Monday, February 5, 2024

Ohio EPA environmental education grant to train teachers on Lake Erie management practices

The Case Western Reserve University’s Leonard Gelfand STEM Center will use an Ohio Environmental Education Fund, awarded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), for teacher trainings on some of the issues impacting Lake Erie.

The center’s $45,633 grant is one of five that was recently awarded across the state, totaling $190,044. It will allow teachers from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to take part in week-long workshops, and all told the project is expected to positively impact between 1,200 and 1,500 of their peers within two years.

Once the teachers have gone through the workshops, they will be able to take students to the new Kelley’s Island Field Station and the Cleveland Metroparks’ Stewardship Center at West Creek, where they will learn about conservation efforts impacting Lake Erie. This includes best management practices for nutrient control, how nutrient control can help prevent harmful algal blooms and how stormwater management practices can impact habitats and biodiversity.

The Ohio EPA offers Ohio Environmental Education Fund grants for projects that promote environmental education at all levels, from kindergarten through university students as well as the general public. Those wishing to apply for the next round of grants must submit their applications by July 15.