First Niagara Foundation Donates $10,000 to Teatown Lake Reservation's No Child Left Inside Program

Teatown Lake Reservation, a nonprofit, environmental education organization with a 1,000 acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a $10,000 grant from First Niagara Foundation, the philanthropic arm of First Niagara Bank to support No Child Left Inside (NCLI). This program offers environmental education for Pre-k – 6th grade children living in economically disadvantaged communities in Westchester County.

Teatown, long known as a resource for environmental education, serves more than 9,000 children from Westchester schools each year providing them with authentic nature experiences via on site field trips and outreach programs. Through the NCLI program, at risk children who normally had to forgo these outdoor experiential educational opportunities are given the chance to develop ecological literacy and knowledge of the natural sciences. NCLI also fosters children’s interest in nature and science, motivates them to learn, improves critical thinking skills, and increases self-esteem, self-confidence and competency.

“First Niagara is proud to support the No Child Left Inside Program at Teatown Lake Reservation which has served thousands of underprivileged children since 2008,” said First Niagara Tri-State President, Cathie Schaffer. “Programs such as this continue to grow as an effective way to help children who may not otherwise have access to valuable nature experiences.”

NCLI provides much-needed, enhanced environmental education opportunities to increase students’ knowledge of natural science/environment facts and terminology, to expose the students to scientific thinking and analysis methods, to teach the importance of conserving, protecting and improving their community’s natural resources, and to motivate and foster a sense of place and connection with their immediate environment.

”Teatown is grateful for the steadfast support First Niagara Foundation has provided to the NCLI program, allowing us to continue our reach to children in under-served communities,” said Teatown Executive Director, Kevin Carter.