VEEP/NHEEP executed $25,000 of small grants from the Environmental Protection Agency between 2020 and 2022. These EPA grants were awarded to teams from schools in Vermont and New Hampshire that demonstrated their committment to a project that would encourage behavior that benefited the environment.
photo: students at St. Alban's City School exploring circuits
Allen Street Campus, Rutland City Public Schools | VT: Purchase of a LED grow table and other energy efficient supplies for growing plants indoors during cold months, reducing waste and energy usage while addressing food insecurity and teaching students about local food systems.
Brattleboro Union High School | VT: Creation of a kill-a-watt meter lending library for students and teachers to monitor energy usage at home and at school, with a focus on making more energy efficient choices.
Fair Haven Grade School | VT: Solar farm field trip to support the study of renewable energy.
Fair Haven Union Middle and High School | VT: Horticulture projects and local food systems study with a focus on: greenhouse, raised beds, beekeeping, and orchard maintenance. Including purchasing Beekeeping equipment to further a study of pollinators, local plants and biodiversity.
Georgia Elementary and Middle School | VT: Pilot project on climate anxiety: survey and focus group and development of student toolkit for a Sustainability Fair.
Essex High School/Youth Voice | VT: Youth Voice Summit: an education event for youth with focus on environmental justice.
Halifax School | VT: Purchase of weatherization materials and creation of an education program for students and their parents. A second project included improved, energy efficent lighting for the school and town office parking lot. Check out their student-made website.
Hopkington High School | NH: An on-site composting system to reduce waste in the cafeteria.
Killington Elementary School | VT: Building a solar powered laptop charging cart, and teaching the school district about the importance of renewable energy. Check out their newsletter!
Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School | VT: Tools for completing an energy audit and working towards more energy efficient school buildings.
Next Charter School | NH: Collecting water quality data from local ponds and streams to present to Hood Pond and Beaver Brook Water Quality Project.
Otter Valley Union High School | VT: Weatherization materials for students to use in weatherizing their own homes after developing a plan and attending a series of Button Up workshops.
Rivendell Academy | VT/NH: Creating a composting system for the school.
Rutland High School | VT: Developing an improved transportation plan for the school to encourage walking, biking, bus and carpool use, while reducing congestion and teaching the community about transportation's impact on climate change. See students' transportation plan here.
Rutland Intermediate School | VT: Raised beds and aquaponics to teach students about the importance of locally grown food in combatting climate change. See an overview of the project here.
Seacoast Students for Sustainability, Inc | NH: Development of "Before Action, Seek Education" to bring composting program to local schools.
Spaulding High School | NH: Supporting the creation of a clothing swap to decrease waste in the school community.
Spaulding and Oyster River High Schools | NH: Transportation costs to enable student teams to participate in Youth Climate Leaders Academy.
Southwick School | NH: Expansion of school composting program through the winter with a "worm farm".
St. Albans City School | VT: Tools to support an engineering unit on renewable energy with a focus on solar, including building a solar car challenge.
St. Paul's School | NH: Sensors to collect temperature data in dormitories of the school to demonstrate the need for better temperature management and more efficient heating of buildings.
The Schoolhouse Learning Center, Inc | VT: Wildlife cameras for expanding place-based and outdoor education, giving students access to footage of animals that aren't around during school hours to increase student awareness and interest.
Twin Valley Middle School | VT: Solar panel experiments to determine best siting and gain an understanding of how they may be used.
U-32 Middle and High School | VT: Pollinator garden and native plantings on school grounds, combined with student-designed signage to educate others about the importance of pollinators and local plants.
Vermont Farm and Forest School | VT: Local food systems and energy generation demonstration for use in multiple schools.
White Mountain Regional High School | NH: Creation of a school-wide recycling program.