Alternative Energy Education Grants
With concern building about the fragility of the Earth's environment, many companies are going out of their way to turn "green," either by their methods of self-promotion (more e-mail, less paper through the post office) or billing practices (more online, less paper through the mail). Some of these companies are putting up money, too, to teach children the importance of alternative energy and rescuing the environment.
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Renewable Energy
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Renewable energy is any energy source that is rapidly replaced naturally. For instance, sunlight, hydropower and wood are renewable energy sources. Sun shines, water falls, and wood grows---although not as fast as the first two. In contrast, fossil fuels--natural gas, oil, coal--are not able to be replaced within our lifetime.
Replace oil?
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Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 are available to classroom teachers, from prekindergarten to 12th-grade in eligible U.S. locations or Alberta, Canada, through the BP America A+ for Energy grant program. Since 2004, BP has awarded more than $16 million to fund projects inside the classroom and out that focus on energy or energy conservation. According to the BP website, it funds these innovative projects because it is important for students to understand the role of energy and its relationship to the environment---air quality, land and water management, climate change. Understanding how energy works together with the environment is essential, the website claims, for preserving the environment and maintaining quality of life.
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Alternative electric?
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While BP is in the oil business, electric company PPL, which is headquartered in Allentown, Pa., also is providing grants to teachers. The Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program is open to teachers who work in an eligible school district near a major PPL facility. The grants, which can be up to $5,000, are for projects that enhance classroom learning or support extracurricular activities of after-school clubs. These projects need to focus on topics such as renewable energy, energy conservation, or the "greening" of schools.
Educational consortiums
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Science teachers can tap into the Toyota Tapestry grants, which are given in collaboration with the National Science Teachers Association. These grants aren't specifically for alternative energy education, however Environmental Science Education is one of the categories. The large grants are $10,000 while the mini-grants are $2,500. Classroom Earth National High School Challenge provides from $5,000 to $10,000 to high school teachers who are trying to use innovative ways to bring environmental content to their classrooms. The Weather Channel is a prime sponsor for this grant program.
Change the World
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For students through middle-school age, Siemens is sponsoring a sustainability competition that challenges students to get involved and make a difference in their community by addressing an ecological problem using the scientific method. Then the students are challenged to determine if their solution can be used in other communities. Students are competing for more than $100,000 in grants and prizes. Details on the Siemens program can be found at wecanchangetheworldchallenge.com.
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