Press Releases


CITY OF NEW BEDFORD, SEEAL TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Released: January 14, 2008

The Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEAL) will administer a $236,000 grant made to the City of New Bedford by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase environmental education in New Bedford.

The grant will help to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals and emissions that are released into the environment. Over the next two years, the grant will allow SEEAL to focus on environmental awareness and stewardship in the City of New Bedford.

“I expect that SEEAL will collaborate with its many diverse partners to provide education and training programs for the residents of our city. SEEAL is a locally-based organization who will bring together the environmental activist community to accomplish tangible results for New Bedford,” said Mayor Scott W. Lang on enhancing environmental education in New Bedford.

An initial meeting to discuss the grant’s objectives and associated budgets was held January 8th. Over 30 individuals from twenty-five different organizations, businesses and schools came together to discuss the grant. Another meeting to discuss the grant’s goals and objectives will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 22, at the New Bedford Buttonwood Park Zoo. As always, SEEAL meetings are open to the public. Regular SEEAL monthly meetings are held at 3:30 p.m. every second Tuesday at the New Bedford Buttonwood Park Zoo. If you are unable to attend and/or want to learn more information about the Sustainable New Bedford grant, contact information is below, or check out www.seeal.org to be online soon.

“While this is only a sliver of the amount of funding needed to address issues of sustainability in the City of New Bedford, SEEAL would like to offer the opportunity for individuals, foundations and businesses to invest and contribute match funding to help us better meet the grant’s objectives,” said Jennifer Marshall, SEEAL Coordinator.

The grant goals, split among five tracks, are diverse in objectives: 1) to build curriculum, provide curriculum kits, and lead teacher trainings for sustainability education in New Bedford Public Schools, 2) to enhance youth leadership and community and business outreach through an energy audit training program , and to provide summer jobs for these young adults with local environmental non-profits and businesses, 3) to follow up and coordinate implementation of recommendations from the Mayor’s Sustainability Task Force Report, 4) to provide mini-grants to both non-profits and community groups to create and lead sustainability projects in the City of New Bedford, and finally, 5) to provide support for the moving of the Bioneers By the Bay Conference to the City of New Bedford in 2008 and 2009.

“This grant offers an exciting opportunity to build new partnerships and foster cooperation among the many dedicated people who are working to make New Bedford a greener city. We want to make sure this grant will fairly include appropriate decision-makers, reach necessary community members, and benefit each and every resident,” states SEEAL Chair and The Trustees of Reservations Bioreserve Education Coordinator, Linton Harrington.

Associated job and grant opportunities will be advertised and solicited in the upcoming months. To be added to SEEAL’s email listserve please contact jmarshall@seeal.org.


About SEEAL

SEEAL, a program of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA), was formed in 1997. SEEAL’s mission is to improve environmental awareness and stewardship in Southeastern Massachusetts. SEEAL’s main purpose is to secure funding and support its nearly 100 partners.

Some of SEEAL’s active educational and institutional partners who are present and provide programs in New Bedford include New Bedford Public Schools, Global Learning Charter School, New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, UMass Dartmouth, and SMAST. Present and/or active SEEAL non-profit partner organizations that deliver programs and resources to the City of New Bedford include The Trustees of Reservations, Lloyd Center for the Environment, Schooner Ernestina, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Operation CleanSweep, Friends of Buttonwood, Trips For Kids, Community Boating Center, New Bedford Oceanarium, New Bedford Whaling Museum, SEMAP, Working Waterfront, 3rd Eye Unlimited, Mass Audubon, and the Marion Institute. Others include Bristol Community College, Brick by Brick, YouthBuild, Peaceworks, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, and Sea Lab.

To learn more about SEEAL or this grant and its objectives, contact SEEAL Coordinator, Jennifer Marshall, at jmarshall@seeal.org or at 508-493-4343. www.seeal.org coming soon.


About the Community Foundation

Since 1995, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible. CFSEMA is a public charity serving thousands of people who share a common concern – improving the quality of life in Southeastern Massachusetts.

While the Foundation’s primary grantmaking focus is on the SouthCoast communities of Greater New Bedford, Greater Fall River, and Greater Plymouth County, CFSEMA is a regional foundation serving 41 cities and towns. To date, the Community Foundation has assets of more than $18 million and has distributed nearly $5 million from 108 funds to humanitarian, educational and cultural organizations in the region. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.cfsema.org.