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Matzie: $35,000 secured for Beaver County environmental education programs

Rep. Robert F. Matzie    May 1, 2026 | 10:57 AM

AMBRIDGE, May 1 – New grants totaling $35,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will support hands-on educational programs for Beaver County students, Rep. Rob Matzie announced today.

Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said the programs will provide hands-on lessons about nature, agriculture and the environment, while also teaching problem-solving skills.

“Beyond the hands-on lessons, these programs encourage students to think from a broader perspective, including how food access, water quality and other issues affect their community and how they can problem-solve to make a difference,” Matzie said. “For some students, those early lessons plant the seeds for a lifelong career in agriculture or environmental science.”

Matzie said the grants include:

  • $30,000 to Beaver County’s RiverWise for the Summer Sustainability Institute 2026 educational program for middle and high school students, which will include hands-on activities such as air and water quality testing and organic urban farming, as well as expert lectures on food access, water and air quality, climate change, sustainable development and environmental justice.
     
  • $5,000 to Aliquippa School District for the “Roots of Change: A Living Laboratory for Environmental Education” program, an outdoor classroom that will teach Aliquippa Elementary School students about soil health, water conservation and pollinator habitats.

The funding comes from DEP’s Environmental Education Grant Awards. More information about the grants is available here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/newsroom/2026-04-30-shapiro-administration-invests-over-1-million-in-environmental-education-projects.

More information about the program is available here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/residents/environmental-education/environmental-education-grants.html.