National Grid Green Youth Intiative Grant
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s 4-H Youth Development Program is pleased to announce that National Grid has awarded a second-year installment of $25,000 for the Green Youth Initiative, an environmental education program.
The Green Youth Initiative will involve more than 1,200 students throughout Long Island. The Initiative consists of three unique programs:
• 4-H educators will offer fourth and fifth-grade students the opportunity to explore their impact on the environment through a Green Footprints program.
• The Power of Wind Program is a national 4-H curriculum that explores the use of wind as an alternative energy and encourages youth to see engineering as a career possibility.
• The Food Project is a garden-focused, hands-on education program with a focus on local food production, diet and its effects on health, waste management, ecology, conservation and sustainability.
This year, the Food Project segment of the program will be held at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank. The goal of the Food Project is to involve youth in organic gardening as a means of promoting healthier lifestyles and raising awareness about locally grown foods. By creating the educational gardens to the Farm, CCE staff can dedicate additional time to creating and maintaining the garden, even when school is not in session. Students will take field trips to participate in programs designed around organic gardening. These educational gardens will have high visibility--the Suffolk County Farm sees an average of 30,000 visitors annually.
Schools interested in participating in the Green Youth Initiative can contact Kelsey White, CCE's Environmental Science Program Coordinator at 631-852-4652.
National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers 4-H Youth Development, founded in 1902, is America's oldest youth organization. It is the youth component of the cooperative extension system nationwide. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is a non-profit educational agency dedicated to strengthening families and communities, protecting and enhancing the environment, and fostering economic development. Suffolk 4-H is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
