This project provides funding to NY sun works to implement its project, which will design, demonstrate, and disseminate environmental education practices, methods, and techniques, that will serve to…

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951) provides $136,629 to New York Sun Works Inc. to implement an environmental education program in New York City. The project will design, demonstrate, and disseminate climate and environmental education practices, methods, and techniques that will serve to increase environmental literacy and encourage pro-environmental behaviors in over 1,600 K-8th grade students across 8 schools in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Key activities include weekly grade-specific environmental science, STEM, and climate instruction; in-class hydroponic farming; climate and environmental science research projects; and professional development workshops to expand teacher knowledge and instructional capacity in these areas. The project will also facilitate place-based learning opportunities through partnerships with local organizations like Newtown Creek Alliance and Hunters Point Park Conservancy. The award period is from Aug 1, 2024 to Jul 31, 2025.

This project provides funding to NY sun works 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 new york city urban schools. The grantee will do this by delivering a climate and environmental education program to 8 schools in new york city (4 in brooklyn; 2 in queens; 2 in manhattan), reaching over 1,600 k-8TH grade students and training 8 educators. The program will build student proficiency in an inquiry based, grade specific way on climate and environmental science, build understanding of the role of urban agriculture in sustainable and resilient communities, and expand teacher knowledge and instructional capacity in climate and environmental science, and urban farming so that they can effectively extend learning to successive classes. Activities:this project will increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues in hudson heights, lower east side, astoria, sunnyside, brownsville, east new york, bergen beach, and cypress hills and provide students, and educators, the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions. Activities to be performed during this project period include: 1) weekly, grade-specific environmental science, stem, and climate instruction.; 2) in-class seed-to-harvest hydroponic farming; and 3) climate and environmental science research projects, 4) harvest program where students bring home the produce they'VE grown in classrooms 5) climate and environmental science research projects 6) weekly mentoring in hydroponic farming for each school's designated hydroponics teacher 7) one-on-one curriculum support sessions and group professional development workshops for each school's designated hydroponics teacher . The workshops and mentoring will expand teacher knowledge and instructional capacity in climate and environmental science and urban farming so they can confidently and effectively extend the learning to successive classes of students. Subrecipient:subrecipients will facilitate the place-based learning aspect of the project. They are: newtown creek alliance, hunters point park conservancy, lower east side ecology center, NYC H20, and grow brownsville. Newtown creek alliance will arrange field trips for students from two schools to participate in environmental stewardship activities and learn about the history, habitat, and human impact on the newtown creek and surrounding environment. Hunters point park conservancy will provide opportunities for schools from long island city and throughout NYC to bring in school field trips for students to learn about urban ecology, native habitats, climate resiliency and green infrastructure, and the native species of newtown creek and the east river NYC H20 will arrange field trips for students from two schools to participate in environmental stewardship activities and learn about water ecology in new york city. LES ecology center will provide educational field trips for local students to visit our food justice garden in the lower east side to explore urban food and waste systems and learn to be stewards of our urban environment. Grow brownsville will facilitate field trips for students from two schools on the network of energy cooperatives and urban farms. Outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: for the education program: at least 40 weekly instructional sessions per school throughout school year (320 sessions across all 8 schools), covering environmental, climate, and foundational sciences through the lens of urban farming; 4 harvest distributions to students and families per school (32 total) to support food security and engage families in sustainability concepts through discussion cards and take-home activities; 8 hydroponic