Keep Akron Beautiful Awarded $50,000 Environmental Education Grant

For Immediate Release

  Contact: Melissa Adams

Keep Akron Beautiful

330-375-2116 or adamsme@ci.akron.oh.us

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

Keep Akron Beautiful Awarded $50,000 Environmental Education Grant

Akron, Ohio-November 6^th 2008- Keep Akron Beautiful recently received a $50,000 grant from Ohio EPA's Environmental Education Fund (OEEF). The focus of this grant is understanding energy efficiency through a new student education program. Using the Ohio Energy Project's energy efficiency education curriculum, Be E³ Smart, Keep Akron Beautiful will provide a series of seven interactive lessons to all 2,000 sixth-grade students attending Akron Public Schools. Students also will receive energy efficiency kits to use at home with the help of their parents. During the 2009 spring semester students will be asked to implement nine energy efficiency measures and conduct two energy audits so they may determine the amount of energy used and saved. Not only does this grant help to promote and educate students about energy efficiency, it also ties into the mission of The Greenprint for Akron, which is to foster a sustainable eco-friendly community through education and leadership. The Greenprint for Akron is a long term plan that was created to help Akron reduce its carbon footprint. Currently the City of Akron is already implementing many eco-friendly practices and it is Keep Akron Beautiful’s roll educate the public on how city can live more “green”.Along with Keep Akron Beautiful, several other organizations in Ohio received grants including the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation. Both of which will also use their grants to deliver training workshops to the public and Ohio based businesses on energy efficiency and the conservation efforts. The OEEF is administered by Ohio EPA. Grants up to $50,000 are funded from one-half of the civil penalties collected by the Agency for air and water pollution control violations. Eligible grant recipients include environmental groups, public and private schools, colleges and universities, trade or professional organizations, businesses and state and local governments. Approximately $1 million is given each year. To learn more about the Ohio EPA log on to www.epa.state.oh.us.

 

 

 

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Keep Akron Beautiful Mission:

Improving Akron’s quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management.

 

www.keepakronbeautiful.org