PRIDE awards $32,253 for environmental education
February 29, 2016 by clackey
Paintsville High School used a $500 PRIDE Environmental Education Grant toward its Trout in the Classroom Project. In this photo, two PHS seniors used a pipette to remove infertile and unviable eggs during their ecology class. They placed the unviable eggs into petri dishes for students to observe with a hand lens. The photo was taken by a PHS student.
On Feb. 29, Eastern Kentucky PRIDE announced that it had awarded $32,253 for environmental education projects in its service area during the 2015/16 school year.
The funding was awarded through the PRIDE Environmental Education Grant Program. The program was funded in part by a grant to PRIDE from Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK).
PRIDE awarded the grants in February and last October to schools that applied for the grant program across 42 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. (For a list of grant recipients, please scroll down.)
The grants can be used for a variety of educational activities that help students appreciate and care for the environment and to serve their community.
One example is the Trout in the Classroom Project at Paintsville High School. Under the direction of science teacher Hans Doderer, PHS students raised rainbow trout from eggs into fingerlings and then released the young rainbow trout into nearby (approved) waters. They will produce a documentary about their work and collect oral histories about local water quality issues.
The interdisciplinary project involves ecology, biology, chemistry, history and art students. The goal is to develop their environmental literacy, as well as a deeper appreciation for the environment, water resources and water quality in eastern Kentucky.
PHS used a $500 PRIDE grant toward the project, which was also funded by Kentucky Association for Environmental Education, and Appalachian Renaissance Initiative-Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative.
“I want to congratulate the grant recipients and thank the educators who are leading these projects,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson.
“Our region is blessed with incredible natural resources, so it is important that every generation learns how to be good stewards,” Wilson said. “PRIDE has been working in the schools for almost 20 years now, and we hear so many stories of children who changed their families’ habits on litter and recycling. Environmental education is making a difference in our region.”
“Beyond that, hands-on nature projects really help students learn a variety of subjects,” she explained. “The environmental education activities give them a chance to apply what they are learning in math and science and other classes. That means they understand and remember their lessons better.”
Since 1997, PRIDE has awarded 1,533 grants that impacted 745,575 students across the region. Schools have used PRIDE funds for a wide variety of activities, such as starting recycling programs and building outdoor classrooms, nature trails, wetlands and greenhouses.
Promoting environmental education is one the key missions of PRIDE, a nonprofit organization. The other two missions are cleaning up the region’s waterways and removing solid waste problems. Founded in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and the late General James E. Bickford, PRIDE works alongside citizens, teachers and elected officials to improve the region’s environment and quality of life.
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2015/16 PRIDE Environmental Education Grant Recipients
Bell County
Bell Central School Center, $1,000
Yellow Creek School Center, $500
Breathitt County
LBJ Elementary, $500
MKCAP Head Start, $983
Carter County
West Carter Middle School, $1,000
Casey County
Casey County High School and Middle School, $457
Clay County
KCEOC Head Start, $500
Clinton County
Clinton County Middle School, $1,000
Cumberland County
Cumberland County Conservation District/Cumberland County Middle School, $1,000
Harlan County
KCEOC Head Start, $500
Johnson County
Paintsville High School, $1,000
Johnson County Conservation District, $498.50
Knox County
GR Hampton Elementary, $500
KCEOC Head Start, $500
Union College, $500
Laurel County
Cold Hill Elementary, $250
Colony Elementary, $490.04
South Laurel High School, $499.48
Lee County
MKCAP Head Start, $1,000
Leslie County
Hayes Lewis Elementary School, $500
Leslie County Gifted and Talented Program/Leslie County High School, $500
Letcher County
Letcher Elementary School, $475
Magoffin County
Magoffin County Cooperative Extension Office, $1,000
McCreary County
McCreary County Extension Council, $987.50
Monroe County
Tompkinsville Elementary School, $500
Morgan County
Wrigley Elementary School, $500
Owsley County
Owsley County High School, $500
Pike County
Southside Elementary School, $500
Shelby Valley High School, $500
Pulaski County
Nancy Elementary School, $479.80
Southwestern High School, $479.80
Somerset High School, $500
Somerset Christian School, $500
Pulaski County Public Library, $1,000
Somerset Community College, $1,000
Rockcastle County
Mt. Vernon Elementary, $500
Eastern Rockcastle Water Association, $500
Rowan County
Morehead State University, $1,000
Russell County
Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency, Inc. (for Head Start programs in 10 counties), $1,800
Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Inc., $1,000
Russell County Conservation District, $500
Taylor County
Taylor County Conservation Dist, $500
Taylor County Junior Conservation Board, $353
Whitley County
Whitley County East Elementary, $500
Whitley County Central Primary, $500
Wolfe County
MKCAP Head Start, $1,000
Wolfe County Middle School, $1,000
Wolfe County High School, $1,000
