This project provides funding to the children and teachers foundation of the chicago teachers union to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education…

This Project Grant award, provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951), will fund the Children and Teachers Foundation of the Chicago Teachers Union to implement an environmental education program in Chicago, Illinois. The $223,600 award, effective February 1, 2025, will support the design, demonstration, and dissemination of environmental education practices, methods, and techniques to increase environmental literacy and encourage environmentally-beneficial behaviors within the Chicago community. Key program activities include hosting two 2-week "EJ Freedom School" educational-experiential programs for high school students, conducting four learning site field trips, an educational camping trip, and the creation of an "EJ Freedom Zine." The program aims to develop student "climate change champions" who will create and present local school climate action plans to benefit the environment. Subawards will be provided to eligible community organizations to assist students with their action plans and potentially host program participants.

This project provides funding to the children and teachers foundation of the chicago teachers union 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 chicago, IL. The grantee will do this by hosting a 2 week educational-experiential program offered to high school students in the chicagoland area to develop local school climate action plans. Students will become climate change champions for their school community and local environment through EJ teach-INS inspired from their climate action plans. Activities:this project will increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues in chicago, IL and provide students and community members the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions. Activities to be performed during this project period include: conducting 2 EJ freedom school cohorts which will enable participants to learn about the health of chicago's air and water quality. Participants will develop action plans with proposed solutions which will directly benefit the community and local environment. Subrecipient:subawards will be given to eligible community organizations to work with participants in the EJ freedom school. They will assist the students on their action plans and potentially host participants at their site. Outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: host 2 EJ freedom school cohorts, attendance at 4 learning site fields trips, educational camping trip and creation of an EJ freedom zine. Expected outcomes of the project include: student participants preset their action plans to the public, adoption of recommendations from action plans, and students reporting a positive change in community environmental literacy.