Enhancing Environmental Education in Maryland: Two Nonprofits Receive Grants from the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant has allocated funding for two Maryland nonprofits to enhance environmental education in the state. The Accokeek Foundation and the Alice Ferguson Foundation will each receive grants to improve and expand their existing programs, with specific amounts to be determined based on federal funding availability and approval.

The Accokeek Foundation will use the grant to revise its “Wild Rice and the Changing Landscape of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” program, which provides seventh-grade students with a meaningful watershed educational experience through hands-on field experiences that incorporate indigenous knowledge. The program aims to increase students’ knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay while also providing them with valuable skills in data collection and restoration.

The Alice Ferguson Foundation will also receive funding to expand its Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience curriculum program in partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools. This partnership will allow the foundation to work closely with middle and high school teachers and administrators to pilot the environmental education program with approximately 240 students, further enhancing environmental education for students in the region.

Starting in July, organizations and nonprofits can apply for funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources through its online Grants Gateway to support outdoor science and watershed education programs in the state.