Education Fund
Of The Environment Council Of Rhode Island

Last fall ECRI's Education Fund held an open competition for schools in Rhode Island for the opportunity to be funded for a spring environmental project. Each winning school is awarded $250 to carry out the project in the spring.

This year, 9 schools and afterschool programs applied, and an independent panel of judges decided that the Providence Career and Technical Academy, the Ocean Tides School, and Mount Hope High School had the projects that were most worthy of recognition and funding.

“We are very proud to be able to support these excellent education programs that will help Rhode Island youth get involved with protecting their environment,” said Paul Beaudette, vice president of the ECRI Education Fund and a former science and math teacher. “An important step toward change is to educate the next generation about the threats to our environment and the opportunities to get involved in the solutions.”

The ECRI Education Fund raises funds for this awards program through the annual Earth Day Raffle. The award is named after a long time Rhode Island educator and environmental activist, Loraine Tisdale, and honors her work by providing resources to schools combining education with actual improvements in environmental quality in the community.

“Loraine Tisdale, a native Rhode Islander, nurse, and ardent environmentalist, used her skills to lead the Group for Alternatives to Spraying Pesticides during the 1980s and 90s,” said Eugenia Marks, of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. “These projects carry on her legacy to increase awareness and effective action to provide a healthy environment for all.”