The cleveland metroparks north chagrin nature center will expand its euclid beach stem adventure program, which will include summer camp programs and year-round, out-of-school programs

The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded a $580,734 Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) project grant to the Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Nature Center to expand its Euclid Beach STEM Adventure program. This 3-year project will engage over 1,200 local youth annually in summer camp and year-round out-of-school programs focused on exploring STEM topics through hands-on field activities and experiments around Lake Erie, water quality, and local watersheds. The grant will fund hiring a full-time naturalist educator and two seasonal naturalists to facilitate this cross-disciplinary learning for youth from neighborhoods adjacent to Euclid Beach Park. The project builds on a successful pilot that developed partnerships to provide meals and classroom space for participants.

The nature center will target youth from neighborhoods adjacent to the park district's euclid beach park with a goal of immersing youth in the natural environment of lake erie. The project will support hiring a full-time naturalist educator and two seasonal naturalists. This project builds on a successful pilot, during which the center developed partnerships with the greater cleveland foodbank to provide meals for participants, and the collinwood recreation center and cleveland public library for classroom space. The program will facilitate cross-disciplinary learning for over 1,200 local youth annually as they explore stem topics through reading, recreation, and hands-on field activities and experiments that focus on lake erie, water quality, and local watersheds.