities advance the goals of the project by providing teachers with an understanding of the specific procedures used for CSNG exploration and production.
Great Plains Resource Conservation and Development Association $5,550
Larry Wright, 1505 N. Glenn English, Washita, OK 73632
Reduce, Recycle, and Return to Beauty
As part of this project, eight workshops are being conducted for the rural residents of an eight-county area as well as county commissioners and members of the Seven Indian Nations of the Southern Plains to encourage proper solid waste disposal and recycling in their respective communities. The goals of the workshops are to reduce the amount of solid waste going to local landfills by 2 percent, increase the number of residents participating in solid waste programs by 2 percent, and eliminate illegal dumping. About 80 percent of the residents in the eight-county district use a solid waste service. Students are encouraged to attend the workshops to learn about the importance of waste management and recycling. The workshops inform students on how they can start a recycling program at their school. Handouts are provided, and updated information is accessible for teachers, students, and the public on a newly redesigned Web site. Education regarding recycling and how to properly dispose of waste plays a key role in community waste management.
Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County, Inc. $5,000
Hyder Hope Houston, 400 North Walnut Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Groundwater Area Protection
The objective of this project is to inform teachers and non-formal educators about environmental issues, such as groundwater protection, to improve their environmental education skills. Workshops and school-based service learning activities are being used to achieve this objective. As a result, the educators are better equipped to teach their students and fellow community members about environmental issues. Several hazardous waste sites, including Superfund sites, are present in the community, and they can have impacts on area groundwater. A needs assessment was conducted in the area that revealed great public concern about issues related to the water supply, water quality, and environmental pollution. Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County, Inc., which is conducting the project, aims to educate community members about what they can do during their daily activities to help ensure that area groundwater is not further contaminated.
2003 Grants
Energy Education Partnership $10,716
Keith Thomas, P.O. Box 53127, Tulsa, OK 74114
Impact of Coal Seam Natural Gas Exploration and Production
Students and teachers in the Farmington, New Mexico, area are participating in interactive lectures and visiting drilling sites under construction as well as active drilling sites to learn about the environmental impact of coal seam natural gas exploration and production. The project’s goals are to educate the community about the exploration and production process and to encourage environmental understanding and careers. Students and teachers participate in chemical analyses of drilling fluids and produced water associated with the process. To ensure impartiality, an independent technician leads the project participants in the chemical analyses.
Tulsa County Independent School District #1 $20,881
Judy Fessenden, 3027 South New Haven, Tulsa, OK 74114
Remington Elementary's Center for Environmental Studies
The main focus of the Remington Elementary Center for Environmental Studies (RECES) is on interactive environmental education. The target audience is teachers, students, and the general community. RECES uses hands-on indoor and outdoor exhibits, working models, static displays, botanical gardens, and nature trail exhibits. This project incorporates an indoor aviary to further develop a self-supporting Center for Environmental Studies as a resource for both formal and informal education using energy and water resource management and protection as a springboard. The project proposes to increase the ability of teachers, parents, and other patrons to support children’s information inquiries about issues regarding the impact and future of developing, using and managing energy and water resources in the local Mooser Creek watershed.
2002 Grants
Cache Public Schools $5,000
Robin Muse, 201 H. Avenue, Cache, OK 73527
Wonderful H20 - Friend or Foe? Hydrological Research Project
Under an interdisciplinary collaborative program, learning-disabled students participate as team leaders for teams of fourth- and fifth-grade students to study water in the classroom and gather field water samples over a 6-month period at 6 different sites in the Cache Creek. The program stimulates student interest in the environmental and environmental/health issues by providing a real-world context for learning while linking the classroom to the needs of the community. Also, the research allows the students to test the water both in the buildings at school and in the watershed area using a hands-on, learner-centered and cooperative-learning approach that investigates the problem of possible water contamination.
Osage County Interlocal Cooperative $24,163
Susan Frazier, 207 East Main Street, Hominy, OK 74035
Arkansas River Watershed Ecosystems Education
This project features the use of the model curricula of training resources from the Oklahoma Blue Thumb Program, the Council for Environmental Education, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project includes training in field-based and lab-based water quality monitoring through a balanced series of expert presentations on environmental careers and local environmental issues impacting the watershed. It encourages reflection, analysis, and action concerning the impacts of the watershed's natural resources in regional economic development. Through its progressive integration of watershed education into secondary school science curricula, the project also serves as a catalyst for education reform in rural, northern Oklahoma. The 22-partner project serves students, teachers, community members in 12 school districts, totaling 2,136 students in grades 6 through 12 in 17 rural communities, 12,186 residents in five counties of 201,606 residents in a 10-county watershed area of 981,682 residents. Partners include 11 other school districts, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, The Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Project GLOBE, Bartlesville Professional Development Center, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, and others.
Tulsa County Conservation District $11,500
Julie Hamilton, 5401 South Sheridan Road, Suite 201, Tulsa, OK 74145
Tulsa County Conservation Education Project
This project creates a community-based environmental education program that increases awareness and understanding of natural resource conservation and promotes the wise use of the natural resources of Tulsa County. The project implements hands-on conservation activities, workshops, and education events to educate and train teachers, educators, citizen volunteers, and students of all ages. To further strengthen the environmental education teaching skills of educators, teacher workshops are given for Tulsa County Schools and universities, and to informal educators. Partners include Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tulsa Area Conservation Foundation, Statewide Blue Thumb Program, City of Tulsa, Tulsa Parks Department, City of Broken Arrow, City of Owasso, City of Sand Springs, and City of Glenpool.
YMCA of Greater Tulsa $6,562
Laura Hailey-Butler, 2405 E. Skelly Drive, Tulsa, OK 74105
Go Global!
Camp Taktoka and the YMCA of Greater Tulsa present an experiential environmental education program targeting low-income schools and students. The Go Global program provides hands-on environmental education seminars during 2 school site pre-visits and a 2-day outdoor experience at Camp Taktoka. Environmental education curricula include migration, water quality, analysis, wetlands, and geology. The curricula teach field-based science concepts as they relate to the unique natural resources of northeastern Oklahoma. Because the instruction is hands on and meaningful for real-life, critical-thinking skills are enhanced and are transferred back to the students' home environments. Camp Taktoka's curriculum is able to take students from awareness to action. Partners include Oklahoma State Department of Education, Tulsa Volunteer Center, Corporation for National Service, City of Tulsa, and surrounding school districts.
2001 Grants
Oklahoma City Beautiful $5,000
Jo Ann Pearce, 2325 Classen, Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Mother Earth Education
Mother Earth presents a play for all students at 13 elementary schools in the Oklahoma City area. The interactive play, featuring the characters Mother Earth, Larry the Litterbug, and Darlin’ Daisy, teaches the students about litter and about recycling and other objectives and asks students to promise to help clean up their schools and homes. The program director trains actors who are experienced in children’s theatre to deliver the appropriate messages. The project uses a 12-week curriculum for students in grade 3; the curriculum includes lesson plans, hand-on experiments, lists of resources, and suggestions for field trips. When the students have completed the program, Mother Earth returns to help them plant a tree on school grounds.
2000 Grants
Heart of Oklahoma Council of Camp Fire $4,788
Jan Robinson, 3309 East Hefner Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73131
Science-Sense
With the establishment of 10 Braille trail stations, the Science-Sense project transforms an outdoor classroom into an area in which all students can expand their environmental education. Visually impaired children experience nature through the use of their other senses. Sighted peers share the same experiences as they walk through the trail blindfolded. Children follow a guide rope and pause at the 10 stations to experience the scents, sounds, and textures of plants, seeds, arachnids, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, rocks, and minerals. Each station is identified with signs in both standard print and Braille, cassette tapes, and brochures.
Norman Public Schools $5,000
Richard Dennis, 600 48th Street SE, Norman, OK 73026
WOODS Annex
Teachers participate in Project Wet training workshops and a four-week Naturalist in Residence program to prepare them to serve as environmental guides. Pathways are constructed to allow participants to use the WOODS annex project for environmental studies, including the application of the scientific processes of observing, counting, measuring, collecting, and drawing conclusions about organisms in the annex.
1999 Grants
Latta Public School $3,100
Nancy Jeter, 1851 West 32nd Street, Ada, OK 74820
Environmental Awareness for Elementary School Students
The project informs students about the health threats posed by environmental pollution of water, soil, and air. Students develop their awareness of career opportunities available in both health and the environmental sciences by exploring scientific information through computer software and the Internet, conducting hands-on exercises, and experiencing field trips to laboratories and water treatment plants, as well as other related activities.
Oklahoma State University $24,950
Marley Beem, 136 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
Trailer-Mounted Stream Hydrology Models for Youth and Adult Education
County Cooperative Extension educators, 4-H student leaders, classroom teachers, extension specialists, professors, and professionals in the natural resources field use stream hydrology models to teach the concepts and processes of stream hydrology to young people in Oklahoma. The models, through which long-term processes can be demonstrated in a short period of time, use granulated plastic to simulate particles of soil or sand. The visual project improves the capability to teach stream hydraulics.
1998 Grants
Camp Classen YMCA $5,000
Jim Parry, Route 1, Box 46, Davis, OK 73030
Recycling Community Education Program
Camp Classen's Outdoor School is furthering its efforts to demonstrate environmentally responsible life in the community with respect to recycling. More than 300 teachers and 100 camp staff are trained to reach 9,000 student campers annually in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The integral role of recycling is one of the camp's environmental education components. Campers take home with them an understanding of how home and commercial recycling benefits their communities.
Miami Public Schools $20,751
Rebecca Jim, 2000 E. Central, Miami, OK 74354
Tar Creek Issues
The Tar Creek Issues project focuses directly on environmental health concerns by involving secondary students in the issues of the exposure of children to lead and water quality and in exploring solutions to both problems. Students learn about the hazards of lead and find tangible and positive ways of providing warnings to those in danger of exposure. Students interact with experts on acid mine drainage and related hazards and study the quality of water in the area.
Oklahoma State University $5,000
Deborah Salazar, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078
Hazardous Materials Awareness Curriculum
This project educates college students about the threats posed to human health by hazardous materials by adapting existing materials on the subject for use in upper division undergraduate geography courses. The project uses hands-on demonstrations, field trips, workshops, and classroom instruction to train students to identify potentially hazardous materials and to read warning signs.
Tulsa Public Schools $4,401
Deidra Wakeley, 2800 E. 41th Street, Tulsa, OK 74105
Biodiversity Activities
This project expands environmental education opportunities through teacher training, community education, and student activities. The project explores interaction with native wetland regions; provides interactive instructional opportunities for students, teachers, and community leaders; addresses ecological concerns in the state; explores ways to preserve the state's biodiversity; and instructs participants in real-world environmental research.
University of Oklahoma $5,000
Mark A. Nanny, 1000 Asp Avenue, Room 314, Norman, OK 73019
Student Research at Landfill
Students, guided by a high school science instructor, become involved directly in meaningful and realistic research at the closed Norman Landfill. The project is intended to stimulate interest in environmental science and real-world scientific research, strengthen reasoning skills, and provide interaction with professional researchers. Students are encouraged to continue their education at the university level in environmental, scientific, or engineering areas.
1997 Grants
Fox Public Schools $4,840
Linda Anderson, P. O. Box 248, Fox, OK 73435
Earth Science Project Teacher Training Workshop
This training and environmental workshop for teachers equips them with a curriculum that enables them to teach the basic concepts of earth science through the exploration of hydrocarbons. Using the curriculum, teachers help students increase their knowledge and understanding of oil and gas as important natural resources and of the effects of the production and use of those resources on the local environment.
Heart of Oklahoma Council Camp Fire $5,000
Vanna Pribble, 3309 E. Hefner Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73131
DaKani Outdoor Environmental Classroom Project
This accredited program has a long history of providing outdoor programs to children and teens who have little access to more traditional outdoor programs. It focuses on educational experiences that equip those young people with the knowledge and skills they need to exert a positive influence for the preservation of the environment. The program incorporates basic hands-on training that teaches the young people how to observe and listen to birds and identify their habitats, identify insects, test water and soil, and explore other aspects of their environment.
Kaw Nation of Oklahoma $3,243
Christopher Winter, P.O. Drawer #50, Kaw City, OK 74641
Environmental Education Leadership Workshop Native American Land Ethic Project
The workshop is an educational tool designed to strengthen land ethics among 6th- through 12th-grade students. It helps them develop their critical- and creative-thinking skills by engaging them in hands-on activities that strengthen their ecological literacy. Further, the workshop assists educators in integrating the land ethic curriculum into their classroom programs, as well as into adult learning settings.
Midwest City-Del City Independent School District $3,263
Chester Weems, 7217 S. E. 15th Street, Midwest City, OK 73110
Find Your Wings - Butterfly and Hummingbird Nature Garden
Find Your Wings gives both teachers and students the opportunity to develop an outdoor living laboratory devoted to attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Participants in the project also tag butterflies, research plants needed for butterfly habitat, and maintain the shelters at the facility. The students observe the life stages of the butterflies, as well as the habits of hummingbirds. In addition, teachers are trained to integrate the scientific information into their curriculum.
Solid Waste Research Institute $16,253
Ken Purdy, 111 W. Shawnee, Tahlequah, OK 74464
Abatement of Open Dumping Environmental Education Program
This project helps students develop an understanding of the importance of clean water and soil and of the sources of pollution that are associated with improper management of solid waste. The project also enhances knowledge and awareness among students of the hazards associated with open dumping. By conducting experiments and developing demonstrations, students learn to analyze the consequences of open dumping and make informed decisions about management of solid waste in their homes and communities.
Tulsa County Independent School District $4,774
Joe Birdwell, 3027 S. New Haven, Box 470208, Tulsa, OK 74114-0203
Partnership to Promote Informed Decisions
Under this project, teachers and students receive curriculum kits that motivate learning and refine existing secondary curricula on issues related to ozone, and lead teachers are trained to use and distribute the kits. The materials in the kits help Tulsa's secondary students to become environmentally informed citizens and to enhance their critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
1996 Grants
East Canadian County Conservation District $4,201
Tamra Mach, 1625 E. Highway 66, El Reno, OK 73036
Environmental Education for a New Generation
Through Resources Days and Wildlife Education Days, 1,180 students in kindergarten through sixth grade are learning about local conservation issues through hands-on activities and an investigative approach.
Jasmine Moran Children's Museum $4,995
Tommy Mills, P. O. Box 1828, Seminole, OK 74868
Aquatic Education Exhibit
The Aquatic Education Exhibit is being refurbished and further developed to teach about water pollution problems using a hands-on scientific method. Large tanks filled with water, fish, and plants show the effect of a polluted environment and how polluted water can be turned into clean water. Forty-thousand students are expected to visit annually.
Oklahoma State University, Division of Agriculture $5,000
C.B. Browning, 139 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
ECO-Camp: Environmental Education and Conflict Resolution Camp for Teen Leaders
ECO-Camps give participants from different backgrounds a balanced view of factors underlying environmental controversies and provide a set of conflict resolution skills to aid in addressing issues causing conflict. The project builds capacity at the local level for environmental education by introducing teen leaders to environmental concerns and building conflict resolution skills.
1995 Grants
Broken Arrow Public School District $5,000
Sharon Vereyken, 601 South Main Street, Tulsa, OK 74012
Country Lane Applauds Wetlands Science (CLAWS)
The purpose of this project is to improve educators' environmental education teaching skills. The target audience is elementary school teachers in the Broken Arrow School District. Two teacher/leaders will develop the environmental curriculum and train their peers to implement it. Existing curriculum guides and instructional materials will be adapted to train the teachers. The project curriculum addresses how unplanned development may threaten wildlife habitat: teachers and students will study, analyze, and identify ways to reestablish an ecosystem to benefit plant and animal life.
Kaw Nation of Oklahoma $4,401
Rita Anderson, Drawer 50, Kaw City, OK 74641
Disseminate Environmental Curriculum and Provide Teacher Training
The purpose of this project is to provide training in environmental education for teachers who work primarily with Native American students. The target audience will be teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade. Resource materials will be provided to the teachers who complete the course. Oklahoma State University will deliver the instruction through a one-hour course.
Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust $16,000
Alaina Anderson, 420 N. Main, Suite 500, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Elementary School Curriculum and Continuing Education for Teachers
The purpose of the project is to provide water resource education for teachers. The target audience is all teachers of grades 1 through 3. The product, delivered during a teacher workshop, includes teacher guides and student learning packets. The primary issue is prevention of water pollution.
Oklahoma State University $4,680
Sarah Kirby, 139 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
Household Hazardous Waste Environmental Awareness Briefs
The purpose of the project is designed to motivate the public to be more environmentally conscious in making informed decisions and taking responsible action for household hazardous waste through the use of print media. The target audience is the general public. The product consists of eight household hazardous waste briefs entitled, "Environmental Awareness Briefs." The briefs will be displayed in seven counties in Oklahoma. The environmental issues addressed are the use and disposal of household hazardous waste.
Oklahoma State University $5,000
Ivan D. Geddie, 900 North Portland Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Environmental Workshop for K-12 Teachers and Administrators
The purpose of this project is to improve environmental education in schools in Oklahoma City. The target audience is teachers of kindergarten through 12th grade and administrators in Oklahoma City. The delivery will consist of a three-day seminar using existing materials that have been adapted for the seminar.
Oklahoma State University Div. of Ag. Sci. & Natl. Resources $5,000
Champe Green, 139 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
Construction and Demonstration of a Trailer-Mounted Stream Hydrology Model for Youth & Adult Education
The purpose of this project is to build a trailer-mounted stream hydrology model to improve educators' capacity to deliver visual, hands-on demonstrations of stream hydrology processes that will make an impact. The model will be used for instruction in surface and alluvial water flow, stream bank stabilization, sedimentation, and stream dynamics. The target population includes secondary school teachers, county extension agents, extension specialists, professors, and other natural resource professionals. The model will be available for the target population to use in an educational setting. Extension newsletters, state-wide television presentations, and links using county agents will assist in promoting the availability and utility of the model as a teaching tool.
Oklahoma Wildlife Federation $5,000
Mary Dennis, 3900 N. Santa Fe, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Oklahoma Water Watch Community Outreach Project
The purpose of this project is to educate community members and educators through hands-on workshops which will increase the understanding of water quality issues and the public's role in monitoring and maintaining a clean water supply. The target audience is educators. Advanced water chemistry kits will be used to train the educators.
Osage County Conservation District $3,078
Joe Sweeden, P. O. Box 937, Pawhuska, OK 74056
OCCD Environmental Education Institute
This project will provide for an institute for teachers and others who work with young people. The primary topics will be using natural resources and sharing the earth with wildlife. The institute will address water quality and habitat management.
Roosevelt Elementary School $4,500
Vicki Medlin, 4250 West Tecumseh Road, Norman, OK 73072
Outdoor Classroom: A Place for All Learners
The purpose of this project is to expand the use of an existing overgrown area on the school grounds as an outdoor classroom, make it accessible to students, and to model preservation of wildlife in a suburban area. The target audience consists of 250 students in kindergarten through 5th grade, their teachers, and their parents. Thirty-six students are identified as handicapped. The project will result in an integration of the environment into arts and language curricula easily accessible to all students. A path will be constructed to provide for wheelchairs. An artist-in-residence will articulate the outdoor environment into creative lessons.
1994 Grants
Cushing Public Schools $4,986
Denise Parish, 123 E. Broadway, Cushing, OK 74023
Studying About Vitalizing Ecology
The "Studying About Vitalizing Ecology" project will provide children with awareness and appreciation of nature and wildlife and teach the consequences of human activity in relation to wildlife resources.
East Central University $16,545
Nancy Heitland, Center of Continuing Education, Ada, OK 74820
Water Conservation Seminar
This grant will fund a two-week graduate level seminar for ten teachers to develop a water conservation and water quality program for their classrooms.
University of Oklahoma $4,963
Cheryl M. Patton, 1000 Asp Ave., Room 314, Norman, OK 73019
Resources for Sold Waste Management
For this project, graduate-level students will develop a data and resource book concerning integrated solid waste management in small communities in Oklahoma.
1993 Grants
Oklahoma Department of Transportation $5,000
Joann Orr, 200 NE 21st, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Don't Lay That Trash on Oklahoma
"Don't Lay That Trash on Oklahoma" is the slogan for a statewide poster contest, which is part of this project to teach solid waste awareness. More than 15,000 school children, teachers, and adults are expected to participate, and $2,000 will be awarded in cash. The first prize poster will be developed into a poster for state schools.
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation $3,500
Lisa Anderson, 1801 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Oklahoma Natural Resource Trunk Program
The purpose of this project is to develop workshops to train teachers how to use the Tree Trunks available through the Oklahoma Natural Resource Trunk Program. The trunks, used by teachers statewide, contain educational materials such as videos, posters, curriculum guides, and other hands-on materials and guides for environmental education activities.
Oklahoma State University $5,000
Tim O'Hara, 139 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078
Computer Quiz Program on Forests
The result of this project will be a refined computer quiz program about the forest environment which is planned to be introduced into the Oklahoma school system in grades 3 through 6 during the next year. A user's manual and a quiz on recycling will be developed.
Oklahoma State University $5,000
Donald French, Department of Zoology, Stillwater, OK 74078
Wetlands Laboratory
The purpose of this project is to enhance learning at a hands-on wetlands laboratory. Computer-based video presentation stations will be developed to supplement the existing material.
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department $5,000
Tom Creider, 500 Will Rogers Building, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Water Pollution Problems in Oklahoma
This grant funds a project to develop videotapes and materials to heighten the public's awareness of Oklahoma's water pollution problems. The result will be a public which is better informed on conservation practices in their homes and at state parks.
Redlands Community College $5,000
David Dawkins, 1300 South Country Club Road, El Reno, OK 73036
Environmental and Ecological Education
Through this grant, an annual program will be developed to teach educators and other citizens how to promote environmental and ecological education and how to initiate their own community programs
University of Oklahoma $5,000
Mark Meo, Office of Research Administration, 1000 Asp Avenue, Room 314, Norman, OK 73019
Management for Total Environmental Quality
This project is a joint effort between the colleges of Engineering and Business at the University of Oklahoma to produce curriculum for teaching "Management for Total Environmental Quality.
1992 Grants
Mid-Del Schools $4,753
Midwest City, OK 73140
Wild Classroom
The "Wild Classroom" project will involve creating an outdoor classroom for students in kindergarten through 6th grade and educating teaching staff on developing training that will be incorporated into the student's educational curriculum.
Oklahoma 4-H Foundation $4,650
Stillwater, OK 74078
Environmental Exhibit
This grant funds a project to develop an exhibit that addresses issues such as global climate change, ozone depletion, solid waste management, water quality, and household hazardous substances. The exhibit will include an interactive weather Mesonet system.
Project Learning Tree $1,272
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Tree Trunks Project
The "Tree Trunks Project" involves developing or purchasing educational material such as videos, slide programs, hand lenses, field guides, computer programs, posters, naturescopes, and forestry equipment that will be displayed in an artificial tree trunk.
Shawnee Conservation District $5,000
Shawnee, OK 74801
Environmental Education Workshop
This grant funds a project to conduct workshops in outdoor classrooms for educators and community leaders on utilizing environmental education programs. The project will include a newsletter and a scholarship program.