This project provides funding to the field museum of natural history to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and…

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951) provides $133,333 in funding to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL to design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques that will increase environmental literacy and encourage environmentally-beneficial behaviors in the Calumet region.

Key activities include restoring green spaces with climate change resiliency in mind, updating the existing climate change curriculum, and building the capacity of educators to teach about climate change. The project will expand the Mighty Acorns partnership and improve the climate change curriculum's effectiveness, with anticipated outcomes of participants being more likely to visit green spaces and adopt sustainable habits, as well as environmental educators becoming more comfortable teaching about climate change. Five sub-awards will be made to eligible partners to expand or launch their Mighty Acorns programs.

This project provides funding to the field museum of natural history to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques, that will serve to increase environmental literacy and encourage behavior that will benefit the environment in the calumet region of chicago, IL. The grantee will do this by partnering with non school based organizations to introduce 3RD-5TH grade children to climate change issues through the mighty acorns program. Partners will be trained in the program and work with children on ecological restoration projects. Activities:this project will increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues in the calumet region of chicago and provide mighty acorns partners and children the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions. Activities to be performed during this project period include: restoring green spaces with climate change in mind, updating the existing climate change curriculum to include climate resiliency and building capacity of educators to teach about climate change within the program. Subrecipient:5 sub awards will be given to eligible partners to expand or launch their mighty acorns program. Outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: expanding the mighty acorns partnership and improving climate change effectiveness within the curriculum. Expected outcomes of the project include: participants being more likely to visit green spaces and adopt sustainable habits. IT also includes environmental educators being more comfortable teaching about climate change. The intended beneficiaries include 3RD-5TH grade children, as well as environmental educators across chicagoland.