The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 awarded $133,333 to Catalyst Miami, Inc. on June 30, 2025, under the Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951) to design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices focused on increasing environmental literacy and air quality awareness in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The primary product consists of three structured leadership cohorts—CLEAR, LIGHT, and HEAL—that will train up to 100 residents ages 14 and older in practical knowledge and tools for reducing air pollution and promoting environmental protection. Training will be delivered through peer-led learning and interactive methods aligned with Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence, with participants learning to interpret public air quality data, identify indoor and outdoor air quality risks, understand pollution sources and public health impacts, and implement household and neighborhood actions to improve energy efficiency.
The grant period runs through June 29, 2026, and the project's deliverables include community-based environmental education programming designed to expand local environmental education capacity, build community knowledge of air pollution impacts, and develop residents' capacity to respond to pollution through behavior change. By combining professional development and direct instruction with community engagement activities, the project will provide students, teachers, and community members with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions to benefit air quality in the Miami-Dade region.