LEXINGTON, S.C. — Students around the state are getting the chance to bring environmental projects to their schools. Through the Champions of the Environment Grant program run by DHEC, 20 schools statewide and 9 schools in the Midlands were awarded grants ranging from $1000 to up to $2500 for unique projects.
The 20 schools across the state is the largest amount of winners picked in the Champions of the Environment program history and awarded nearly $40 thousand dollars to schools.
Angie Kruger, is a teacher at Beechwood Middle School in Lexington county. She says this project run by the school’s Project Citizen club will provide a great opportunity for its current and future students.
“This is something my kids have been working towards for almost two years now, trying to get a pollinator garden started and a nature trail started. We want to create a great outdoor space where the kids can do some outdoor learning, (and) teachers can take their classes out there.”
At Lugoff Elgin High School, they also received funding for a pollinator garden of their own. Teacher Brittany Sirmon says this will be a great tool to allow her students to have a hands-on experience.
“So not only will this semester’s kids be able to have the engineering side as far as planning, designing, and building but they will be able to teach future classes and it will be something we will be able to add to, upkeep or maintain in our future classes.”
Back at Beechwood Middle, 8th grader Curtis Starns says he is excited to get to work on the garden in the near future.
“It’s great if we can go out a do some more work, it’s great to take a little break before school or some other time and get to work.”
Meanwhile, Addison Miller says she is looking forward to how this garden will be used by her classmates.
“Being able to just let some students go out there in the mornings, like most of us want to go out there in the mornings, and just have fun. It is like a break from school but yet you are at school.”