Education Fund
Of The Environment Council Of Rhode Island

The winning projects are:

• A project by the Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown to develop a composting system that would reduce waste going to the landfill and provide nutrients for the school garden that grows vegetables for the local food bank.

• A Johnston Senior High School project involving an aquatic habitat survey and water testing in three Rhode Island rivers.

• A project at the St Rocco School in Johnston supporting it's recycling education project.

Each fall the Environment Council of Rhode Island's Education Fund holds 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. Twelve schools applied this year and an independent panel of judges decided that the Davisville Middle School, Johnston Senior High School and the St. Rocco School had the projects which were most worthy of recognition and funding.

Tisdale awards coordinator Greg Gerritt found some immediacy in the applications. “Many schools were reporting that in this tough budget year science and outdoor education were not being funded.” He also noted that “many schools are tackling some of the toughest and most important issues, such as global warming, clean water, the future of the food supply, and what to do with our garbage in their projects and we wish we had funding for all of them.”

“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, Ed Fund president. “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.”

ECRI's Education Fund raises funds for this awards program through the annual ECRI Ed Fund 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 and youth programs 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, a member of the award selection committee. “These projects carry on her legacy to increase awareness and effective action to provide a healthy environment for all.”

The Environment Council of Rhode Island Education Fund's mission is to enhance the long-term stewardship of Rhode Island's natural resources through research and education.