Google Gives $15,000 Grant to Seattle-Based EarthCorps

EarthCorps — a Seattle-area based local group that strives to engage students from diverse backgrounds in environmental education will increase its partnerships with youth and schools next year in part because of a $15,000 grant from Google. 

Google awarded EarthCorps a grant to provide service learning activities in nature areas adjacent to schools in the Federal Way, Marysville, Mukilteo and Seattle School Districts.

EarthCorps already provides service learning activities to local students on Mercer Island, and is very active in local parks on several urban forest restoration projects.

EarthCorps will also partner with Quil Ceda & Tulalip Elementary School in Marysville to improve an adjacent forest area. The school, which has a majority Native American population, will engage students and teachers to adopt a plot of forest land adjacent to their school, formulate an environmental improvement plan, restore native plants, remove invasive species and restore salmon spawning areas.

Pipo Bui, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations for EarthCorps said the group is excited to expand their work in tribal communities.

“This grant from Google, along with our other funding partners, is vital. We work to connect kids early so that environmental education and concern for the natural world is an on-going part of their lives” says Bui. 

Through their Community Grants program, each Google office location makes grants to local nonprofit organizations and schools that address four core areas:

• Bridging the digital divide
• Educating about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
• Reducing the carbon footprint
• Training small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and schools to use online tools effectively

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About EarthCorps
Seattle-based EarthCorps trains emerging environmental leaders from across the United States and around the world and engages more than 14,000 volunteers each year to restore natural areas around the Puget Sound region.  More information is available at www.earthcorps.org. 

(Ed. Note: The information above was provided to Mercer Island Patch by a press release from EarthCorps.)