Boxerwood Education Association Incorporated

GENERATION N.E.S.T. (NURTURING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TOGETHER)

PROJECT NEST (NURTURING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TOGETHER) PLUS

PROJECT NEST (NURTURING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TOGETHER),

THE NOAA CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED EDUCATION AND TRAINING (B-WET) PROGRAM WILL BE PROVIDING A 3-YEAR, $152,613 GRANT TO BOXERWOOD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION SUPPORT THE TENDING PROJECT NEST (NURTURING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TOGETHER) PROJECT. THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS NEW ENDEAVORS TO STRENGTHEN PROJECT NEST, A LONG-RUNNING EQUITABLE AND SYSTEMIC MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES (MWEE) PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BOXERWOOD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, A GRASSROOTS NON-PROFIT, AND TWELVE UNDER- RESOURCED SCHOOLS IN RURAL WESTERN VIRGINIA. THIS SPECIFIC GRANT REQUESTS FUNDING TO STRENGTHEN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PROJECT NEST BY DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PLANS (ELPS) WITH 2 OF THE 3 NEST SCHOOL DIVISIONS, AND BY CREATING A SERIES OF 5-MIN. VIDEO HOW-WE-BUILT-THIS CASE STUDIES FOR SHARING NEST BEST PRACTICES WITH BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCES. THE PROPOSAL ALSO REQUESTS FUNDING FOR ELP-RELATED TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WITH SPECIAL INTEREST IN INTEGRATING MWEES AND CLIMATE EDUCATION AT THE UNSERVED HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

PROJECT NEST (NURTURING EARTH STEWARDSHIP TOGETHER)

BOXERWOOD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (BEA) WILL DEVELOP AND PILOT A REPLICABLE MODEL TO ADVANCE CITIZEN-LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN UNDER-RESOURCED, RURAL OR SMALL-TOWN POPULATIONS. THE PILOT WILL TARGET THE TOWN OF BUENA VISTA, A FORMER MANUFACTURING TOWN IN ECONOMIC DECLINE WITH LITTLE ACCESS TO RECYCLING RESULTING IN PLASTICS POLLUTING LOCAL WATERWAYS. A PRIMARY COMPONENT OF THE MODEL IS THE CREATION OF YOUTH ACTION TEAMS WHO COLLABORATE WITH SMALL-SCALE, LOCAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS CHURCHES, VOLUNTEER FIRE STATIONS, AND PRE-SCHOOLS.