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Environment and Education Grants Focus on IPM - May 2003
UNIVERSITY PARK - The Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded three environmental education grants in Centre County.
The Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program (PA IPM) was awarded $10,000 so the program can offer their course and workshop, "IPM for Teachers: Meeting New Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology" at various schools across the state.
Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe and environmentally compatible. IPM is now a part of the new Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology, meaning all public schools in Pennsylvania must teach IPM.
The standards establish expectations for what students should know in the content areas of science and technology and environment and ecology. Like earlier standards for math, reading, writing and science, student's progress for the new standards environment and ecology will be tracked as part of the state's standardized testing program.
PA IPM has been teaching the course and working with students and teachers in K-12 in Pennsylvania for the last four years to educate the consumers of the future to appreciate the economic, environmental and social goals of IPM for over four years. In support of the new standards, the program offers educational resources for teachers on their Web site including an interactive database of IPM educational materials. In addition, a full K-4 IPM curriculum developed for the State College School District is available for download.
Other EPA grant winners include the State College Area School District, which was awarded $1,000 to purchase stereomicroscopes to be used in IPM classes, and the Nittany Valley Charter School, which was awarded $1,000 to purchase insect books, field guides and other resources to assist in a stream study at a local park.
The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.