StWEA is awarded $1,000 service grant
Student organization brings environmental awareness to Sheboygan youth
Jim Giese
Issue date: 1/28/10 Section: News
The Lakeland chapter of the Student Wisconsin Education Association (StWEA) was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the National Education Association (NEA). The grant will be used to bring environmental awareness to students and the community when visiting Maywood Environmental Park. The Ellwood H. May Environmental Park is a 120-acre, city-owned park on the north side of Sheboygan.
Last summer, StWEA Co-Presidents Kelly Ochalek and Rob Pockat, brainstormed various ideas for area programs that would benefit from receiving the grant money. "One of the things we considered is the literary benefit the program would have for the community," said Pockat. "One goal of StWEA is to provide overall literacy for Sheboygan school-aged children, as well as resources for parents which help promote literacy in the home."
The decision in writing the grant proposal was based on the knowledge that Maywood interacts with a significant population in the Sheboygan area community and schools. Maywood serves thousands of students annually through a variety of educational programs.
After months of preparation, the grant proposal was sent to the NEA last summer. A letter of full grant funding was received last September.
Two objectives of the grant proposal included: "To foster a lasting relationship between Lakeland College and Maywood to form a partnership around the common goal of providing area schools and the community with the best opportunity to learn about the environment through hands-on activities; and, to provide the foundation for an environmental literacy corner within the visitor center."
Since receiving the grant, StWEA has purchased approximately $450 worth of nature and environmental books of different skill and developmental levels which will be housed on a portable bookshelf built by Ochalek's father. Pockat added, "With grant money we began to fill the book case with books and materials with subjects related to environmental issues, focusing mainly on Wisconsin."
Last summer, StWEA Co-Presidents Kelly Ochalek and Rob Pockat, brainstormed various ideas for area programs that would benefit from receiving the grant money. "One of the things we considered is the literary benefit the program would have for the community," said Pockat. "One goal of StWEA is to provide overall literacy for Sheboygan school-aged children, as well as resources for parents which help promote literacy in the home."
The decision in writing the grant proposal was based on the knowledge that Maywood interacts with a significant population in the Sheboygan area community and schools. Maywood serves thousands of students annually through a variety of educational programs.
After months of preparation, the grant proposal was sent to the NEA last summer. A letter of full grant funding was received last September.
Two objectives of the grant proposal included: "To foster a lasting relationship between Lakeland College and Maywood to form a partnership around the common goal of providing area schools and the community with the best opportunity to learn about the environment through hands-on activities; and, to provide the foundation for an environmental literacy corner within the visitor center."
Since receiving the grant, StWEA has purchased approximately $450 worth of nature and environmental books of different skill and developmental levels which will be housed on a portable bookshelf built by Ochalek's father. Pockat added, "With grant money we began to fill the book case with books and materials with subjects related to environmental issues, focusing mainly on Wisconsin."
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