Make Learning Local with Greening STEM

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Greening STEM Extension to Middle School

Location: McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Grand Junction, CO School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Invasive species; Citizen science; Natural resource management Partners: Mesa County School District 51, Colorado Canyons Association, BLM McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, and Palisade Insectary

The McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Greening STEM Extension to Middle School continued the invasive species monitoring project established in 2021. In the first year of the project, 50 high school students from Central High School released gall wasps, a biological control agent for the invasive plant species Russian knapweed, during in an overnight rafting trip on the Colorado River. During the second year of the project, 15 AP Science students participated in another overnight river trip to release more gall wasps and collect data on the monitoring plots from the previous year. Project partners produced a  video highlighting  the work of the Palisade Insectary that can be used in future programming. Additionally, the high school students presented on the project to middle school students, exposing them to natural resource careers and opportunities.

Seabird Monitoring STEM Project with Trinidad Youth and Trinidad Land Trust

Location: California Coastal National Monument – Flat Iron Rock, Trinidad, CA School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Biodiversity; Citizen science Partners: Trinidad Coastal Land Trust, North Coast Seabird Protection Network, Trinidad Elementary School, and BLM Headwaters Forest Reserve

The Seabird Community Science Training and Monitoring program is an established, collaborative project between the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust, the Bureau of Land Management, and the North Coast Seabird Protection Network. Students from Trinidad Union Elementary School participated in the program by accompanying a trained community science volunteer to collect data looking for evidence of human and natural disturbance in important seabird nesting habitat. Students also educated the public at the BLM site, the California Coastal National Monument- Flat Iron Rock, about the importance of seabird protection.

Stems for STEM

Location: BLM Applegate Site, Modoc County, CA School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Habitat restoration; Traditional ecological knowledge Partners: Resources for Indian Student Education, Modoc Joint Unified School District, BLM Applegate Field Office

Stems for STEM is a project to teach middle and high school students about traditional ways to care for public lands through the care of indigenous plants. The collaborative program expands on the existing partnership between the BLM Applegate Field Office, Resources for Indian Student Education, and the University of Utah to offer a STEM learning opportunity for Native American students. Students worked with partner organizations and mentors to learn and practice traditional gathering and propagation methods. Stems for STEM provides an opportunity for students to contribute to native habitat restoration by planting successfully propagated plants on local BLM lands and in Elders’ and community gardens.

Students Investigating Invasive Species on Public Lands

Location: BLM Lower Potomac Field Station, Woodbridge, VA School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Stormwater; Invasive species; Citizen science; Natural resource management Partners: Freedom High School, George Mason University’s Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, and BLM Lower Potomac Field Station

This project introduced high school students to native and invasive species management at the BLM Lower Potomac Field Station. At the BLM Lower Potomac Field Station, invasive plants threaten terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem biodiversity and the productivity of native plants. Students tracked and analyzed data in the field about the invasive species growth and biodiversity. Students had the opportunity to work alongside the BLM and George Mason University educators to analyze their data and develop management practices that would address invasive plant growth and biodiversity on their school site.

Middle School Fire Ecology

Location: BLM Royal Gorge Site, Salida, CO School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Wildfire prevention, Natural resource management Partners: Greater Arkansas River Nature Association, Buena Vista Middle School, Salida Middle School, and BLM Royal Gorge Field Office

The Bureau of Land Management partnered with the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) to involve students in rural Chaffee County, Colorado, in fire ecology field trips and educational programming. Ninety middle and high school students engaged in fire ecology fieldwork to learn about prescribed burns and wildfires on BLM lands and what biological succession in a fire recovery landscape looks like. Students gained experience in environmental monitoring and used citizen science to better understand their local public lands with a focus on wildfire ecology and prevention. BLM staff shared their experiences with students to provide them with critical exposure to career pathways in public land agencies.

Paleo X Education & Outreach Field Project

Location: Steelville, MO and Jordan, MT School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Paleontology Partners: Adventure 360, Steelville High School, and BLM Eastern Montana/Dakotas District Office

The Paleo X Education & Outreach Field Project is a partnership between Steelville High School, ADVENTURE 360, and the BLM to provide rural high school students with immersive, hands-on learning about paleontology, geology, and natural resource management. Students and educators participated in a one-week field program at the ADVENTURE 360 Paleo X Field School in Jordan, Montana, excavating dinosaur fossils and exploring the badlands. After the one-week field experience, students produced educational displays to share information with their peers and community about paleontology and how to go into a career in STEM.

Student Raptor Monitoring in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

Location: BLM Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, Kuna, ID School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Ornithology; Raptor monitoring Partners: Birds of Prey NCA Partnership, Kuna High School, and BLM Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

The BLM Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area is home to the highest density of nesting raptors in North America and critical habitat for sixteen nesting species and an additional eight species of raptors during migration. This project involved students in an ornithology class at Kuna High School in raptor monitoring that is important to assess the impacts of habitat restoration and to inform a wide range of management decisions. Throughout the project, students helped band nesting raptors, held a nesting hawk or owl, and helped researchers with health assessments, taking measurements, and recording data. Students collected data and formed connections with raptors through their scientific monitoring projects, fostering a stewardship ethic for their local public lands.

Plants, Pollinators, People: Piloting citizen science at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Location: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Coolidge, AZ School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Pollinator garden, Citizen science,  Phenology  , Field guide Partners: Imagine Coolidge Elementary School, Friends of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, NPS Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument partnered with the Friends of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Imagine Coolidge Elementary school to construct a pollinator garden and establish a pilot phenology monitoring program to collect data on pollinating insects and birds and the plants they pollinate within the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Through field trips to Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, elementary school students helped plant the pollinator garden and learn about the connections between plants, pollinators, and people. After constructing the garden, students returned to the park to collect data on seasonal changes such as bloom times and visits from pollinators. Additionally, the grant was used to contract a local illustrator to create a custom field guide to the park’s pollinator garden that can be used as printed copies and e-guides during field trips and adult visits to the park.

Expanding Greening STEM Opportunities at Colorado National Monument

Location: Colorado National Monument, Fruita, CO School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Forest health, Citizen science Partners: Riverside Educational Center and NPS Colorado National Monument

In the second year of their Greening STEM project, Colorado National Monument and Riverside Educational Center expanded Greening STEM opportunities from middle school to also involve upper elementary school students in citizen science. Students collected data on forest health as they learned about a locally relevant natural resource management issue, the mass mortality of Pinyon Pine trees by beetle damage. Students learned about the natural and cultural history of the fragile Colorado Plateau high desert ecosystem and how climate change and human impacts contribute to the pine mortality phenomenon. Students will analyze and interpret their forest health data and present their findings to the community.

Learning Trees: Connecting to Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Tree Planting and Citizen Science

Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Bracksville, OH School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Tree planting, Habitat restoration, Reforestation, Citizen science Partners: The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, and NPS Cuyahoga Valley National Park

During the second year of their Greening STEM project, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park continued to engage middle school students in native tree planting and scientific research and monitoring in the park. Students planted and monitored native trees to research how to reduce tree mortality and the impact of successful reforestation on watershed health. Students presented their work monitoring trees, shared photos they took, and shared data they gathered and analyzed from their tree plantings with the community as a culminating community event.

Smokies STEM Exploration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley and Graham County Schools

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Environmental monitoring Partners: Friends of the Smokies, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Graham County Schools, and NPS Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park staff expanded their Greening STEM programming to work across two states to increase STEM literacy and connection to public lands for students with limited access to these spaces. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park worked with students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in day-camp style programs to integrate concepts of stewardship into hands-on STEM learning activities. The activities included sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates that live in a Smokies stream to learn what the data indicates about the health of the ecosystem. Park staff will also work with students in Grades K-5 from Graham County Schools, North Carolina, during their summer program using similar STEM activities in addition to integrating Cherokee crafts and traditional technology into the learning activities.

Seasonal Change: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change

Location: Gateway National Recreation Area - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY School Year: 2022-2023 Subject:  Phenology  , Pollinator garden Partners: Counseling in Schools, Academics in Motion, the Fund for the City of New York (Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy), and NPS Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area and Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy continued to engage students in their newly established  phenology  monitoring program, Seasonal Change: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change. Throughout the Seasonal Change program, students learn about ways that climate change affects New York City and their communities and contribute to research on the phenology of animal-pollinated plants and their pollinators at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The Greening STEM project empowers underserved students at New York City 21 ^st  Century Community Learning Center sites to see themselves as scientists by engaging directly in scientific data analysis and visualization at their local national park.

The Lost Carnivores of the Tucson Mountains: Understanding the disappearance of five small mammals

Location: Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Wildlife cameras, Citizen science, Biodiversity Partners: Friends of Saguaro National Park, Roadrunner Elementary School, Altar Valley Middle School, and NPS Saguaro National Park

The Lost Carnivores Citizen Science + Wildlife Project is a citizen science project that has been established for many years in Saguaro National Park. The term “Lost Carnivores” describes the decrease in sightings of carnivore populations in the Tucson Mountains, an area becoming surrounded by development, including skunks, kit foxes, American badgers, mountain lions, and ringtails. The project exposes students to park management principles using wildlife cameras both in the park and at their school. During this year of the project, Saguaro National Park staff involved elementary and middle school students in the scientific monitoring efforts, and staff worked on establishing a digital online space to share multiple years of data, wildlife sightings, and field notes. The Lost Carnivores program exposes youth to park management principles using wildlife cameras both in the park and at their school.

Continue to Engage Students with Citizen Science through STEM Activities at Homestead National Historical Park

Location: Homestead National Historical Park, Beatrice, NE School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Environmental monitoring, Water quality, Air quality, Biodiversity, Citizen science Partners: Beatrice Public Schools, Beatrice Educational Foundation, ESU #5, and NPS Homestead National Historical Park

Homestead National Historical Park’s Greening STEM program is designed to fill gaps in the existing STEM program offerings by exploring the relationship between air quality, water quality, and biodiversity at the park through citizen science. Students measured air quality at specific locations throughout the park, collected water samples to analyze water quality, and made and recorded observations of flora and fauna in the park. Students compared their data to the previous year to think critically about how water and air quality may be affecting the biodiversity in the park.

Citizen Science at Shenandoah National Park

Location: Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Pollinator garden, Citizen science Partners: Page Alliance for Community Action, James Madison University, and NPS Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park’s Greening STEM project allowed the park to expand on its well-established environmental education programming to specifically target after school programs for the first time and to incorporate citizen science apps into programming. Four schools participated in the hands-on project, and three schools participated in building a physical school garden as a final project. Students from the participating 21 ^st  Century Community Learning Center sites learned about the role pollinators play in the environment, the environmental threats to pollinators, and what actions can be taken to help protect pollinators.

Biscayne National Park and South Florida YMCA 21st CCLC STEM Connections

Location: Biscayne National Park - Elliott Key, Homestead, FL School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Marine debris, Citizen science Partners: YMCA of South Florida and NPS Biscayne National Park

Biscayne National Park’s Greening STEM project engaged students Grades K-5 from the YMCA of South Florida in a citizen science marine debris project. During visits to the park, students from five 21 ^st  Century Community Learning Center sites were introduced to ocean currents and the role they play in distributing oxygen, food, water, and marine debris around the globe. Students helped quantity micro trash found throughout the Elliot Key Shoreline by conducting trash transects methods and categorizing the trash using an app to record the data, Clean Swell®. Students presented posters to their families and schools at the end of the project at Dante Fascell Visitor Center.

Learning Trees

Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville, OH School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Tree planting, Habitat restoration, Reforestation, Citizen science Partners: Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association, The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, NPS Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Learning Trees is a Greening STEM project that involves middle school students from the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association in citizen science field trips to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and weekly virtual programming between park visits. Through soil monitoring and tree planting projects in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 80 middle school students developed their STEM literacy skills. This partnership established a citizen science project to monitor newly planted Bur Oak saplings for vole damage. Students planted and monitored the trees over four separate visits to the park and used photography to document the project and their experience. Students shared their experience with parents, guardians, and family members at a community event in May at the Boston Mill Visitor Center.

Seasonal Change and the Lost Carnivores of the Tucson Mountains: Understanding the disappearance of five small mammals

Location: Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Wildlife cameras, Citizen science, Biodiversity Partners: Friends of Saguaro National Park, Roadrunner Elementary School, Altar Valley Middle School, and NPS Saguaro National Park 

Saguaro National Park’s Greening STEM activities introduced 72 students to the scientific data collection that takes place at Saguaro National Park through the Environmental Education and Resource Management Division. As citizen scientists, students explored how the area around their remote school is impacted by human development and the implications of roads, transit, and landscape changes for wildlife migration patterns. Students learned to use wildlife cameras, GPS units, and Kestrel weather stations to record and analyze data on Lost Carnivores species. At the end of the year, they used their findings to propose solutions to animal migration corridors, land management practices, park boundary models, and options to create local and large-scale improvements.

Introduce Elementary Students to Citizen Science through STEM at Homestead National Historic Park

Location: Homestead National Historical Park, Beatrice, NE School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Citizen science, Biodiversity Partners: Beatrice Educational Foundation, Educational Service Unit #5, Friends of Homestead National Historical Park, and NPS Homestead National Historical Park.

Elementary school students at Beatrice Public Schools and ESU#5 were introduced to citizen science through participation in field activities, nature journaling, data collection and analysis, and digital photography. Throughout the school year, 60 students learned about biodiversity in Homestead National Historical Park. They collected data on prairie biodiversity by using square meter quadrats and used photography to document what they observed. Data collected by students is used to support the park’s management practices and used for positive biodiversity messaging to visitors.

Greening STEM with the Knoxville Boys and Girls Club

Location: Great Smoky Mounbtains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Environmental monitoring Partners: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Friends of the Smokies, and NPS Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley visited the park during their summer programs and learned about inventorying, monitoring, and data collection at the park. To experience the park through the eyes of a scientist and develop connections with the park and park rangers, 650 students in Grades K-5 participated in environmental monitoring activities at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Greening STEM programming allowed students to explore new ways of learning and thinking while experiencing the park, in many cases, for the first time.

Establishing a Community-Based Youth Citizen Science Program at Colorado National Monument

Location: Colorado National Monument, Fruita, CO School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Forest health, Citizen science Partners: Riverside Educational Center, Bookcliff Middle School, Orchard Mesa Middle School, Mount Garfield Middle School, Grand Mesa Middle School, Colorado National Monument Association, and NPS Colorado National Monument

Colorado National Monument and Riverside Education Center developed their Greening STEM project around the local phenomena of Pinyon Pine mortality. During the school year, 120 middle school students learned about the problem, scale, and complexity of the Pinyon Pine mortality issue, and ultimately visited the park to collect data on beetle infestation and Pinyon Pine health. Students learned how to analyze and interpret their data using an interactive map and created short videos to present their citizen science work.

Bay Area Discovery Museum & San Francisco YMCA Environmental After School Programs

Location: Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Fort Baker, San Francisco, CA School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Biodiversity Partners: Bay Area Discovery Museum, YMCA of San Francisco, and NPS Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area partnered with the Bay Area Discovery Museum and YMCA of San Francisco to provide hands-on STEM programming to 127 students in Grades K-2. Students used observation tools to explore Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Fort Baker site at nearby Horseshoe Cove, including observing the animals and plants in the cove’s intertidal zone. Students contributed to a clean-up of the shore and learned about environmental stewardship.

Seasonal Change: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change

Location: Gateway National Recreation Area - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY School Year: 2021-2022 Subject:  Phenology  , Pollinator garden Partners: Academics in Motion, Counseling in Schools, Fund for the City of New York, NYC Department of Education, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, and NPS Gateway National Recreation Area 

Gateway National Recreation Area worked with Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy to develop and deliver a citizen science phenological monitoring program to 57 students from P.S. 38, P.S. 124, and Brooklyn Collegiate Preparatory High School. During the fall, students used a field guide to the Common Plants and Pollinators in Jamaica Bay & Rockaway, developed for educational programming, to practice identifying pollinators and phenophases of the pollinated plants at the park. Students visited Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the spring to apply what they learned and contribute to monitoring the pollinator garden. Students added data to a large database that informed park management techniques and then created a multimedia project about seasonal change and its personal impacts.

A Trip to the "Moon": SnowSchool

Location: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco, ID School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Ecology Partners: NPS Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, and Boys & Girls Club of the Magic Valley – Rupert Unit

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve’s Greening STEM project engaged 180 upper elementary students from the Boys & Girls Club of the Magic Valley – Rupert Unit in STEM learning experiences both in the winter and in the summer. During the winter, students learned from park rangers about winter ecology and winter animal tracks in the park and went on a snowshoe hike at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. During their snowshoe hike, students used yard sticks and containers to measure snow depth and snow water equivalency. Students then visited the park during a multi-day camp in the summer to further their understanding of the unique park ecology and natural resources.

Seasonal Change and the Lost Carnivores of the Tucson Mountains: Understanding the disappearance of five small mammals

Location: Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Wildlife cameras, Citizen science, Biodiversity Partners: Friends of Saguaro National Park, Roadrunner Elementary School, Altar Valley Middle School, and NPS Saguaro National Park

The Lost Carnivores project is a citizen science wildlife monitoring project in Saguaro National Park. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students did not visit the national park for the planned field experiences. However, 22 middle school students learned about wildlife, conservation, and forestry through virtual visits from Saguaro National Park staff and observed nature in their own backyards and surrounding areas.

Citizen Scientists Looking Back, Thinking Forward at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

Location: Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, Oklahoma City, OK School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Peace garden Partners: Macomb Public Schools and NPS Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum partnered with Macomb Public School to provide STEM programming to students focusing on the environmental impacts of human-made disasters. Thirty-five students in Grades 6-8 visited the grounds to learn how to use dichotomous keys and to identify the plants on the Memorial grounds. Students studied the only surviving tree from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, an American elm known as the Survivor Tree. Finally, students selected plants for a symbolic Peace Garden at their school to serve as an extension of the Memorial grounds as a place of quiet contemplation for visitors to take time and reflect.

Getting Green with STEM – Smokies Style

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Environmental monitoring Partners: Friends of the Smokies, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, and NPS Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Staff at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park adapted to the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to provide STEM programming to 850 students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. Through creative programming, students were able to still experience the park and its resources through the eyes of a scientist and to connect with the park and the park rangers. In-person STEM activities included searching for and collecting data on salamanders and aquatic macroinvertebrates and helping band birds at the Tremont Environmental Education Center.

Big Thicket: Understanding the Lower Neches River Watershed

Location: Big Thicket National Preserve School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Watershed ecology Partners: NPS Big Thicket National Preserve, Big Thicket Association, Pasadena Independent School District

Big Thicket National Preserve’s Greening STEM programming introduced middle school students to the Neches River watershed through first-hand experiences at the park. Students explored the watershed by boat, on the Ivory Bill, and by hiking at Big Thicket to think critically about the different sections of the watershed they observed.

Using STEM To Explore Olympic National Park TOGETHER!

Location: Olympic National Park - Staircase, Hoodsport, WA School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Citizen science Partners: TOGETHER! Club House Program, NPS Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park’s Greening STEM program provided opportunities for 157 students in Grades 1-8 from the TOGETHER! Club House afterschool program to compare the natural resources and ecosystems near their schools with those in Olympic National Park using citizen science tools. Students took cloud cover observations in the Staircase area of Olympic National Park and shared their data on the NASA GLOBE Observer site. The NASA GLOBE Observer platform is a database that allows members to provide valuable environmental information about their local community to other scientists, teachers, students and citizen scientists around the world. Despite challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students were still able to work with park rangers virtually throughout the school year and to visit the park multiple times during the summer.

Integrating Science, Art, and Music to Understand Water Cycle Science and Monitoring

Location: Durham, NH School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Water monitoring, Accessibility Partners: IS 381, NYC; Coe-Brown Northwood Academy; Hubbard Brook Research Foundation; and USFS Northern Research Station

The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation and the USFS Northern Research Station collaborated to integrate science, art, and music to engage both rural and urban students in environmental science and to provide materials specifically accessible to students with visual impairments. The project introduced students to experimental forests and environmental monitoring data though the use of WaterViz, a data visualization and sonification tool. WaterViz is a new digital platform that translates real-time water data from environmental sensors at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest into science, art, and music.

Creating River Stewards: Monitoring water quality on public lands

Location: Tahoe National Forest - Union Flat Campground and Oregon Creek Day Use Area, Nevada City, CA School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Water quality, Citizen science Partners: South Yuba River Citizens League, Bitney Prep Charter High School, Downieville Junior-Senior High School, and USFS Tahoe National Forest

The South Yuba River Citizens League and Tahoe National Forest staff continued to engage students from Downieville Junior-Senior High School in citizen science and expanded their partnership in the second year of this project to also work with students from Bitney Prep Charter High School. Water quality monitoring is exceptionally important on the Yuba River because of threats posed by drought, increased numbers of visitors to the river, and fire. Students contributed to citizen science by conducting water quality monitoring at two river crossings in the Tahoe National Forest, Union Flat Campground and the Oregon Creek Day Use Area. Students learned about river etiquette and practiced teaching others how to be river stewards.

Exploring San Juan Mountain Water Quality through STEM

Location: San Juan National Forest, Silverton, CO School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Water quality, Citizen science Partners: Mountain Studies Institute, Silverton School District, San Juan Basic Public Health, and USFS San Juan National Forest

In this citizen science project, middle school students from Silverton Public School researched recreational impacts on water quality within the Upper Animas watershed of the Columbine Ranger District. Water quality samples collected by students within the watershed were analyzed by laboratory scientists at San Juan Basic Public Health. Students then interpreted the water quality data to compare samples from busier times in the summer and off-season, and locations with higher rates of recreation with less visited areas. They created infographics and a “responsible recreation” video to share with visitors, the Silverton School community, and Silverton and San Juan County residents. Students also presented their findings at the San Juan County commissioners meeting and to San Juan National Forest Service professionals.

Mt. Helena Continuous Vegetation Monitoring with Middle School Students

Location: Mount Helena City Park, Helena, MT School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Forestry, Citizen science Partners: Montana Discovery Foundation, C.R. Anderson Middle School, and USFS Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

The Mt. Helena Continuous Vegetation Monitoring Project is a 20-year long citizen science project about the impacts of mountain pine beetle, tree overgrowth, recreation, wildlife grazing and forest management on the forest. The project is a collaborative partnership between the Forest Service, Montana Discovery Foundation, and C.R. Anderson Middle School. Each fall, seventh-grade students walk from their classrooms to Mt. Helena City Park to collect forest measurements at 100 permanent monitoring plots. The data is analyzed to evaluate the health of the forest on Mt. Helena and determine what areas may be at more wildlife risk and whether forest management activities are addressing these risks and shared with the city manager in a brochure and report. The project introduces students to the local public lands right in their backyard, to careers in STEM, and to the importance of forest management practices.

What is In Your Air?

Location: Wolf Creek, OR School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Air quality Partners: Sunny Wolf Charter School, Lichens CitiSci, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and USFS

Staff from Sunny Wolf Charter School, Lichens CitiSci, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and USFS developed a longitudinal citizen science monitoring project to engage approximately 60 students in Grades 3-6. Students used an air monitor installed at the school and lichen biomonitoring in the field to gain scientific monitoring experience. Students learned about air quality impacts such as wildfires and private-trash fires on human and ecological health and how to act to protect their air.

El Yunque National Forest Science and Conservation Trail Citizen Science Program

Location: El Yunque National Forest - El Portal de El Yunque Visitor Center Science and Conservation Trail School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Forest ecology, Natural resource management, Tree planting Partners: Fundación Amigos de El Yunque, Inc.; Carmen Feliciano Carreras Public School; and USFS El Yunque National Forest

The Fundación Amigos de El Yunque (FADEY) in coordination with the Forest Service involved 13 middle school students in native species restoration in the El Portal de El Yunque Visitor Center Science and Conservation Trail in El Yunque National Forest. Students learned about forest ecology, ecosystem services, and sustainable management in El Yunque National Forest. This project focused on building problem solving, teamwork, and environmental literacy skills. After students completed field work and learned how to analyze the tree data, they created collages of images to share their experience with the rest of the students at Carmen Feliciano Carreras Public School.

Creating River Stewards: Monitoring water quality on public lands

Location: Tahoe National Forest - Oregon Creek Day Use Area, Nevada City, CA School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Water quality, Citizen science Partners: South Yuba River Citizens League, Downieville Junior-Senior High School, and USFS Tahoe National Forest

The South Yuba River Citizens League and Tahoe National Forest staff partnered to equip 22 middle school and high school students with the tools they need to become citizen scientists and river stewards. Students learned water quality monitoring practices and applied them to collecting and interpreting data at a popular river crossing on Tahoe National Forest land, Oregon Creek Day Use Area. Students used their data and SYRCL’s data from previous years to better understand various impacts on water quality such as increased visitation, rain events, and drought. Students learned how to act as River Ambassadors and gain a scientific connection to a place where they regularly recreate.

Greening STEM for Gilbert Stuart Middle School

Location: Providence, RI School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Urban Forestry Partners: Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, Gilbert Stuart Middle School, Rhode Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the US Forest Service

Students from Gilbert Stuart Middle School worked with the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District and Rhode Island Resource Conservation and Development Council to conduct urban forestry activities in their own schoolyard. They learned about urban forestry and Providence’s efforts to grow its urban tree canopy. Students inventoried the schoolyard to determine and ultimately plant three new trees. The students continued to care for the newly planted trees for the duration of the school year.

Enhancing a High School Natural Resource Program through Community Partnership

Location: Pearl City, Oahu, HI School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Native plant restoration, Natural resource management, Watershed health Partners: Pearl City High School, Hui o Ho`ohonua, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, State & Private Forestry US Forest Service, the Ko`olau Mountain Watershed Partnership

This project supported a holistic STEM program that infused agency science and resources into school curricula focused on student-directed investigations into local environmental issues. USFS staff partnered with state foresters and formal and nonformal educators to design and deliver STEM programming that engaged youth from under-resourced and historically excluded communities in place-based citizen science. Students from Pearl City High School learned about the health of the Waiawa watershed through virtual classroom activities and optional forest field trips and helped build a native plant shade house on school grounds to grow native plants for local partner organizations.

Royal Caribbean/Frost Museum

Location: Miami, FL School Year: 2020-2021 Subject: Biodiversity Partners: Royal Caribbean Group, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Frost Science Museum

With support from Royal Caribbean Group, NEEF partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to design and implement a series of biodiversity-focused Greening STEM investigations for middle school students during the 2020-2021 school year. NEEF partnered with Frost Science to develop a  Greening STEM Biodiversity Series  of three activities for middle school students that could be used individually or collectively, in-person or virtually. In February 2021, NEEF and Frost Science delivered a half-day professional development workshop to 83 middle school educators from 17 schools to introduce Greening STEM and the biodiversity activities. NEEF hosted a live webinar with Frost Science during National Environmental Education Week (April 19-23, 2021) to discuss with other educators how the activities were developed and strategies for implementing Greening STEM in a formal classroom setting.

Restoring Prairies and Planting Pollinator Gardens, Phase I

Location: Quad Cities, IA (Bettendorf, IA, Le Claire, IA) School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Water quality; Prairie restoration; Pollinator garden; Outdoor classroom Partners: Arconic, Bettendorf Middle School, Palmer Hills Golf Course, Nahant Marsh Education Center, City of Bettendorf, Eastern Iowa Community College, Pleasant Valley Junior High School, Scott Community College

With support from Arconic, students from Bettendorf Middle School had the opportunity to participate in two projects, one for seventh-grade students and the other for eighth-grade students, focusing on environmental issues in their own community. The seventh-grade students learned about the importance of habitats in different ecosystems and focused on prairie restoration. The eighth-grade class focused on watershed health and visited a local golf course to learn about water sampling, fertilizer use, and mitigation strategies for polluted water runoff. At nearby Pleasant Valley Junior High School, the school developed an environmental education program supported by an outdoor environmental classroom, locating several prairie habitat restoration plots, a pollinator garden, and a native tree nursery on school grounds.

Restoring Prairies while Learning Video Journalism

Location: Quad Cities, IA (Bettendorf, IA, Le Claire, IA, Eldridge, IA) School Year: 2022-2023 Subject: Water quality; Prairie restoration Partners: Arconic, Bettendorf Middle School, Palmer Hills Golf Course, Nahant Marsh Education Center, City of Bettendorf, Eastern Iowa Community College, Pleasant Valley Junior High School, Scott Community College, North Scott Junior High School

With continued support from Arconic, NEEF expanded Greening STEM in the Quad Cities from two schools to four. New this year, the Greening STEM projects in Quad Cities included a video journalism multimedia storytelling element. NEEF contracted Studio 608 to create an online video journalism mini-course for students to empower them to tell the environmental stories of their Greening STEM projects and inspiring them in careers in both STEM and journalism.

Water Quality Monitoring in New Jersey: Phase I

Location: Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Teaneck, NJ School Year: 2019-2020 Subject: Water quality Partners: Samsung, Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Samsung, Hackensack River Keeper, Suez, Bergen County Parks and Recreation, and Benjamin Franklin Middle School

NEEF partnered with the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Samsung, and Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Teaneck, New Jersey, to engage seventh-grade students in a water quality monitoring project and eighth-grade students in a macroinvertebrate biomonitoring study at their local watershed. NEEF’s video series gives a glimpse into how educators, administrators, and students felt about the project:   https://www.NEEFusa.org/Education/Greening-STEM-in-Action  .

Water Quality Monitoring in New Jersey: Phase II

Location: Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Teaneck, NJ School Year: 2021-2022 Subject: Water quality Partners: Bayer, Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Hackensack River Keeper, Suez, Bergen County Parks and Recreation, Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School

With support from Bayer, NEEF expanded its initial partnerships from 2019-2020 with the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Teaneck, New Jersey, to include Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Greening STEM. A champion of the Greening STEM project at the district level, Benjamin Franklin Middle School Principal Terrence Williams, sought and received Board of Education endorsement of the project and included the supervisor of instructional programs to join the project team. Students engaged in hands-on learning and collected water quality data which could be used to determine the health of their local ecosystems, and educators grew their capacity and confidence as STEM educators.

GGO's Future Foresters

Location: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Chicago, IL; and Mark Twain National Forest, St. Louis, MO School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Forestry Partners: Gateway to the Great Outdoors, FS Urban Connections Program, Fiske Elementary School, John B. Drake Elementary School, Long International Middle School, and Ferguson Middle School 

Gateway to the Great Outdoors (GGO) is partnering with FS Urban Connections Program to engage middle school students at two schools in Chicago and two schools in St. Louis with their Future Foresters program. Students will engage in place-based environmental monitoring programs at both locations. In Chicago, students will visit the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie for their field experiences, and in St. Louis, students will visit the Mark Twain National Forest. FS representatives and GGO staff will guide students to understand the importance of ecosystems and what they can do to protect those that surround them. 

Creating River Stewards: Monitoring Water Quality on Public Lands 

Location: Oregon Creek Day Use Area – Tahoe National Forest, Camptonville, CA  School year: 2023-2024 school year  Subject: Water quality; Citizen science; Environmental monitoring  Partners: South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), Bitney Prep High School, Nevada Union High School, Ghidotti Early College High School, and USFS Tahoe National Forest 

South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) will continue to work with FS in an expansion of its previously funded Greening STEM project. The goal of the project is to equip students from Bitney Prep High School’s Environmental Science class, Ghidotti Early College High School's Environmental Science class, and Nevada Union High School’s Climate Change Club with the tools they need to become citizen scientists. Students will learn water quality monitoring practices and apply those techniques at a nearby and popular river crossing on Tahoe National Forest land. SYRCL and FS staff will help students interpret the data they collect to better understand various impacts on water quality, such as increased visitation, rain events, and drought, and create meaningful and effective public service announcements to educate the public on how to be stewards of the watershed. 

Monitoring Remediation Efforts for Invasive Eurasian Milfoil Control in Lake Tahoe

Location: Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit - Taylor Creek Visitor Center, South Lake Tahoe, NV School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Water quality; Citizen science; Invasive species monitoring Partners: Great Basin Institute, South Tahoe High School, FS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit 

The Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit’s (LTBMU) goal is to use locally relevant STEM programming to provide students with essential early exposure to outdoor, hands-on science experiences while additionally assisting to build citizen science capacity. The LTBMU intends to implement an invasive species monitoring program that focuses on Eurasian watermilfoil restoration activities in the Taylor Creek Visitor Center Area, a local creek that drains into Lake Tahoe, for South Tahoe High School students. The data that students will help collect will provide insight into current Eurasian watermilfoil remediation practices and their efficacy, and can be used to optimize future remediation plans

Exploring STEM in the Nantahala National Forest with Macon County Schools

Location: Southern Research Station Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory – Nantahala National Forest, Otto, NC School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Forestry Partners: Mainspring Conservation Trust, Mountain View Intermediate School, Macon County Schools STEM team, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory – Nantahala National Forest 

Mainspring Conservation Trust plans to provide fun, high-quality STEM programs in the Nantahala National Forest for Grade 6 students in Macon County School District. Two field trips will integrate concepts of stewardship and indigenous culture into programs while also providing hands-on STEM learning activities at different locations throughout the national forest and partner lands. FS staff will employ different educational techniques—including focused exploration, discussion based on evidence, and data analysis—while allowing the activities to be driven by students’ natural wonder and curiosity. Throughout the program, as students collect tree data at FS Southern Research Station’s Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory and experience STEM Migration Day at Tessentee Bottomlands Preserve, they will increase STEM literacy and their connection to public lands.

Fort Peck Plant Study

Location: Welch Ranch Special Recreation Management Area, Sheridan County, MT School Year: 2023-2024 Subject: Rangeland management; Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Partners: BLM Buff

The BLM Buffalo Field Office (BFO), the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and Poplar High School will collaborate on the Fort Peck Plant Study. The goal of this project is to get tribal youth into the field and working in partnership with the BFO Range staff to identify plant species, then returning home to create a plant identification guide that combines Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with the scientific knowledge BLM uses to manage the rangeland habitat. At the end of the school year, the students will give a final presentation to Tribal Council and at least one other presentation for an agricultural or educational organization/conference detailing the STEM and TEK data they gathered and what they learned from the project. The BLM will receive TEK that is appropriate to share outside the Fort Peck Tribes, which will be incorporated into future rangeland health monitoring data collection. A display at the BFO in the public room will be created to educate and inform the public about the project, the use of STEM and TEK in BLM land management, the importance of citizen science, and the ties the Fort Peck Tribes have to the area. 

Native Traditional Ecological Knowledge: “Water Protectors” 

Location: Alturas, CA School Year: 2023-2024 Subject: Riparian monitoring Partners: Resources for Indian Student Education (RISE), University of Utah, Pit River Environmental Officer, BLM Applegate Field Office, and Modoc High School

Resources for Indian Student Education (RISE) will continue their Greening STEM project with BLM to expand on Native youth’s interest in riparian restoration. The Greening STEM “Water Protectors” project will be an after-school partnership between RISE, BLM, Modoc High School, and a Pit River Tribe Environmental Protection Officer. Youth teams will monitor BLM-managed and Pit River-held riparian areas for healthy characteristics. The goals of this Native Traditional Ecological Knowledge (NTEK) project are to improve BLM and tribal relations through school and RISE outreach, to advance awareness of balance in the natural world by caring for water, and to partner Native and non-Native youth in traditions around water.

Grow Youth Program at the Provolt Recreation Site 

Location: Provolt Recreation Site, Grants Pass, OR School Year: 2023-2024 Subject: Invasive species removal Partners: Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council, Woodland Charter School, The Valley School of Southern Oregon, Grants Pass High School, BLM Medford District Office

The Grow Youth Program at the Provolt Recreation Site plans to serve three local school groups from three different school districts: Three Rivers School District (Woodland Charter School), Medford School District 549C (The Valley School of Southern Oregon), and Grants Pass School District 7 (Grants Pass High School Terrestrial Ecology). Each school will work directly under BLM and Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council staff to attend one field day per week for the 2023-2024 school year and participate in project-based, service-learning activities at the Provolt Recreation Site. Students will develop a technical report detailing the mitigation strategies implemented for invasive species removal and document all work completed for mock grant reporting purposes, analyze the total amount of invasive species removed and the potential impacts the removal will have on the surrounding ecosystem, and create a guide for Provolt Recreation Site visitors to help them identify invasive species and better understand the restoration efforts taking place.

Biscayne National Park and South Florida YMCA 21st CCLC STEM Connections

Location: Biscayne National Park – Elliott Key, Homestead, FL School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Marine debris, Citizen science Partners: YMCA of South Florida and Biscayne National Park 

The goal of the proposed project is to continue to expand and improve STEM programming and field trips at Biscayne National Park in partnership with the YMCA of South Florida. Biscayne National Park has a very active marine debris removal program that focuses on removing potential barriers for loggerhead turtles that nest annually in sites along the Atlantic Coast including Biscayne National Park. Students from five 21st Century Community Learning Center sites will learn about ocean currents, marine vertebrates and invertebrates, and micro debris and micro trash, and apply their understanding of field techniques to conduct small trash transects on Elliott Key. Students will present key findings at a science fair poster display. 

Citizen Science at Shenandoah National Park

Location: Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Pollinator garden, Citizen science  Partners: Shenandoah National Park Association, Shenandoah National Park, Page Alliance for Community Action, and James Madison University Gus Bus Program 

Shenandoah National Park has a well-established Education Program with more than 30 years of experience providing curriculum-based, STEM-based education programs for area schools that correlate with Virginia and national Science Standards of Learning. The partnering 21st Century Community Learning Centers schools have been longtime participants in the Park’s education program and have partnered with Shenandoah National Park for the first year of this grant to build an understanding and appreciation of the NPS, the importance of pollinators, and hands-on creation of gardens. This project will continue Shenandoah National Park’s first effort to teach students how to use citizen science apps to monitor and report environmental conditions at their pollinator gardens and in their communities.

Color Outside the Lines with Rocky Mountain National Park

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Environmental monitoring, Snow pack Partners: Rocky Mountain National Park, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and Academy of Arts & Knowledge 

This project aims to enhance the environmental education programing at the Academy of Arts & Knowledge, a Pre-K to 5th Grade arts-integrated charter school in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a robust before, after, and out-of-school-time program committed to advancing equity in education. The goal is to expand the school’s capacity to offer high-quality environmental education opportunities that foster creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning experiences for all students, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. Through this partnership, partners will be able to offer at least three onsite field trips to Rocky Mountain National Park for students to participate in ranger-led programming as well as bi-monthly visits from the Rocky Mountain National Park AmeriCorps VISTA members to tie the STEM programs experienced within the park to school programming. Participating students will be invited to host a table presenting what they’ve learned at Rocky Mountain National Park’s annual Earth Day Celebration. 

An Eclipse on the Horizon: Exploring the 2024 Total Eclipse in Northeast Ohio

Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, OH School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Total solar eclipse Partners: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Horizon Education Centers 

On April 8th, 2024, people living in Northeast Ohio will have the extraordinary opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and the perfect opportunity to provide STEM-based education programming to local students. The goal of this project is to provide meaningful STEM education related to the eclipse for underserved students in the Cleveland metropolitan area who will be in the path of totality during the upcoming solar eclipse. Partnering with Horizon Education Centers, the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cuyahoga Valley National Park educators will provide students with scientific programming and activities revolving around the upcoming total solar eclipse, empowering them to enjoy the eclipse in a safe and informed manner. 

The Lost Carnivores of the Tucson Mountains: Understanding the Population Decline of Five Local Mammals

Location: Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Wildlife cameras, Citizen science, Biodiversity Partners: Saguaro National Park, Friends of Saguaro National Park, Roadrunner Elementary School, Altar Valley Middle School, Valencia Middle School, and Tully Magnet Elementary School 

As a part of broader science-based research within America’s national parks, Saguaro National Park brings students to the park as citizen scientists to engage in real, place-based STEM research that is seamless from the classroom to the field. The Lost Carnivores program exposes youth to park management principles and decision-making through using wildlife cameras both in the park and at schools. Students will collect real data to help the park determine if five small desert species, including foxes, skunks, and raccoons, still exist in the park and what might have happened to them. They’ll explore questions about what the park might do to remedy the situation and prevent species loss among other animals. This inquiry is based on a real phenomenon in the park that has been identified by park biologists who inventory and monitor the species’ populations. Data gathered from the cameras placed by program participants will assist in this valuable study. 

Seasonal Change Year 3: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change

Location: Gateway National Recreation Area – Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Phenology, Pollinator garden Partners: Gateway National Recreation Area, Fund for the City of New York (Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy), and Counseling in Schools 

The Seasonal Change: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change project engages students in citizen science through collecting, analyzing, and visualizing phenology data of key plant species in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE), located in Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, contains ecological, cultural, and historical sites as diverse as the city that surrounds it. The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JBWR) is the jewel of the unit, with over 12,000 acres of open bay, wetland, pond, and woodland habitat, a vibrant visitor’s center and classroom, and miles of easy to access trails. During the 2023-2024 school year, students will engage in monthly learning opportunities with GATE educators, including multiple field experiences at the park. 

STEM Investigations in the Smokies with BGCTNV & Graham County Schools

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN School year: 2023-2024 school year Subject: Environmental monitoring Partners: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Graham County Schools, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee Valley 

This program at Great Smoky Mountains National Park will provide support to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee Valley and Graham County Schools to bring students into the park to experience STEM programs. The goal of this project is to increase STEM literacy and connection to public lands for students with limited access to these spaces. NPS educators will work with students during day camp-style programming that will incorporate techniques including environmental stream and soil inventory and monitoring, as well as incorporating traditional Cherokee crafts and technology into STEM activities. 

Greening STEM in Washington, DC  Danaher Foundation 

Location: Washington, DC  School year: 2023-2024  Subject: Environmental monitoring  Partners: Danaher Foundation, The Sojourner Truth Public Charter School, Charles Hart Middle School, Brookland Middle School, Howard University Middle School of Math and Science Public Charter School

With support from the Danaher Foundation, NEEF awarded educational grants to four Title 1 middle schools in Washington, DC to provide a series of Greening STEM learning activities both on and off-campus during the 2023-2024 school year. Funding supports project related costs such as transportation of students, substitute teachers, environmental monitoring equipment and supplies, and staffing expenses directly associated with program development and delivery. The Greening STEM project at each school will focus on topics including: 

• Students at The Sojourner Truth Public Charter School will launch and maintain an indoor hydroponic system to enhance STEM education, green career exploration, and support environmental resilience in the local community. 
• Students at Charles Hart Middle School will create an indoor/outdoor classroom used to propagate species native to the Anacostia River where the species will later be planted or released. 
• Brookland Middle School students will analyze the impact that the neighboring Fort Totten Waste Transfer Station has on the health of residents. 
• Howard University Middle School of Math and Science Public Charter School students will raise awareness about declining bee populations and contribute to bee conservation. 

Greening STEM in Pittsburgh, PA  PPG Foundation

Location: Pittsburgh, PA  School year: 2023-2024  Subject: Environmental monitoring, forest ecosystems, water quality monitoring  Partners: PPG Foundation, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Propel Charter Schools Braddock Hills Middle School, Propel Charter Schools Hazelwood K-8, The Watersmith Guild, and Tree Pittsburgh 

With support from the PPG Foundation, NEEF awarded a Greening STEM grant to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to provide environmental STEM education to 7th and 8th Grade students from Propel Braddock Hills and Propel Hazelhood. Both schools are located in communities that have been defined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as environmental justice areas. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will expand field experiences for the 8th Grade students by leading the students in inquiry-based, forest ecosystem field learning experiences in the woodlands of Frick Park, Pittsburgh’s largest regional park. The Watersmith Guild will lead field experiences for the 7th Grade students throughout spring 2024 that inspire water conservation through scientific inquiry, documentation, and recreation. Additionally, staff from Tree Pittsburgh will engage students in hands-on learning about the importance of urban tree canopies. The Greening STEM project will not only provide an opportunity for students to experience outdoor STEM education but will also encourage an ongoing love of nature and care for the environment.