Two Maryland nonprofits have been awarded grant funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to enhance environmental education in the state. The Accokeek Foundation and the Alice Ferguson Foundation received funding to improve their existing programs and provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences for students.
The Accokeek Foundation will be working on their program “Indigenous Connections to the Land: Wild Rice,” which aims to revise and enhance their existing program, “Wild Rice and the Changing Landscape of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.” This program provides seventh grade students with a hands-on field experience that involves engaging them in the growth, maintenance, data collection, and restoration of wild rice while incorporating indigenous knowledge. This program helps students better understand the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
The Alice Ferguson Foundation received funding to expand their Bridging the Watershed Curriculum in partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools. This curriculum provides a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience for middle and high school students. The organization will work with teachers and administrators to pilot the environmental education program with approximately 240 students.
Beginning in July, interested organizations can apply for grant funding through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ online Grants Gateway.