The Miami County Solid Waste District has awarded seven grants to educators, totaling $3,293.08, funding waste reduction and conservation education in Miami County.

Started in 2010, the solid waste district’s educational grant program initially provided up to six grants of $500 each. This year, the Board of Miami County Commissioners and the Miami County Solid Waste Management Policy Committee both approved an expansion of the program, funding up to ten $500 grants annually. Since its inception, the waste reduction grant program has awarded over $14,000 to local conservancy educators for recycling infrastructure, classroom materials and field trips.

This year’s recipients include:

• Eileen Heffner of Van Cleve Sixth Grade, awarded $500 to fund a field trip to the Montgomery County Environmental Learning Center
• Alison Osborne of Van Cleve Sixth Grade, awarded $450 to fund a field trip to Carillon Park, where students will learn about sustainable building practices
• McKenzie Costello of Van Cleve Sixth Grade, awarded $500 to fund a class visit to the Dayton Art Institute’s recycled sculpture exhibit
• Paul Gibboney of Troy Christian Schools, awarded $500 to create a campus-wide composting project
• Silvia Speck of Troy Christian Schools, awarded $468.08 to purchase recycling bins for classrooms
• Shelley Stewart of Cookson Elementary School, awarded $375 for an in-classroom aquaponics project
• James Kitchen of Tippecanoe High School, awarded $500 for materials for his Home Building class’ sustainable Tiny Houses project

The Miami County Solid Waste District thanks all of these recipients for their commitment to conservancy education in Miami County.