July
17, 2008 - Palo Alto, CA – Environmental Volunteers (The EV), a 36-year-old
science education non-profit, announced today that it has been awarded a 3-year
grant of $146,250 from the Toyota USA Foundation, the largest corporate grant
in EV history, to support its environmental science programs at 60 schools in
Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The EV trains hundreds of volunteers to deliver
approximately 500 hands-on science programs to more than 10,000 elementary school
students annually. Information about the EV's science programs is available at
www.EVols.org.
"Our science programs are so popular that we sold
out for the 2008-2009 school year in less than one hour, a new record," explained
Allan Berkowitz, Executive Director. "Unfortunately, we turned away hundreds
of teachers who value our trained volunteers in their classrooms, so we value
the support of Toyota USA Foundation grant help us be able to grow to reach more
children this growth year," he said.
The new grant, called Kids-In-Nature:
Explorations in Environmental Science, supports the EV's focus on growth through
a new delivery model that achieves improved student learning through "educating
for depth," a model the EV tested in a 3-year pilot and assessed through
an independent evaluation.
The EV has also announced plans for expansion
to a new location. At its annual community fundraiser held June 1st, the EV kicked
off the public phase of a $4 million campaign to restore the Sea Scout building
at the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve with sustainable construction. Moving
to the new building, called the EcoCenter, will help the EV inspire environmental
stewardship in more children by helping it reach greater numbers of volunteers
and community supporters at the Palo Alto Baylands, a popular destination for
nature enthusiasts from across the Bay Area. The EV said it had already raised
more than $2 million for the EcoCenter Campaign that includes funds for building
restoration and for new science programs.
Currently, approximately 190 volunteers
undergo San Jose State University-accredited training to enable them to serve
in Bay Area classroom teachers by delivering eight different natural science subjects
and field studies cover topics such as "Baylands Ecology" and "Nature
in Your Neighborhood." A ninth subject, entitled "Energy and Natural
Resources" will launch early next year.
Anyone interested in finding
out more about the EV's EcoCenter Campaign can contact Susan Hansen, board member
and co-chair of the EcoCenter Campaign at www.EVols.org. Anyone interested in
becoming an Environmental Volunteer for a Bay Area classroom can contact Nicole
Wilson, Coordinator of Volunteers at the EV at nicole@evols.org or tel 650 961-0545.
Founded
in 1972, Environmental Volunteers is dedicated to promoting an understanding of,
and responsibility for, the environment through hands-on science education. In
2003, Environmental Volunteers, a 501(c) (3) corporation, was a recipient of the
California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in Children's
Environmental Education. To learn more about The EV, please visit www.evols.org.
The
Toyota USA Foundation is a $100 million charitable endowment created to support
education programs serving kindergarten through 12th grade students and their
teachers in the United States, with an emphasis on mathematics, science and environmental
science. For additional information about the Toyota USA Foundation, visit www.toyota.com/foundation.
