State awards $49K for environmental education in Allegheny County
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on Friday announced the award of more than $49,000 in environmental education grants for six programs in Allegheny County.
The grants are included in about $434,000 in state funding approved for organizations in 28 counties and are derived from a fund generated by setting aside 5% of fines and penalties collected annually by the DEP.
Allegheny County recipients include:
• Etna Community Organization — $3,000 for public events to educate the community on stream studies and water monitoring;
• Group Against Smog — $17,497 for climate change and air quality education tool kits for middle school students;
• Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators — $3,000 for storm water workshops for educators reaching youth in Environmental Justice areas. The DEP identifies Environmental Justice areas as census tracts where 20% or more of residents live in poverty or 30% or more belong to minority groups, based on federal data and guidelines;
• Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy — $20,000 for urban gardening, outdoor explorations and other activities for teens and adults;
• Steel City Rowing Club — $2,999 for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences summer camp activities for ages 9-11 and 12-14;
• Women for a Healthy Environment — $2,998 for an after-school enrichment program featuring sustainability projects for elementary students.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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