Boxerwood is one of twelve U.S. environmental education organizations recently selected to receive project funding for engaging students in after-school watershed-focused STEM programming. The $43,000 grant will enable Boxerwood to take an important step forward in its ongoing partnership with the BEST afterschool program at Enderly Heights Elementary School in Buena Vista. The organizations receiving the competitive awards ranged from Hawaii to Maine, and Boxerwood is the only project in Virginia.
Boxerwood’s project, entitled “Tree Heroes,” is part of a multi-year afterschool STEM initiative supported by The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and two federal agencies: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of Education. This is the third funding cycle in a row in which Boxerwood was selected. “Funders are looking for organizations ready to further build on previous successes, and that’s what we do,” said Boxerwood program director Elise Sheffield.
The new NAAEE funding will underwrite two multi-week after-school programs for BEST as well as a June 2025 summer day camp. “What we’re especially excited about,” said Elise, “is the ability to link this work with another Boxerwood initiative, the BV Cool Trees Project.” In partnership with the City of Buena Vista, the goal of the latter project is to increase the urban tree canopy. The NAAEE award enables Boxerwood to connect some of the City’s youngest citizens to tree care and action as well.
As part of the Enderly BEST Tree Heroes Club, now ongoing, 3rd - 5th graders are learning about native trees while also tending a new school-based tree nursery. To deepen the STEM connections, they will meet up with Dr. Samuel Hirt, an ecologist at Southern Virginia University. A Boxerwood-led spring 2025 club, Weather Wizards, will introduce BEST students to weather and climate concepts as well as NOAA meteorologists. “These national agencies want to introduce more kids from all kinds of backgrounds to hands-on STEM learning and discovery,” explained Elise. “That’s something Boxerwood has already been doing for a long time. After years of partnership, it’s exciting for Enderly and Boxerwood to get broader recognition for this work and an honor to serve as a model for other communities.”
The new Boxerwood grant is part of eeBLUE, NAAEE’s effort to build collaborative partnerships that support the mutual STEM education goals of NOAA and the U.S. Department of Education. This five-year $7 million dollar initiative aims to bridge STEM education and environmental literacy, empower communities to tackle climate challenges, reach new audiences, and cultivate environmental problem-solvers. The goal of the partnership is to create a ripple effect throughout communities by connecting schools, nonformal institutions, universities, and others to foster a more sustainable, informed, and resilient society. For more information on this exciting grant, click here.