Profiles of Environmental Education Grants Awarded to Organizations in Utah
- Indicates a Headquarters grant
- 2014
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004
- 2003
- 2002
- 2001
- 2000
- 1999
- 1998
- 1997
- 1996
- 1995
- 1994
- 1993
- 1992
2014 Grants
Utah State University $91,000.00
Kellie Hedin, 1415 Old Main Hill Room 64, Logan, UT 84322
https://www.usu.edu/Exit
Educational Tools
The Remote Sensing/GIS Laboratory and the Bioregional Planning Program at Utah State University partner to develop an educational tool for environmental planning for a Utah community in need of planning assistance. The educational tool for environmental planning consists of a planning support program and an instructional tutorial. The planning support program and instructional tutorial are presented to high school students as an educational module within a classroom setting and to citizens and stakeholders as a community workshop. This project serves as a pilot study for other Utah communities in need of planning assistance.
2011 Grants
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $36,427
Janet Ross, 49W 600S, PO BOX 1029, San Juan, UT 84535
Water and Water Conservation: A Place-Based Exploration on the Colorado Plateau
Water and Water Conservation: A Place-Based Exploration on the Colorado Plateau will improve teachers environmental education teaching skills, and knowledge about water issues and content, (EPA educational priority 5) and address Protecting Americas Waters (EPA environmental priority 5), using scientific inquiry, hands-on, place-based education techniques, and the development of water resource problem-solving skills. The objective is for teachers to become more able to teach this topic from a non-biased, informative, and well-rounded platform. This project is needed in the Four Corners region of the U.S. as water resources are scarce and highly valued, yet there is little education provided to teachers and students about water resources and conservation. The water resources of the area are taken for granted, with very little understanding of human use and competition for use along the Colorado River, that crosses multiple states, and human and non-human dependence on rivers, as well as, streams, lakes, and other water resources unique to the Southwest such as potholes, springs, and washes.
The Utah Society for Environmental Education – $150,000
Andree Walker, 466 East 500 South Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Advancing EE through a Comprehensive Sub-Grants Program
The Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE) and selected partner associations promote and support high-quality environmental education on a state-wide basis, garnering additional expertise and support through collaboration among EE organizations nationwide. While state education departments and universities recognize individual organizations as leaders in EE, their ability to work with these and other partners would be tremendously enhanced through the proposed sub-grants program. By providing sub-grants, USEE is continuing to promote excellence in EE, providing networking opportunities for its members, and streamlining and targeting EE efforts according to established state needs while having the additional ability to fund initiatives consonant with environmental literacy plans. The establishment of a leadership team comprised of directors from each of the six state EE associations ensures the implementation of a sub-grants program that meets the priorities of EPA while simultaneously allowing for a purposeful and systematic support of state and regional priorities for advancing environmental literacy initiatives and building the capacity of each state affiliate organization.
2010 Grants
Logan City School District $22,833
Dave Anderson, 101 West Center, Logan, UT 84321
Global Village Stream Connections
The goal of Global Village Stream Connections (GVSC) is to create a mutually beneficial, or symbiotic, relationship between Cutler Marsh water quality issues and under-achieving Mount Logan middle school students. Students attend one of three 2-week field programs and visit water testing sites such as springs near the top of Mount Naomi, Curtis Creek at Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area, and the Logan City Water Treatment Plant. Students learn how to use test kits and enter information into the GVSC website. Fifth and sixth grade science teachers shadow students as they work to collect local water quality data. Teachers receive technology training and practice how to use the interactive website. By engaging students and teachers in data gathering, the program has established a local connection and is building a sense of place.
2009 Grants
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners $20,116
Cindy Oster, 190 East Center Street, Kanab, UT 84741
GSENM Ecosystem Restoration Through Growing Native Plants and Education
The project goal is to establish and monitor scientific plots in each habitat zone within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) ecosystems through reintroduction of native plants, using science education as the means. The project includes growing and studying native plants using the Kanab High School greenhouse and Laboratory. GSENM ecologists work closely with Kanab High School students to grow and study native plants to help inform future GSENM ecosystems management decisions. Students learn critical thinking skills, apply the scientific method, and implement native plant ecology for on-the-ground results. Students also are exposed to careers in environmental science and resource management. The GSENM education specialist directs the project and coordinates the partnership between monument staff, high school students, and teachers. Paid summer internships are offered to students to continue the project when school is out of session. All data and results are posted on an interactive Web site accessible to all. An additional unit of curriculum on native plant ecology and ecosystem restoration has been developed by GSENM's education specialist and added to the monument's high school science curriculum. The project is beneficial to all parties because the curriculum is based on standards that help meet educational goals required by the State of Utah.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $32,750
Jason Taylor, 466 E 500 S, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Region 8 Environmental Education Conference
The goal of the Region 8 Environmental Education Conference is to strengthen the capacity of all of the regional EE providers and the leadership of state EE organizations. The goal is achieved by meeting the following objectives: (1) bring together educators from Utah and Region 8 states for a 3-day EE conference; (2) provide, on the first day of the conference, a day-long forum focusing on regional capacity building, during which the model program implementation strategies developed from the 2007-2008 Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education are highlighted; (3) develop a regional collaboration plan based on information gathered at the conference to be disseminated region wide; and (4) provide support for students attending the conference, including scholarships and a mentoring component.
2008 Grants
Boys and Girls Club of Weber Davis $17,500
Patricia Bair, 127 24th Street Suite 3, Ogden, UT 84401
Recycling Rangers Elementary Education Program
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Weber-Davis manages nine club sites in Weber and Davis Counties, Utah. The “Recycling Rangers” program encourages environmental community stewardship by educating inner-city children in grades 3 through 6 about the impact of solid waste on the environment and how recycling can make a difference. The ultimate goal of the program is to encourage inner-city families to participate in Ogden City’s curbside recycling program. Children involved in this special program gain a strong sense of responsibility toward the environment and it also teaches members of their family the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling. The outcome of the experiential program is both fun and educational, involving a variety of classroom and field trip experiences, guest speakers (including rescued animals from the Ogden Nature Center), multi-media presentations, and hands-on activities.
2007 Grants
Southern Utah University $31,886
Charlotte Pedersen, 351 West University Boulevard, Cedar City, UT 84720
Removal of Arsenic Contamination from Surface Water using Phytoremediation
The project is to clean the Desert Mound Mine from contamination by arsenic using native plants for phytoremediation. Arsenic in drinking and surface water is a major concern in the U.S. Several severe effects, such as weakening of the immune system and cancer, can be caused by exposure to arsenic. The Desert Mound Mine is a popular swimming hole for local youth and an important source of water for wildlife in the Great Basin Desert. The remediation project is used to conduct a high school teacher workshop to address an environmental component in teaching skills. The workshop is designed to help educators incorporate more applied environmental science into the science curriculum. Two workshops for high school teachers are offered state-wide through the Utah Department of Education. In addition, community seminars are advertised on the radio, in the local paper, and through fliers. Undergraduate students at Southern Utah University (SUU) are involved in all aspects of the project, from cleaning up the site using native plants to conducting field trips to the site and giving talks at local venues. An important aspect of this project is that the undergraduate students are involved in new, cutting-edge applied research. They are designing and conducting the experiment, but they are also involved in collecting the data and conveying the findings to the community at large.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $92,100
Jennifer Visitacion, 350 South 400 East, Suite G4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education
Strengthening the capacity and quality of environmental education programs, non-formal educational programs, and teacher partnerships in Utah are among the goals of this project. The Utah Society for Environmental Education is inventorying state environmental programs and materials related to energy conservation, air quality, water quality, and waste management issues. A needs assessment is being conducted to identify how to best support kindergarten through grade 12 teachers throughout Utah to improve the use of environmental education as an integrated context for teaching the core curriculum. A focus group is discussing the results of the inventory and needs assessment to decide how many teachers are integrating environmental education topics into their lesson plans and the best strategy for supporting teachers to make environmental education an integral part of what they do. In addition, the focus group is developing an implementation strategy for a model program to help guide non-formal environmental educators throughout Utah about how to effectively correlate their programs to the state core curriculum while inspiring and empowering students to become more environmentally literate. Partners on this project include the Utah State Office of Education, Utah State University Water Quality Extension, Utah Project WET, Pine View High School, Utah House, Tracy Aviary, and Four Corners School of Outdoor Education/Bioregional Outdoor Education Project.
2006 Grants
Plateau Restoration, Inc. $13,500
Tamsin McCormick, 3170 Rimrock Road, Moab, UT 84532
Habitat Restoration and Education in Southeastern Utah
Plateau Restoration, Inc. (PRI), is a non-profit organization that has conducted service-learning programs for college students in southeast Utah since 1995. The goal of the project is to improve wildlife habitats by increasing public awareness of issues surrounding habitat loss caused by development and overuse and to improve environmental stewardship. Middle school, high school, and college students, along with teachers, are targeted for this program. The program includes habitat restoration projects in riparian and upland areas. It provides effective hands-on learning opportunities that educate students about local environmental issues and encourage them to increase stewardship initiatives that involve habitat protection and restoration. The primary focus is on native vegetation, soil erosion, weed invasion and weed control, along with air and water quality issues. Educational materials come from existing resources, such as ecosystem curricula and lesson plans from EPA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Center for Global Environmental Education, Wildlife Habitat Council, National Wildlife Federation (Backyard Wildlife Habitat), and Royal Horticultural Society (U.K.). Canyonlands Field Institute’s (CFI) existing educational materials and handouts for PRI are also used, along with additional material from Utah State University Department of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Sciences.
Salt Lake City Corporation $10,000
Lisa Romney, 451 South State Street, Room 306, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Business Education Program
The Salt Lake City Corporation (SLCC) is a municipal government agency that initiated the Salt Lake City Environmentally and Economically Sustainable (e2) Business Education Program. This innovative, model program educates local small business owners on best management practices that lead to pollution prevention and promote a business culture of environmental stewardship. The objective is to educate small business owners on improving public health and sustainability through conservation strategies and environmental policies. The e2 Business program conducts educational programs for local small business owners using the environmental assessment tool (e2 Environmental Baseline Report and Improvement Plan) that will help them identify ongoing environmental improvements. This tool also helps to evaluate environmental impacts of their business operations. Long-term program outcomes are reductions in or alternative uses of toxic materials, such as cleaners, solvents and caustics, and the reductions in or proper disposal of hazardous and solid waste materials, along with the conservation of water, energy, and other natural resources through sustainable practices.
2005 Grants
Center for Green Space Design $20,000
Christie Oostema, 311 South 900 East, Suite 201, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
West Capitol Hill Environmental Education (EE) Project: A Community-Based EE Effort
The Center for Green Space Design (CGSD) conducts environmental education programs related to green space design and development in the West Capitol Hill subdivision of Salt Lake City to adult community members. Working in partnership with the City of Salt Lake and Utah Division of Water Resources, CGSD delivers classes through community meetings and training classes so that local residents learn about the various environmental impacts they may face during the West Capitol Hill Development Project. These impacts may be environmental- and health-related, such as resource management, water quality, and sewage. CGSD also trains residents to understand the city’s process on open space design and resource management. This training allows residents to articulate and prioritize their vision of the community during the development’s planning phase, while teaching them how to become better stewards of the local environment.
National Energy Foundation $10,000
Robert Poulson, 3676 California Avenue, Suite A117, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Energy Efficiency and Clean Fuels for Utah Driver Education Program
The National Energy Foundation (NEF) is partnering with the Utah Department of Air Quality, Salt Lake Clean Cities, and the Utah Society for Environmental Education to conduct a pilot program to educate students in driver education classes on issues related to air quality and transportation. Teacher training is provided to high school driver education teachers. Teachers are instructed to conduct inquiry-based educational programs related to air quality and transportation. Students evaluate issues in community and personal transportation, including maintenance and usage, as well as regional economy, public health, the environment, and homeland security.
Zion Natural History Association $10,000
Eileen Smith, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767
Diversity in Environmental Education and Protection (DEEP)
Project DEEP (Diversity in Environmental Education and Protection) is a partnership between the Zion Natural History Association and the Zion Canyon Field Institute. Under the grant, Project DEEP conducts English as a Second Language (ESL) environmental education programs in local schools and at local adult literacy programs. Project DEEP also provides community training programs. Training uses an inquiry-based education curriculum and discussions of multi-faceted environmental issues that affect the participants’ community. Students and participants learn how to develop various solutions to complex environmental issues and take steps to complete environmental projects.
2004 Grants
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $100,000
Janet Ross, P.O. Box 1029, Monticello, UT 84535
Teacher Retention and Renewal through Bioregional Outdoor Education
In an effort to build capacity as well as improve teacher retention and renewal, this project enhances the skills of elementary school math and science teachers in the four states of the Colorado Plateau Bioregion. Throughout the 2-year project, more than 200 teachers participate in professional development activities, including workshops, field activities, and a 10-day summer institute. The teachers can then adapt their math and science outdoor education skills and curricula to better reflect issues and concerns that are unique to the plateau bioregion. Students in 24 elementary schools on the Colorado Plateau are the key audience for the project. The students represent a diverse, low-income community composed primarily of Native Americans along with Hispanics and Caucasians. Partners for the project include the Utah Society for Environmental Education; the National Science Foundation; the Eastern Navajo Bureau of Indian Affairs; school districts in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado; and the Colorado School of Mines.
Snow College $16,000
Michael T. Benson, 150 East College Avenue, Ephriam, UT 84627
Nature High Environmental Education Summer Program
Students attending Snow College’s Nature High Environmental Education Summer Program learn about environmental issues at the Great Basin Environmental Education Center. The students also become better informed about career opportunities in environmental science and agriculture. The program teaches the students through use of structured lesson plans; applied field work; practice in sampling techniques; and hands-on demonstrations by professional scientists, who also instruct the students about the academic qualifications needed for careers in environmental and agricultural agencies. One purpose of the career training is to connect agency professionals who can serve as mentors to high school students from underserved communities. These mentors can assist students in developing future career goals and in identifying job opportunities in the environmental and agricultural fields.
Utah Federation for Youth Incorporated $5,000
Jack Wilbur, 350 South 400 East, #G-4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Watershed Program & Events
Utah Federation for Youth Incorporated (UFY) is working in partnership with the Utah PTA Health Commission to facilitate an Environmental Education (EE) Week modeled on the Red Ribbon Campaign for Drug Prevention. A week of education and activities called the "Healthy Communities, Healthy Kids" Campaign (HCHK) will incorporate the Utah Governor's new Watershed Initiative. UFY will work with project partners to facilitate a model watershed education program for the state of Utah. It will include educational activities, curriculum resources, and an evaluation process, and will be delivered to PTA Presidents and Health and Safety Commissioners throughout Utah.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $18,000
Jennifer Visitacion, 350 S. 400 East G#4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Utah Multicultural Environmental Education Capacity Building Project
The Utah Society for Environmental Education recognizes that outreach and education for underserved communities are essential for community-based environmental stewardship programs. The Utah Multicultural Environmental Education Capacity Building Project seeks to use regional training programs for formal and nonformal educators to promote knowledge and understanding of environmental education and to encourage use of the techniques needed to work with underserved populations. In addition, these training programs support capacity building efforts by facilitating communication, providing networking opportunities, and offering community leadership development.
2003 Grants
Utah Society for Environmental Education $25,000
Eric Chandler, 350 South 400 East, Suite G-4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Utah Regional Capacity-Building Project
This project is building environmental education capacity by bringing together environmental education leaders and organizations, providing localized professional development opportunities for environmental education practitioners throughout Utah, and providing communication and networking opportunities for regional environmental education communities. The project involves conducting 1-day mini-environmental education conferences throughout the state. The mini-environmental education conferences provide professional development opportunities for environmental education providers in or near their hometowns. In addition, the mini-environmental education conferences are supporting capacity building efforts that are currently underway in Utah by facilitating communication, promoting sustained professional development, and offering leadership development.
2002 Grants
Glendale Middle School $5,000
David Roberts, 1430 West Andrew Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Real World Environmental Science: Sea Monkeys and Other Mysteries of the Great Salt Lake
This project uses the Great Salt Lake as a demonstration site for under-represented seventh-grade students to gain hands-on environmental education experience. Minority and low-income students investigate brine shrimp, also known as sea monkeys, which are a key food source for over 4 million migratory birds. Brine shrimp are vulnerable due to salinity in the lake. Great Salt Lake is the fourth largest hypersaline lake in the world, a closed basin with no surface water outlet. The entire Wasatch mountain front, one of North America's fastest growing urban regions, drains into the lake. The project meets the State of Utah's core curriculum requirements while engaging students' curiosity and excitement about environmental science.
University of Utah $5,000
Bill Ernest, 1471 Federal Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Field Biology Ecological Research
The Ecological Research Methods course is designed in part to be a survey of research methods, so each project is completed in 1 day. While the design is appropriate for exploring many types of research designs, students do not have time to gather enough data to answer all their questions about the natural world. By completing independent research projects, students are able to conduct in-depth research along the Wasatch Front on a topic of their choice. Reports from the projects are posted on the Red Butte Garden web site to make their findings available to students, teachers, and the community.
University of Utah $100,000
Ray Beckett, 1495 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Training High School Science Teachers and Students in the Western States
Based on a successful pilot project that had been implemented in several Utah high schools, this project expands on that pilot’s environmental research and training with science teachers and students in high schools in many western states. Through a combination of teacher training workshops and mentoring support provided by university students, high school students design and implement project proposals addressing environmental problems in their communities. Under the 1-year program, students interact with students in other states, conduct research, and prepare a report documenting their efforts. Science teachers from at least five of the nine western states participate in the training. The project represents a partnership between the Utah Engineering Experiment Station; the University of Utah College of Mines and Earth Sciences and the College of Engineering; the departments of education and environmental quality in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and the business community.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $25,000
Eric Chandler, 350 South 400 East, Suite G-4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Develop Programs and Materials in Utah's Environmental Education Community
The project goals are to establish a process to review Utah environmental education programs and materials in accordance with the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) guidelines and to increase the quality of environmental education programs and materials. A core team of 15 to 20 people who are experts in NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence are conducting a pilot project to review 8 to 10 environmental education programs.
2001 Grants
Garfield County School District $5,000
Marilyn Blulkley, P. O. Box 398, 145 East Center, Panguitch, UT 84759
Watershed Restoration
The purpose of the program is to develop an environmental education program that addresses the crucial issue in the area in which the district is located: restoration of the watershed. The objective of the program is to teach students in grades 5 through 8 of all ethnic and racial backgrounds about hands-on restoration and management of the local watershed. Students learn through hands-on demonstrations, outdoor activities, and interactive discussions with teachers and professionals in natural resources fields.
University of Utah $5,000
Lynne Chronister, 1471 Federal Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
River of Words Outdoor Classroom
The annual event River of Words Outdoor Classroom reaches 120 students each year. The mission of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum at the University of Utah is to provide the intermountain west with a world-class botanical garden, an arboretum, and a pristine natural area that foster an understanding of regional horticulture and ecology. It creates opportunities for research and education and promotes and models responsible conservation of the environment.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources $10,825
Brian Nicholson, 181 North 200 West, Logan, UT 84321
Wetlands Monitoring Program
The goal of the project is to increase citizens’ knowledge about wetland resources in northern Utah and ability to make informed decisions through participation in a volunteer wetlands monitoring program. The project reaches its audience through classroom and on-site experiential training sessions. Participants interact with wetlands professionals during training and monitoring activities. The audience for the project includes 4 high school teachers and approximately 80 students; two landowners who have wetlands on their properties; and 40 citizen volunteers (working in four teams) who have a perceived “stake” in local wetlands, including hunters, birders, and members of conservation organizations.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $25,000
Tim Brown, 350 South 400 East, Suite G4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Develop Leadership in Utah's Environmental Education Community
The goals of the project are to develop environmental education guidelines that are specific to the state of Utah, to foster an understanding among providers of environmental education of the components environmental education programs should include, to develop leadership in Utah’s environmental education community, and to increase the skills of environmental educators and the legitimacy of environmental education itself. The objectives of the project include: establishing a team of 6 to 12 people who will become leaders in Utah’s environmental education community; training at least 100 environmental educators in the guidelines; distributing the guidelines to 150 environmental educators in the state; and increasing the legitimacy of environmental education by presenting the Guidelines for Environmental Education Providers in Utah at conferences of educators and natural resource meetings, as well as to representatives of the media.
2000 Grants
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $74,953
Janet Ross, P. O. Box 1029, Monticello, UT 84535
Bioregional Outdoor Education Pilot Project
Using a unique approach to introduce bioregional environmental education to multicultural, rural school districts in remote areas, the Four Corners School of Outdoor Education provides training and resources to teachers and students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The pilot program links and strengthens the sustainability of environmental education programs in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico and uses environmental education as a catalyst to advance state, local, and tribal education reform goals. Teachers representing 12 schools participate in the project, which includes an intensive 10-day summer institute and training courses on how to develop and use an environmental curriculum that is aligned with state standards. Students reached by the project include elementary school children from diverse communities of Native American, Hispanic, and Caucasian populations. Partners in the project include the school districts of South Sanpete, Utah; Montrose, Colorado; and Ganado, Arizona; and the Shiprock Bureau of Indian Affairs School; the American Honda Foundation; W.M.B. Berger Foundation; the Utah Society for Environmental Education; and state affiliates of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
University of Utah $113,991
Ray Beckett, Kennocott Research Center, 1495 East 100 South, Room 138, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Environmental Research and Training Project for High School Science Teachers and Students
In collaboration with the University of Utah's College of Mines and Earth Sciences, the project educates citizens of many different sectors about the effects of environmental pollution and actively involves them in efforts to address the most pressing environmental issues in Utah. The project is based on training teachers to help high school students develop and implement community-based environmental research and pollution prevention projects. In turn, students, organized into teams, discuss their projects with students at other high schools and work with representatives of industry, environmental organizations, and other community agencies to implement their projects. Specifically, the students are identifying and gathering data pertinent to resolving environmental problems and developing and submitting project proposals for peer review. Funding for at least one environmental project per science class also is provided under the project. As the project progresses, the students learn critical-thinking skills and develop an appreciation for how individuals can address and resolve environmental challenges. The target audience includes high school teachers and high school students at 10 to 12 schools in urban, suburban, and rural school districts. The Utah State Office of Education, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, and Utah Partners in Education are partners in the project.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $20,000
Tim Brown, 350 South 400 East, Suite G4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Building Capacity for Environmental Education in Utah
The project is designed to build environmental education networks, while accommodating local needs and events. These efforts are merged with existing events. For example, an evening event has been held in St. George for the past two years to introduce teachers to environmental education programs. The project complements the St. George event by providing a workshop during the day for personnel of participating environmental education programs. The training provides an opportunity to introduce key stakeholders, such as administrators, representatives of community groups, and personnel of agencies to environmental education. In locations that currently have no environmental education events, the Utah Society for Environmental Education works with local environmental educators and potential supporters to host gatherings that build support for environmental education through training, networking, and educating. The primary audience of the project is 140 formal and non-formal environmental educators, as well as key stakeholders at the local level, including teachers, youth group leaders, environmental education program providers, and state and federal agency personnel responsible for environmental education. The audience also includes representatives of school administrations, higher education, and community groups. Locations for environmental education gatherings include Vernal, St. George, Monticello, Ogden, Logan, Salt Lake City, and possibly other locations.
<1999 Grants
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $12,000
Janet Ross, P. O. Box 1029, Monticello, UT 84535
The Colorado Plateau: Our Pilot Program, a Roving Teacher Education and Mentoring Program
This program establishes and tests the effectiveness of the Roving Teacher Education and Mentoring program, a delivery system for taking environmental education, and specifically teacher training in environmental education curricula and techniques, to rural school districts throughout a large geographic area. A summer institute begins the process by giving teachers an intensive two-week introduction to their own bioregion and to environmental education curricula and techniques. Teachers are introduced to existing environmental education curricula, such as Project WILD and Project Learning Tree. The long-term goal of the program is to build sustainable environmental education programs in participating schools through a combination of teacher training, mentoring, and development of resources. The pilot program takes the two-year program into 12 schools, three in each of the states in the Four Corners area. Over time, the project will serve more than 200 primarily rural, conservative, culturally diverse elementary schools on the Colorado Plateau, in clusters of 28 schools at a time, for two years per cluster. The plateau consists of an area of 130,000 square miles that includes portions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It is expected that the program will serve a total of 74,572 students in 54 school districts.
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $5,000
Janet Ross, P. O. Box 1029, Monticello, UT 84535
The Colorado Plateau, a Roving Teacher Education and Mentoring Program
A two-week field-based summer institute for elementary school teachers teaches concepts of bioregion. Participants in the institute serve as mentors to their colleagues and science resource centers are provided to each school. During the summer institute and throughout the school year, teachers are introduced to existing environmental education curricula, and modeling and mentoring helps build their confidence in using the curricula. (Project activity will take place in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah)
National Energy Foundation $74,000
Christian Scheder, 5225 Wiley Post Way, Suite 170, Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Living Wise
The National Energy Foundation was created to develop educational materials that teach about the links between energy, water, technology, and conservation and distribute those materials to schools and other institutions. The Living Wise project, through a partnership of public and private agencies, reaches students and their parents in Denver, Colorado and the nearby region. The project demonstrates the virtues of ecological management in supporting sustainable living and long-term prosperity. Living Wise combines carefully designed classroom instruction and debate with a variety of hands-on projects that families can undertake at home. Hands-on experience is highly reinforcing and, because it elicits new attitudes and behavior, can generate lifelong commitment to the responsible stewardship of natural resources. The target group of the project is fifth- and sixth-grade students of all ethnic and racial groups, many from low-income areas. In addition to classroom activities, students enter contests, use an interactive World Wide Web site, and play a three-dimensional game provided on CD-ROM.
North Fork Preservation Alliance $5,000
Julie Mack, Rural Route 3, Box 624-A, Sundance, UT 84604
Four Seasons Nature Program: Experiential Environmental Education
The focus of the program is educational reform - educating students 12 to 15 years old in the North Fork of Provo Canyon and Wasatch County about environmental issues as a catalyst to advance social change. The students have been determined by licensed school counselors to be potentially at risk of participating in criminal activities, such as involvement in gangs or drug abuse. The program serves four classes of 10 students each per year. The secondary goal of the program is to include protection of the ecosystem and community issues - to educate the public about environmental issues specific to the North Fork community.
Stokes Nature Center $5,000
Jen Levy, P. O. Box 4204, Logan, UT 84323
Bear River Watershed Educational Program
The purpose of this project is to develop an educational program on the Bear River watershed for educators and their students. The main objectives of the effort are to create a citizenry that is informed about how a watershed functions; to develop in students skills in assessing and monitoring the health of the Bear River watershed and involve them in carrying out those tasks; to inform students about actions they can take to maintain a healthy watershed by applying science and becoming involved in the political process; and to create an understanding of and involvement in ecological restoration of the watershed. Under the project, a curriculum and an activity trunk are being developed. An interactive World Wide Web site on the Bear River watershed links users to existing Web sites on the same topic, and teachers are trained to use the materials developed. The primary audience is sixth-grade students and teachers in the Bear River watershed, which includes northern Utah, southeastern Idaho, and southwestern Wyoming. Scouts and members of 4-H clubs are made aware of the program through promotional flyers, a curriculum library, and the Web site.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $25,000
Tim Brown, 300 South 400 East, Suite G4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Tools for Informal Environmental Educators in Utah
This project provides knowledge, training, and materials to 120 in-service providers of environmental education. Among the subjects to be covered are pedagogy and education reform. Information about environmental education resources and materials also are provided. The purpose of the project is to improve coordination among efforts in environmental education and build a network of informal providers of environmental education. The providers are responsible for training teachers. Four workshops are being offered: two in the Salt Lake area, one in St. George, and one in Logan. The primary audience for the project is informal environmental educators, including facilitators of such programs as Project WET, Project WILD, and Ag in the Classroom, as well as state coordinators. Also included are such providers as nature centers and museums. The secondary audience is the thousands of teachers trained each year by the providers described above. Facilitators are trained in state-of-the-art environmental education resources, such as the Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education.
1998 Grants
Cache School District $5,000
Ron Hellstern, 29 North 400 West, Hyrum, UT 84319
Leopold Education Project: Land Ethics-Based Education
Under this project, 30 educators from federal, state, and local entities attend a two-day workshop. The Leopold Education Project uses an interdisciplinary conservation ethics curriculum, Lessons in a Land Ethic, designed to instill environmental awareness and ethical practice in students in grades 6 through 12.
Utah Forestry, Fire, and State Lands $5,000
Tony Dietz, P. O. Box 145703, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5703
Project Learning Tree
This project provides hands-on workshops for educators at the kindergarten through 12th grade levels. The workshops, which use the Project Learning Tree activity guide, focus on hand-on activities that are designed to teach ecological concepts that enable students to make wise decisions about the use of natural resources.
Utah Society For Environmental Education $25,000
Tim Brown, 350 South 400 East, Suite G4, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Environmental Education Network for Utah Schools
This project is intended to improve environmental education programs for teachers in Utah school districts and make resources more readily available to them. The project includes the distribution of newsletters and the use of World Wide Web sites to help teachers and their students identify common environmental problems and their possible solutions. It also creates an environmental education network for Utah schools that will be made available throughout Utah's 40 school districts. Teachers and students in kindergarten through grade 12 benefit from the project.
1997 Grants
Decker Lake Wetland Preserve Foundation $17,461
Diana Smith, 869 East 4500 South, #513, Salt Lake City, UT 84107
Water Quality Education
The primary purpose of the water quality education project is to educate area students about water quality in the watershed. Two elementary, two junior high, and two high schools within a five-mile radius of Decker Lake participate in the project, and eight local businesses help support it. Under the project, elementary school students learn about the threats to human health posed by environmental pollution, while the junior high and high school students participate in a volunteer water monitoring program. Outreach efforts and a media campaign designed by the students spread the message about environmental issues and pollution of the watershed.
South Sanpete School District $4,874
Ellen Walker, 39 South Main, Manti, UT 84642
Sanpete Native Plants and Range Issues
The Sanpete Native Plants and Range Issues project improves students' awareness and understanding of range quality and improves teachers' knowledge of environmental issues. It gives students hands-on work and problem-solving experience in the environmental area. The project involves 75 students, 4 full-time teachers, several part-time teachers, and other staff members in field trips to local range lands and in planning for and operation of a greenhouse. Under the project, teachers attend workshops designed to help them integrate environmental issues into their curricula, and students complete the 4-H range evaluation project. The primary partners in the project are the Sevier Valley Tech Building Trades Program; the School to Careers program; the Sanpete County Extension Service; the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Spring City Elementary School; and a local private company that markets seed of native plants.
Utah Society for EE $21,000
Tim Brown, 350 South 400 East, #G64, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Environmental Education Evaluation Initiatives
Environmental Education Evaluation Initiatives, a project that involves 4,000 teachers, increases communication and cooperation among various providers of environmental education throughout the state of Utah. It provides a standardized evaluation instrument and other improvements of evaluation tools currently in use. Workshops conducted to disseminate the materials are supplemented by telephone and electronic communications. Among the numerous entities involved in the project are the Utah State Office of Education, the National Energy Foundation, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, Utah Project Learning Tree, Utah Project WET, Utah Ag in the Classroom, Utah Project WILD, Utah State University, Canyonlands Field Institute, and Four Corners School of Outdoor Education.
Utah State Office of Education $60,000
Brett Moulding, 250 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Systematic Education Reform in Utah
This project integrates environmental education into Utah's statewide education reform efforts. It works with teachers and students to build learning based on environmental projects into the state's new ninth-grade Earth Systems Science Course. Through action projects, students apply the concepts they have learned to real-world environmental problems. Under the project, 40 science teachers receive training and funding to help engage their students in such learning experiences, and ninth-grade students in the earth systems course plan and implement environmental projects and enlist the assistance of local community and government organizations. In addition, high school students use the Internet to communicate their experiences and share resources with other earth systems science classes and teach local elementary school students about the work the older students have done and its significance. Project staff refine the system for training and supporting teachers, evaluate the project, and distribute the results nationwide.
Utah State University $4,961
Sharon Ohlhorst, Forest Resources, Old Main Room 112, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-1415
Sense of Place
This project is designed to develop educational partnerships and activities that help families discover or rediscover a sense of place in their local natural environment. The community-based project targets single-parent, low-income, and minority families in the Cache Valley area who have children between the ages of 4 and 14. It offers outdoor opportunities through which families can develop a connection with the land. The families also develop observational and interpretive problem-solving skills and gain proficiency in critical thinking, and are exposed to general education in environmental topics. Primary partners in the project are Utah State University; Logan Canyon Nature Center; the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the Bridgerland Audubon Society.
1996 Grants
University of Utah $5,000
Christie Probst Lassen, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, 1471 Federal Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Workshops Teaching Skills
This Canyon Conservationist Educator Workshop introduces key concepts and environmental field methods into the science curriculum. It provides environmental education and outdoor teaching skills to both teachers and nonformal educators.
Utah Society of Environmental Education $5,000
Tim Brown, 350 South 400 East, Suite G-4, Salt Lake City, UT 84092
Trunk Survey Project
The Trunk Survey project consists of trunks containing environmental education materials and activities to be used by teachers. An inventory is being published to list existing environmental education trunks and how they can be accessed. The trunks are designed according to identified needs and are used to conduct workshops to improve environmental education teaching skills.
Utah State University $21,849
Dr. Sharon Ohlhorst, Cache County, Logan, UT 84322
Schoolyard Classrooms
This project involves schoolyard classrooms in northern Utah where master teachers are trained to use the yard for teaching environmental stewardship. The project is a collaboration of seven school districts working to extend their classrooms into nearby areas.
Utah Valley State College $4,978
James C. Callison, 800 West 1200 South, Orem, UT 84058-5999
Career Awareness in Environmental Technology
This five-day, hands-on training program promotes career awareness in environmental technology. The target audience is comprised of high school students of the Ute Indian Tribe.
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education $20,000
Janet Ross, P. O. Box 1029, Monticello, UT 84535
Four Corners School of Outdoor Education
This project will provide an environmental education experience that will become a county-wide integrated program for five rural elementary schools in San Juan County, Utah. It will provide information and hands-on experience to students so that they are better able to make informed, knowledgeable decisions about public, Navajo, and Ute reservations lands and natural resources. It will also provide training to teachers in environmental education subjects and techniques.
Greater Ogden Community Nature Center $5,000
Mary Cox, 966 West 12th Street, Ogden, UT 84404
Greater Ogden Community Nature Center
The Greater Ogden Community Nature Center proposes to create three, interactive exhibits that explore strategies for reducing hazardous wastes, household wastes, and energy consumption in order to motivate the general public to be more environmentally conscious. The project will reach more than 36,000 people who will view the Center's updated exhibits and as many as 250,000 more by taking the exhibits to outside venues. The results organizers hope for will be the reduction of environmental pollution and the demand for use of our natural resources in a more productive manner.
Park City Conservation/Recycling Association $5,000
Mary Morrison, 613 Main St., P. O. Box 2548, Park City, UT 84060
Project Recycle
The purpose of this project is to help students in the Park City School District become more aware of their environment. Organizers hope to increase awareness of waste minimization and participation in recycling by using activity books, videos, and slides.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $19,500
350 South 400 East, Suite G-4, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Two Resource Centers for Environmental Education
This project will establish two pilot resource centers, provide quantitative and qualitative evaluation, and find locations for two additional centers for future development. It will increase access to environmental education resources in rural communities, serve as "hubs" for rural teachers and local environmental organizations, and develop skills in using resources through various workshops and programs. A directory of the materials has been placed in the "Environmental Gopher" on the Internet, and the centers will be continuously updated on the Internet.
Utah Sovereign Lands & Forestry $5,000
Joan Dolph, 3 Triad Center #425, Salt Lake City, UT 84180-1204
Project Learning Tree
The goal of this project is to bring Project Learning Tree workshops to teachers through an in-service workshop for teachers of kindergarten through 8th grade. Approximately 20 workshops will be held in order to reach at least 200 teachers to discuss ecological concepts and natural resource education.
Utah State University: Utah Water Research Laboratory $5,000
UMC 1415, Logan, UT 84322-1415
Teacher Training for Environmental Education
This project seeks to train 10 substitute teachers, responsible for 2,500 elementary students in rural Cache County, in techniques and concepts behind environmental education.
Greater Ogden Community Nature Center $5,000
Mary Cox, 966 W. 12th Street, Ogden, UT 84404
Nature Education Program Guide
By publishing a Nature Education Program Guide, this program seeks to (1) significantly enhance the quality of the experience for groups who attend naturalist-led programs, (2) make nature education programs available to new groups not previously able to use the program, and (3) facilitate effective planning and use by making the guide available to teachers for their ongoing research needs.
Utah Society for Environmental Education $17,500
Vern Fridley, 230 South 500 East Suite 280, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Environmental Education Teacher Network (EETN)
The proposed Environmental Education Teacher Network (EETN) will develop capacity to improve teaching skills by providing resource materials, consultation with experts, and workshops. The network seeks to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum state-wide. The EETN will serve as a model of how to develop communication between formal and non-formal educators and state and federal agency specialists.
Wasatch Fish and Gardens Project $11,030
Cara Cahoon, P. O. Box 2924, Salt Lake City, UT 84110-2924
Urban Garden Ecology Project
The aim of the "Urban Garden Ecology Project" is to provide city residents with hands-on training in biointensive gardening and landscaping techniques and to encourage resource conservation and source reduction of chemical pesticides and herbicides at the household and neighborhood level. Participants in the project will demonstrate gardening techniques that reduce water and resource waste and consumption and decrease the use of hazardous materials.
Hawthorne Elementary School/KOPE $5,000
Sheri Lyn Sohm, KOPE (Kids Organized to Protect our Environment), 1675 South 6th East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Outdoor Classrooms: Organization and Curriculum Guide
The expected results of this program are the production of a teacher's guide, Outdoor Classrooms: Organization and Curriculum Guide; networking and in-service support for teachers interested in outdoor classroom education; and planning and implementing a model outdoor classroom site.
Snow College $4,962
Katie Jean Larsen or Kerry Hansen, Great Basin Environmental Education Center, 150 College Avenue, Ephraim, UT 84627
Environmental Education for Inter-Mountain Region
The primary purpose of this project is to stimulate environmental education for a large inter-mountain region by designing and disseminating practices, methods, and techniques into proposed and existing courses through the training of faculty in a specific geographical region.
The Summit Land Conservation Association $5,000
Wendy E. Fisher, Environmental Education Curriculum, P. O. Box 680921, Park City, UT 84068
Land Stewardship Curriculum
This program will produce a localized land stewardship curriculum sensitive to the value of a diverse and rural community. The program will use existing ideas and programs, and will integrate the conservation and open space ethic of the Summit Land Trust with the Forest Service philosophy of a shared citizen and government responsibility for public land stewardship.
UCC WHALE Center $25,000
David W. Randle, 9844 Glendover Way, Sandy, UT 84092
Eco Action
The purpose of the Eco Action Project is to facilitate the educational development and motivation for action among diverse age and interest groups by creating a climate of respect and caring. The project also will enhance leadership skills and provide tools to inspire a sense of common purpose and responsible action among individuals representing a variety of ages, social, cultural, and business concerns.
TreeUtah $1,025
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
TreeUtah
This grant will go towards planting trees in Utah.
University of Utah/Fuels Engineering $5,000
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Air Pollution Education Materials
This grant will fund the design and development of educational materials that support the university's course on air pollution.
Utah State Lands and Forestry $5,000
Salt Lake City, UT 84180-1204
Project Learning Tree (PLT)
This grant will help fund the Project Learning Tree (PLT) program currently being administered to educate teachers.