For years, Tom Shive took his environmental science classes from Allentown's Central Catholic High School down to the Jordan Creek to gather water samples to study.

Every time they went, he grew more concerned with the condition of Lower Jordan Meadow, a one-mile stretch of land along the creek between the Jordan Street Bridge and an abandoned railroad bridge.

Discarded shopping carts, bicycles, air conditioners — even a couple of 500-pound retention tanks — littered the area. Creek banks were so overgrown it was hard for students to get to the water.

Shive dreamed of a day when the meadow could be restored.

Hard work by Central Catholic students and one of PPL's first-ever environmental education grants are helping that dream come true.

Shive is one of 11 educators in three states to receive PPL's Project Earth Environmental Education Grants. The $2,000 grant was presented to Shive in a ceremony at Central Catholic High School on Thursday (3/13).

Shive and members of Central Catholic's Environmental Science Club began their restoration project in 2002. With some help from the City of Allentown, the students removed about 125 shopping carts, a dozen or more bicycles and several old air conditioners. All told, almost 10 tons of debris was taken out of the meadow, aided by a grant from United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley's TeenWorks program.

"The second phase of the restoration — planting about 300 trees and bushes — will take place beginning this spring, thanks to the PPL money," Shive said. "It's phenomenal how nice it looks there now, compared to what it was, and we're not finished yet."

"PPL created the grant program to give teachers the opportunity to receive up to $2,000 for school projects that focus on environmental issues. The grants are part of PPL Project Earth, which focuses the company's resources on generating and delivering energy in an environmentally responsible and community-friendly way," said James M. Seif, PPL's vice president of Corporate Services.

"We always are looking for new ways to partner with educators," he added. "Our company has a responsibility as a major corporation to support the schools in the communities where we live and work.

"These partnerships provide students with quality teaching about issues such as energy conservation, protecting watersheds and wetlands, and improving air quality."

Educators from school districts near PPL power plants and major facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, New York and Illinois were eligible for the grants. They had to submit their proposals to PPL online.

"Our community affairs activities, of which education relations is a key part, are now reaching out to communities beyond what used to be our traditional geographic boundaries," said Larry Sparta, PPL's education relations director.

"The Internet allows us to do that. It's all about being involved in the communitites where we do business and our employees live and work. It's exciting to be able to find ways to partner with educators long distance.

"At the start of the next school year, we will offer additional opportunities to these educators."

A total of 40 grant proposals were received, including proposals from educators in Maine, New Jersey and New York, in addition to Pennsylvania. In addition to Shive, the winners selected are:

-- Katherine Schwigan, Brewer Middle School, Brewer, Maine.

-- Jeff Antolick, Hazleton Area High, Hazleton, Pa.

-- Michael Yeager, Milton Area High, Milton, Pa.

-- Holly Diltz, Columbia/Montour Vocational-Technical School, Bloomsburg, Pa.

-- Donald Battle, Harrison-Morton Middle School, Allentown, Pa.

-- Lois Spangler, Central School, Great Meadows, N. J.

-- Gwendolyn Damiano, Bancroft Elementary School, Scranton, Pa.

-- Marianne Moore, Reid Elementary School, Middletown, Pa.

-- Charles Kopcho, Pen Argyl Area High, Pen Argyl, Pa.

-- James Deroba, Northwest Area High, Shickshinny, Pa.