EPA grant supports environmental education program for Baltimore students

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $22,000 environmental education grant to the Irvine Natural Science Center in Baltimore, Md. to help teach environmental protection issues to high school students from economically and educationally challenged neighborhoods.

Under the program, high school students who get the environmental training will in turn become teachers and mentors for younger students in a partner elementary school.

“This project brings high school and elementary students together and will provide them with skills and motivation to play an active role in protecting the environment,” said Donald S. Welsh, administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

Since 1992, EPA has provided almost $3 million annually in funding to local organizations and schools nationwide. These grants fund education programs in nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental agencies supporting a wide range of environmental issues for citizens of all ages.