SARASOTA, FL – The
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) received an EdExploreNEXT Grant to support
environmental education benefiting local students. The $25,000 grant was
awarded by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County to support the
SBEP PIER Education Program. PIER stands for Protection, Involvement, Education
and Restoration. More than 40,000 students from public and private schools have
participated in the program since 2003.
SBEP partners for
the grant include Sarasota County Natural Resources and Around the Bend Nature
Tours. The grant will be used to purchase equipment that teachers can use in
their classroom to enhance student activities. PIER includes field trips and
curriculum lesson plans benefiting students of all ages.
The EdExploreNEXT Grants
are part of a larger focus by The Patterson Foundation to support community
education. The initiative includes EDExploreSRQ.com, a public website hosted by
the Sarasota School District that’s designed to give teachers access to
learning opportunities. All of the content supports Florida’s Subject Area
Benchmarks. Local partners for the initiative include the Arts and Cultural
Alliance of Sarasota County, the Science and Environmental Council of Southwest
Florida, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, and Sarasota County
Schools.
The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring
the area's greatest natural asset—Sarasota Bay. Its unique program strives to improve water
quality, increase habitat and enhance the natural resources of the area for use
and enjoyment by the public. Sarasota Bay is one of
28 protected estuaries in the U.S. The SBEP was founded in 1989 and its
partners include Sarasota County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, City of
Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, Southwest Florida Water Management District,
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.