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EEPP Launches New Partnership
Press Release
Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists
Submitted by: Cliff Bennett
January 27, 2004
EEPP Launches New Partnership
MVFN and our Environmental Education Projects Programme (EEPP) has entered into a contract with the Eastern Ontario Biodiversity Museum to supply an exciting new programme to schools in our membership area. Living up to our motto of “Proud Sponsors of Environmental Education”, we are very pleased to support financially this programme entitled Museum in a Suitcase.
The Museum in a Suitcase programme comprises of five strains of curriculum-based biodiversity topics entitled Secret Life of the Forest-The Biodiversity of Decomposition; Climate Change-Biodiversity and Global Warming; Life Cycles and Seasonal Adaptations-The Biodiversity of Survival; Bugwatch/Insecta-The Biodiversity of Insects and Introduction to Taxonomy-The Classification of Biodiversity. Each strain is divided into grade-specific units and can cover all grades from K to Gr.12, where applicable. As the title suggest, this is a very “hands-on” type of education.
Up until now, EEPP grants awarded by MVFN have been for taking children out of the classroom for environmental education. Other than providing each school a copy of a teacher manual of lessons on Species at Risk, this is the first, and a very welcome and exciting opportunity, of bringing environmental education into the classroom.
The programme is delivered to the classrooms by the museum’s Educational Coordinator Andrea Howard. Andrea brings to the project twelve years as a classroom educator and holds a unique background in science, drama and environmental advocacy, attributes which add great enrichment to the topics.
Coordinator of our EEPP programme is MVFN Board member Janine deSallaberry. Janine processes applications from the schools and coordinates with Ms. Howard. Project units so far, have been delivered to Maple Grove Public School in Lanark, Pakenham Public School, Arklan Public School in Carleton Place and Naismith and R.Tait McKenzie Public Schools in Lanark.
The cost of units, including promotion and delivery, range from $100 to $250 each, depending upon how many presentations and units are delivered at one time. These costs are fully funded by EEPP.
Funding for this programme comes from grants provided by the Stewardship Council of Lanark County and the Mississippi Valley Clean Water Programme plus MVFN fund-raising initiatives.
For more information or for applications, contact Janine deSalaberry, 256-7292 or Cliff Bennett 256-5013.