Williams Bay School awarded EEF
GREENSPACE grant
Wednesday, October 11th Amanda Anderson was awarded a $2,600 Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) Grant to create the Williams Bay Schools GREENSPACE. The GREENSPACE will serve as a living, outdoor classroom for students at all levels in Williams Bay Schools.
Anderson hopes that this GREENSPACE will, “provide a space for all science classrooms K-12 to facilitate experiments in plant growth and agricultural science, as well as to inspire students to pursue agricultural, ecological, and botanical education.”
Presenting the award, the Environmental Education Foundation President Bill Thompson noted that the GREENSPACE grant application was unanimously approved by the board because it creates, “an educational opportunity, not just to inspire students to be environmentally aware, but get them engaged in experiences that open up paths to careers that support and protect our lakes and lands.”
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Presenting the award, the Environmental Education Foundation President Bill Thompson noted that the GREENSPACE grant application was unanimously approved by the board because it creates, “an educational opportunity, not just to inspire students to be environmentally aware, but get them engaged in experiences that open up paths to careers that support and protect our lakes and lands.”
Skip Mosshamer, Chair of EEF Scholarships and Grants Committee, explained that through EEF grants for projects such as GREENSPACE, the Foundation hopes to inspire student interest in environmentally focused topics, and then, “EEF can provide scholarship support for those scholars who pursue an environmentally focused degree and career”. Just this past year, two Williams Bay High School students - Hannah Abram and Zach Beinetti - were each awarded three-thousand-dollar college scholarships.
Middle and High School Principal Emily Soley-Johnson commended Amanda Anderson for being “that science teacher students remember forever. She doesn’t just develop amazing, experiential learning opportunities, but she puts in the extra work that has earned this grant and made this project a reality.”
Dr. William White lauded Amanda as an example of the type of educator who shares our school’s vision of cross-disciplinary educational opportunities that engage our students in meaningful ways that prepare them for life after high school, profit our school community and our home community of Williams Bay.
The GREENSPACE project will be getting underway this fall with grant money to purchase materials for raised beds, trellises, and natural soils and compost. The garden plot will then be used for plant experiments and to teach students about growing vegetables in an eco-friendly way. In summer, the space will serve as a public space for community members to enjoy.
Grant funds are available for similar projects. Apply at eefscholars.org. Use the link below
