With the help of PPL Montana, students across the state are monitoring the ecology of streams, studying the weather patterns that create droughts, developing a community recycling plan and learning about the life cycle and nutritional value of plants.
Nine schools have received more than $12,000 to support their earth science programs as part of PPL Montana's Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program.
"There are few things more important to our future than the environment and education," said Lisa Perry, PPL Montana's manager of Community Affairs. "That's why we are so pleased to award competitive grants to teachers who create projects that provide a significant learning experience about the environment."
This is the first year that PPL Montana offered the Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program. Teachers can receive grants for school projects that focus on issues such as watersheds and wetlands, air quality, renewable resources, energy conservation and the greening of schools.
The projects enhance established classroom curricula and academic standards or support extracurricular activities of school organizations and clubs. A team of PPL Montana employees chose this year's winning projects.
Receiving the grants are:
· Billings West High School, Billings.
· Elder Grove School, Billings.
· Butte High School, Butte.
· Colstrip High School, Colstrip.
· Anna Jeffries Elementary, Cut Bank.
· Fergus High School, Lewistown.
· Cherry Valley Elementary School, Polson.
· Linderman Elementary School, Polson.
· Stevensville Elementary School, Stevensville.
"We salute the students and teachers of the schools who are doing their part to promote a healthy environment in Montana for generations to come," Perry said.
PPL Montana sponsors the Environmental Education Grant program as part of PPL Project Earth, an initiative to educate the public about energy resources and the environment. For more information, visit the Environment section of the PPL Montana Web site.