Education Notes
BOCC agrees to fund environmental education program
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners approved on Nov. 6 an agreement to fund an environmental education program to increase awareness of the importance of recycling and reducing waste for students in Lee County public schools.
The memorandum between the county and Lee County School Board provides $65,000 to fund a school staff member and school bus transportation for environmental education for about 5,000 fifth-grade students annually.
The program will begin in the spring semester.
The students will participate in environmental lessons that culminate in a field trip to the Lee County Material Recovery Facility and Waste To Energy Facility on Buckingham Road in Fort Myers.
The program will be a pilot with student testing before and after the field trip.
There will be a follow-up survey before the end of each semester to determine how much information was retained and how much, if any, behaviors have changed in students’ homes.
The one-year program may be extended or modified for an additional five years if successful.