Thursday, March 28, 2024

Puerto Rico’s Universidad Metropolitana wins $91,000 environmental education grant

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will promote environmental education for students throughout Puerto Rico through a $91,000 grant recently awarded to San Juan’s Universidad Metropolitana.

The funding will allow the university to better train junior high school science teachers about issues like climate change, air quality and coastal issues through professional development workshops. Universidad Metropolitana will also start 10 model education programs at schools throughout Puerto Rico, promoting science and environmental careers among students.

“It is important that we give young people in Puerto Rico the education they need about critical environmental issues facing the Island — particularly climate change,” EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck said. “Environmental education is essential to protecting human health and the environment, and this grant will result in better environmental education for students across Puerto Rico by providing training for teachers and establishing model environmental education programs at several schools.”

The funding provided to Universidad Metropolitana is part of $273,000 recently awarded in EPA Region 2, which encompasses Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, New York, New Jersey and eight tribal nations. The agency awarded a total of approximately $3.3 million for environmental education across the country this year.