Milton Awards Environmental Education Grants to 3 Schools

From The City of Milton: On May 4, the City of Milton announced the winners of its 2018 Environmental Education Grant, an annual micro-grant program that is open to public schools located within the Milton city limits. The program provides nominal grants for environmental education projects or activities impacting a large number of students. Awards of up to $600 are available annually, depending upon funds availability and Council budget approval.

The 2018 winners are Birmingham Falls Elementary, Northwestern Middle School, and Milton High School. Each year, Milton's Conservation Projects Manager Teresa Stickels encourages school principals, PTA officers, teachers, club sponsors and school volunteers to submit a project application for consideration.

"The goal of the program is to bring environmental education to as many students as possible," said Stickels. "Projects could focus on topics such as solid waste reduction and recycling, stormwater awareness, energy conservation, or wildlife habitat, but submissions certainly aren't limited to those categories."

The 2018 winners offered a wide variety of projects:

• The Birmingham Falls Elementary Green Team spends Tuesdayafternoons gardening, weeding, and otherwise beautifying the school courtyard. The team will use the $600 grant to add a courtyard workstation for potting plants, seedling, and instruction. The workstation will include a planting table, gloves, pots, dirt, trays, and secure storage. It also allows for an open air classroom environment for instruction and student participation.
• Northwestern Middle School requested grant funds to purchase an Enviroscape, a hands-on teaching tool that can be used to illustrate the water cycle, pollution, water quality, and conservation methods. The Enviroscape will be used by all grade levels as well as Northwestern's Environmental Club.
• The Milton High School grant proposal focuses on training students in the Career-Based Intervention (CBI) Program to properly set up a vertical garden with the goal of growing herbs which can be sold to a local restaurant (Farm to Table). The goal of the CBI program is to provide training for the students so they can be self-supportive. The grant proposal also encourages other Milton students to participate in the vertical garden training. The group hopes that this is the first step in creating a hydroponic garden at Milton High School in addition to creating more wall gardens for all to enjoy.

Those interested in making application for the upcoming school year may contact Teresa Stickels for more information at teresa.stickels@cityofmiltonga.us.

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