DRI’s STEM education team receives EPA grant to support microplastics education for Nevada students and communities

(Press-News.org) Reno, Nev. (August 5, 2024) – DRI’s STEM Education Team has received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support environmental education in Nevada’s schools.

The $100,000 grant will fund the production of additional educational kits known as Greenboxes that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment.

“DRI is honored to be awarded this EPA grant, and we are eager to continue our outreach to underserved rural and urban communities across Nevada,” said DRI STEM Education Program Manager Emily McDonald-Williams. “Middle school students and their families will learn about emerging environmental concerns and how to make informed decisions to help mitigate environmental issues.”

DRI’s Monica Arienzo, PhD, is a global leader in the field of microplastics research and the first scientist to find microplastics in Lake Tahoe. Arienzo received a prestigious NSF CAREER Award to support her work, and she used part of her award funds to develop the first microplastics Greenboxes with the STEM education team. The kits were developed for middle school students (grades 6-8) and include information about how plastics are made, their chemical composition, and their impacts on the environment. Students can look at microplastic samples under the microscope, examine how they degrade, and engage with games that illustrate their impacts as they break down in water. They also construct their own design for tools that can filter microplastics from water and develop a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to educate their community about ways to prevent microplastics from entering the environment. All of DRI’s Greenboxes are available to Nevada schools and educational programs free of charge, simply by request.

“I’m thrilled that the Greenboxes developed through my NSF CAREER Award will be further supported through this EPA award, allowing us to build even more Greenboxes and reach more students. This will enable us to educate the next generation of scientists and support greater public awareness of this issue,” Arienzo said. “Microplastics are everywhere, and we’re only beginning to understand their impact on the environment and our own well-being. Education can help us make simple behavior changes that can have a real impact, from using fewer single-use plastics to understanding how even synthetic fibers in our clothing contribute to the problem.”

DRI’s STEM Education Team will hold professional development sessions where teachers can explore the microplastics Greenboxes in Reno, Las Vegas, Elko, Mesquite, and Winnemucca.

In addition to the Greenboxes, the grant will also support community partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Get Outdoors Nevada, Sierra Nevada Journeys, and Envirolution. Each partner will hold community outreach and educational events focused on microplastics.

“Our partnerships are a great way to expand the microplastics curriculum we created to all generations throughout the community,” McDonald-Williams said. 

The Greenboxes are available for educators to check out on DRI’s website, and they will be shipped to schools free of charge.

– @driscience –

More information: For more information on DRI’s Greenboxes program, visit https://www.dri.edu/science-alive/green-boxes/

For more information on Monica Arienzo’s Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, visit https://www.dri.edu/labs/microplastics/

Read the EPA’s original release: https://www.dri.edu/epa-selects-dri-for-funding/

About DRI

We are Nevada’s non-profit research institute, founded in 1959 to empower experts to focus on science that matters. We work with communities across the state — and the world — to address their most pressing scientific questions. We’re proud that our scientists continuously produce solutions that better human and environmental health.  

Scientists at DRI are encouraged to follow their research interests across the traditional boundaries of scientific fields, collaborating across DRI and with scientists worldwide. All faculty support their own research through grants, bringing in nearly $5 to the Nevada economy for every $1 of state funds received. With more than 600 scientists, engineers, students, and staff across our Reno and Las Vegas campuses, we conducted more than $47 million in sponsored research focused on improving peoples’ lives in 2023 alone. 

At DRI, science isn’t merely academic — it’s the key to future-proofing our communities and building a better world. For more information, please visit www.dri.edu. 

Media Contact
Elyse DeFranco
Science Writer, DRI
Elyse.defranco@dri.edu

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