EPA Awards $173,400 for Maryland Student Initiatives

Press release:

EPA Awards $173,400 for Maryland Student Initiatives

(PHILADELPHIA - July 27, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $173,400 to the Maryland Coastal Bays Program for student initiatives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin provided opening remarks and presented a check today at the Maryland Coastal Bay Program’s “Get Out, Get Green, Get Paid” youth summit in Ocean City, Md.

“This initiative creates new opportunities for students to pursue environmental careers that make the world a better place,” said Garvin. “These programs not only expand the conversation on environmentalism, they empower young people to achieve their dreams.”

The funding will support educational, research, and career-related activities focused on green infrastructure, including marine and science programs, internships, and environmental stewards. Today’s announcement brings EPA’s total funding to more than $600,000 for this initiative, which includes youth from the Coastal Stewards program, the Upward Bound program, and students from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

The initiative is a partnership between EPA, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

The objectives of the program are:

-          Increasing minority participation in environmental science and related fields;

-          Restoring Maryland Coastal Bays;

-          Promoting an environmental stewardship ethic at all educational levels;

-          Performing sound research; and

-          Fulfilling the goals of the Coastal Bays Program.

The summit, with young people ranging in age from 14-25 from the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland includes students enrolled in UMES, Upward Bound, Coastal Stewards, Youth Conservation Corps, Maryland Conservation Job Corps and other organizations. 

The purpose of the summit is for young people to learn more about the importance of getting outside, taking steps to be more green, and learning about green jobs. They heard inspiring stories from visionaries who have brought change to their communities, their workplace, their lives and beyond by following their passion for the environment.