Press Releases


Environmental Alliance receives $50,000 State Grant

Released: March 16, 2006

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA) in partnership with the Southeastern Massachusetts Environmental Education Alliance (SEEAL) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $50,000 grant by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

The grant was awarded through the Trust’s Environmental Education Program to support SEEAL’s innovative work toward improving math and science achievement by K-12 students in Southeastern Massachusetts. SEEAL is working within the state’s curriculum framework guidelines and in the context of its mission to promote environmental awareness and education.

“This is a great opportunity to improve our young people’s math and science skills on standardized tests while helping them understand their relationship with our environment at the same time,” said Community Foundation President Craig J. Dutra. “We are grateful to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust for funding this effort.”

The Massachusetts Environmental Trust is the Commonwealth’s premier environmental philanthropy, awarding approximately $1 million per year to organizations across the state working to build environmental awareness, and to protect and preserve the Commonwealth’s water resources and their ecosystems.

The Trust’s ability to support environmental initiatives stems primarily from the 70,000 Bay State citizens who purchase one of three environmental license plates, which feature the images of the northern right whale and roseate tern, the water mill building, and the brook trout. The images on the plates are representative of the state’s coastal, central, and western regions, respectively.

The grant will enable members of SEEAL to survey the region’s public school districts and assess their science curriculums with an eye toward the strength and availability of environmental education.

The Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEAL) is a group of 28 nonprofit organizations, service organizations, public agencies, public schools and others committed to a collaborative effort for environmental education administered through the Community Foundation. The only requirement for membership in SEEAL is a commitment to the stated mission of encouraging environmental awareness and stewardship in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Members of SEEAL include the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, Community Boating Center, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, Dartmouth High School, Fairhaven Public Schools, Fall River Public Schools, Garden Club of Buzzards Bay, Girl Scouts of Southeastern Mass., Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Green Futures, Jones River Watershed Association, Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies, Marion Natural History Museum, Massachusetts Audubon Society – Allen’s Pond, Massachusetts Watershed Initiative, New Bedford Oceanarium, New Bedford Public Schools, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Old Rochester Regional High School, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, School for Marine Science and Technology, SouthCoast Learning Network, Schooner Ernestina Commission, The Trustees of Reservations – Copicut Bioreserve, Westport Community Schools, Westport River Watershed Alliance, Whaling City Rowing Club, and the YMCA Southcoast.


About SEEAL and the Community Foundation

Since 1995, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts 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.

To date, the Community Foundation has assets of more than $14 million and has distributed over $3 million from 60 funds to humanitarian, educational and cultural organizations in the region. More information about the Foundation can be found at www.cfsema.org.