LADWP Awards $820K in Grants for Educational Programs

“One of the easiest ways to change behaviors is by actively engaging our community’s youth,” LADWP’s Nancy Sutley said. “We live in a city of four million people, and supplying reliable water and power to all our residents into the future will require a permanent conservation mindset amongst Angelenos. LADWP is committed to supporting the outstanding projects of school and community organizations that are working to educate the next generation about sustainability. We look forward to seeing the results of the projects during the school year.”

The grants were awarded to non-profit organizations for a variety of educational programs that involve teacher training and hands-on experiential learning for students with the objective to help them better understand important environmental concepts beneficial in reducing the use of water and electricity.

“Through these partnerships with non-profit agencies, LADWP assists our teachers in further developing conservation lessons and science education within the classroom and beyond,” said LA Unified’s Chief Facilities Executive Mark Hovatter. “We appreciate the support of these groups and appreciate LADWP’s generous funding to ensure their good work can continue.”

The 2016 LADWP Educational Grant Award recipients and projects are as follows:

• Alliance to Save Energy – Managing the formation of 15 clubs that engage nearly 400 students with audits that help them track the amount of water, power and gas they use and then challenging them to find ways to save. Students also learn about industry career topics. Grant: $150,000

• Community Partners DBA, The Wildwoods Foundation – Provides two-hour hands-on exploration activities at Vista Hermosa Park through a mobile educational unit serving 18,200 4-6 graders in 650 classrooms. Grant: $149,332

• FAME Assistance Corporation – This program will reach more than 3,000 students through newsletters, presentations and events. The curriculum will reach 1,000 students in grades 5-7 and the formation of green clubs comprised of 8-12 graders, teachers and volunteers will audit energy use at their schools. Grant: $110,197

• The Energy Coalition – This program will enroll 80 educators to teach 3,600 students in grades K-8 with an energy efficiency classroom curriculum program. Grant: $150,000

• Santa Monica Bay Foundation – Engaging teachers and 300 students in grades 6-8 about conservation through instructional videos, infographics and online resources. Additionally, the group will develop a conservation awareness program using social media aimed at reaching more than 10,000 people. Grant: $64,830

• Theatre of Will – This outreach program consists of 60 assemblies reaching 10,000 students in grades 3-6. The curriculum includes science experiments, water supply history and teaches conservation best practices through theatrical performances. Grant: $59,300.

• The University Corporation (CSUN) – Provides conservation education training to 36 teachers through workshops and field trip activities. The group will also develop a new curriculum and expand on existing curriculum to engage more than 2,000 elementary students and their families about energy conservation. Grant: $137,180

LADWP believes the non-profit community plays a vital role in helping Los Angeles to become the greenest big city in America. In 2015, LADWP awarded 20 grants totaling $1.08 million, featuring one grant per each of the 15 Los Angeles City Council districts and four grants that served multiple areas of the City. Typically, the LADWP-funded grant programs reach nearly 75,000 people over the course of one year, with up to 10,000 directly engaged in conversations, presentations, surveys or other activities that provide actionable information on how we each can save energy and water in homes and businesses.

To learn more about LADWP’s grant making efforts visit: https://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/faces/wcnav_externalId/c-sm-non-prof-oppo

###