The City of Milton recently announced the winners of its 2018 Environmental Education Grant, an annual micro-grant program that is open to public schools located within the Milton city limits. The program provides nominal grants for environmental education projects or activities impacting a large number of students. Awards of up to $600 are instead annually, depending upon funds availability and Council budget approval.

Each year, Milton's Conservation Projects Manager Teresa Stickels encourages school principals, PTA officers, teachers, club sponsors, and school volunteers to submit a project application for consideration. "The goal of the program is to bring environmental education to as many students as possible," said Stickels.

The 2018 winners offered a wide variety of projects:

-The Birmingham Falls Elementary Green Team spends Tuesday afternoons gardening, weeding, and beautifying the school courtyard. The team will use the $600 grant to add a courtyard workstation for potting plants, seedlings, and instruction. The workstation will include a planting table, gloves, pots, dirt, trays, and secure storage. It also allows for an open-air classroom environment for instruction and student participation.

-Northwestern Middle School requested grant funds to purchase an enviroscape, a hands-on teaching tool that can be used to illustrate the water cycle, pollution, water quality, and conservation methods.

-The Milton High School grant proposal focused on training students in the Career-Based Intervention (CBI) Program to properly set up a vertical garden with the goal of growing herbs that can be sold to a local restaurant. The goal of the CBI program is to provide training for the students, so they can be self-supportive.