Whether investigating global warming or creating a garden sanctuary for children with disabilities, the recipients of this year’s PPL Project Earth Environmental Education Grants are working to make a positive impact on the environment and their communities.

“PPL’s support of schools through Project Earth programs and grants help students learn about environmental issues that affect the communities where they live,” said Meg Welker, education relations director for PPL. “These projects take lessons beyond the classroom and help make learning fun.”

This year, PPL awarded more than $15,000 in Project Earth grants. Schools in Maine, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania received up to $1,500 to promote environmental education.

Since the program’s inception in 2003, PPL has awarded nearly $100,000 for projects in 68 schools near PPL facilities. 

The 12 schools receiving grants this year are:

• Allamuchy Township School, Allamuchy, N.J., for “Aquaponic Fish Farm,” a hydroponics system to give students a hands-on opportunity to study water quality.
• Belvidere High School, Belvidere, N.J., for “Air Quality and Monitoring,” a student project to explore the formation and causes of elevated pollution levels and how they contribute to global warming.
• Berwick Area Middle School, Berwick, Pa., for “Coastal Wetlands,” the purchase of models to help students examine the effects of pollution on oceans, beaches, estuaries and coral reefs.
• Freemansburg Elementary School, Freemansburg, Pa., for “One Earth,” an after-school program that offers hands-on environmental science education for second-grade English as a Second Language students.
• Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pa., for “Illicks Mill Mural,” a student project to create an environmental mural depicting native trees, plants and animals in the local watershed. This is the final phase of the revitalization of this historical site.
• Paxinosa Elementary School, Easton, Pa., for “Wild Side Revitalization,” a student project to build a hiking trail, wildlife observation area and weather station.
• Orendorf Elementary School, Manchester, Pa., for a field trip to explore native animals, trees and plants to help the school’s Envirothon Club prepare for the York County Envirothon.
• Shallow Brook Intermediate School, Manchester, Pa., for “Orienteering,” a project that combines physical education with science to teach students this running sport involving navigation with a map and compass.
• Shoreham-Wading River High School, Shoreham, N.Y., for “Long Island Sound Education,” a student project to research Long Island Sound and its surroundings, and use the findings to teach elementary school students about these unique ecosystems.
• Stillwater Montessori School, Old Town, Maine, for “Habitats — Near and Far,” a student project to research various habitats and plan an environmental festival to share students’ knowledge.
• Stroudsburg Junior High School, Stroudsburg, Pa., for “Saving the Environment One Light Bulb at a Time,” a student project to analyze the impact of traditional incandescent light bulbs versus compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Washington Heights Elementary School, Lemoyne, Pa., for “Nature for All,” a project to make a nature and bird sanctuary accessible to the school’s students with disabilities to increase their environmental awareness.

A team of PPL employees, environmental professionals and educators chose the winning projects. PPL sponsors the Environmental Education Grants program as part of PPL Project Earth, an initiative to educate the public about energy resources and the environment. For information about PPL Project Earth, click here.

PPL Corporation, headquartered in Allentown, Pa., controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.