This grant is authorized under section 6 of the national environmental education act

Federal Grant Award Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 awarded $133,532 to Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) on September 1, 2025, under the Environmental Education Grants Program (CFDA 66.951) to support environmental education and community action initiatives in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands through October 31, 2026. MINA will directly engage ten schools and ten community groups to develop and implement environmental action plans (EAPs), providing instructional support to ten science teachers, 50 students, and 80 community club members. The project will conduct field experiences and workshops addressing extreme weather events, plastic pollution, marine preservation, terrestrial preservation, and recycling efforts, with an anticipated total impact reaching 7,000+ students, teachers, volunteers, and community members across the region.

Key deliverables include recruitment and enrollment of participant institutions and individuals; development and implementation of ten environmental action plans; facilitation of field-based learning experiences and workshops on priority environmental topics; and establishment of a plastic recycling program on the islands of Tinian and Rota, including deployment of a 3-in-1 plastic recycling machine to enable community production of recycled products. These activities align with the Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative's emphasis on cooperative federalism and cross-agency partnership while building participants' capacity to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible community action.

This environmental education grant's workplan aligns with pillar 3 of the powering the great american comeback initiative, 'permitting reform, cooperative federalism, and cross-agency partnership.' as detailed in the workplan, this project will support students in learning about, interacting with, and actively addressing environmental issues on their school campuses and in their villages. The project will directly work with ten schools and community clubs, for a total engagement of ten science teachers, fifty students, and eighty community club members. Additionally, ten community groups will participate in adopting and implementing their environmental action plans for implementation at public sites. IT is anticipated that this project will impact 7,000+ students, teachers, volunteers, and community members. This agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $100,000. See terms and conditions.activities:this project will increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues in communities in the commonwealth of the northern mariana islands and provide school teachers, students, and community members with the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions. Activities to be performed during this project period include: - recruiting ten schools, 50 students, and ten community groups to participate in the one-year program. - supporting the development and implementation of ten environmental action plans (eaps). - planning and facilitating field experiences and workshops focusing on extreme weather events and plastic pollution, marine preservation, terrestrial preservation, and recycling efforts. - implementing plastic recycling program in villages on the islands of tinian and rota. - transporting a 3-in-1 plastic recycling machine to tinian that will allow the community to create different products out of the 100% recycled plastics. Subrecipient:subrecipients will recruit teacher and student groups to create environmental lesson plans and design and implement environmental action plans that will support extreme weather events awareness and resiliency. The final EAP projects will be shared with the respective school. Additional subawards will be awarded to ten community environmental groups to implement extreme weather awareness awareness projects. Outcomes:IT is anticipated that this project will result in the following deliverables: - ten developed environmental action plans - ten implemented environmental projects addressing the impacts of extreme weather events and plastic pollution on school campuses - 12 presenters from governmental, nongovernmental, and environmental agencies are confirmed for marine, terrestrial, and recycling field experiences - five indigenous leaders are confirmed to share traditional knowledge on extreme weather adaptation strategies - one orientation and one final presentation workshop for all participants. - islands of tinian, rota, and saipan have a plastic recycling program with 15, 15, and 20 recycling bins distributed throughout villages, respectively. - two datasets of student assessment prior to and after the implementation of an environmental program focusing on environmental literacy and plastic pollution expected outcomes of the project include: - increased awareness and education of extreme weather events literacy and natural resource management in saipan's communities and tinian and rota's schools. - ten teachers and 50 students are more educated on environmental literacy, plastic pollution, marine preservation projects and strategies, and recycling. - improved curriculum in extreme weather events literacy and plastic pollution in nearby schools.