This project provides funding to the grantee to design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques, that will serve to increase environmental literacy…

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951) provides $130,191 in funding to the Takshanuk Watershed Council, a non-profit organization in Alaska, to design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices and techniques. The project aims to increase environmental literacy and encourage pro-environmental behaviors in the communities of Haines, Skagway, and Klukwan, Alaska. Key activities include a "Stream Team" citizen science program, marine education and restoration efforts, and the creation of an ArcGIS story map to share research data. The project will also provide professional development for 10 teachers and engage 120 underserved students and 170 community members in environmental education and stewardship initiatives, including watershed education, beach cleanups, and workshops on topics such as harmful algal blooms and marine debris. Additionally, the grant supports a sub-grant program to enable the Takshanuk Watershed Council to provide funds to local non-profit organizations for environmental education programming in schools.

This project provides funding to the grantee to 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 haines, skagway and klukwan, alaska. The grantee will do this by involving collaborative partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations to orchestrate community involvement in citizen science investigations, implement new educational programs, and recruit volunteers in coastal restoration. The project's goals will include watershed education for students K-12 and professional development for teachers; a stewardship project arcgis story map; and marine debris removal and education. Partnering with local tribes, the grantee will link indigenous knowledge and environmental education to create culturally relevant and inclusive instruction. Activities:this project will increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues in haines, skagway, and klukwan, alaska and provide students, teachers, and community members the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions. Activities to be performed during this project period include the program stream team, a citizen science project using nationally recognized global learning and observations to benefit the environment (GLOBE) protocols. This program will connect both 60 youth and 10 teachers from skagway school and underserved title 1 schools in haines and klukwan to their local watersheds through hands-on and inquiry-based learning. The project will also focus on marine education and restoration through harmful algal bloom and paralytic shellfish poisoning monitoring and education about debris and removal procedures. Research and data from this and the stream team project will be shared through a communal arcgis story map created by students from the haines school. The project will nurture environmental stewardship and civic responsibility by offering weekly field experiences to K-12 students and teachers in the communities and engaging the general public (60 community members) in educational workshops and volunteer opportunities. Subrecipient:the sub-grant program will enable the grantee to give five subawards to nonprofits to provide funds to schools for environmental education professional development, teacher workshops, and watershed education for teachers and students.outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: students from the title I schools will collect data and understand how data is used to drive restoration and preservation of the natural ecosystems using the GLOBE protocols. Ten teachers from title 1 schools will gain place-based knowledge of their greater watershed. Community members will attend educational workshops to learn about marine debris and six beaches will be restored. Debris found from the cleanup will be categorized and turned into a public report shared on the arcgis story map. Expected outcomes of the project include below: (SHORT-TERM) - 20% of haines students, 100% of klukwan students, and 7% of skagway students will gain knowledge about water temperature and its impact on healthy salmon populations and how that relates to ensuring clean and safe drinking water. (MEDIUM-TERM) - the teachers will have increased environmental education instructional hours focused on watershed education steeped in tlingit cultural knowledge and connection in place. (LONG-TERM) - the plans to reduce debris on beaches will result in restored marine ecosystems that are resilient and have improved biodiversity. The intended beneficiaries will be 120 underserved students, 10 teachers, and 170 commuity members in the haines, klukwan, and skagway areas of alaska.