COLUMBIA - Lowcountry Day School has been named a Champion of the Environment for efforts to protect water quality and educate their community about the environment, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
"The Lowcountry Pond Outdoor Classroom for Pawleys Island Children, a collaboration between 12th graders and 4th graders at the school, is going to benefit not only Lowcountry Day School, but the Pawleys Island community too," said Lynne LaSalle, coordinator for Champions of the Environment.
LaSalle said 12th graders are responsible for testing water quality in the pond and determining what kind of best management practices would protect the long-term health of the pond. They will present their findings to property owners, school administrators and others who have the potential to affect water quality in the pond.
"The older students will also clean up litter from in and around the pond and prepare the pond's banks to be used for environmental education," LaSalle said. "Then they will assist the 4th graders in identifying and interpreting educational features around the pond. Both groups of students plan to present environmental lessons to their peers and their community."
Lowcountry Day School will receive a $500 cash award to use toward its project. The schools will also receive Champions give away items and a commercial about their project will be aired on WIS-TV in Columbia and WCSC-TV in Charleston.
For more than 15 years, Champions of the Environment has rewarded environmental awareness and action in South Carolina’s kindergarten through 12th grade students. Champions is sponsored by Eastman Chemical Company, International Paper, WCSC-TV, WIS-TV and DHEC. The Champions partnership awards ten grants over two grant cycles. Applications for Champions' next round of grants are due Jan. 15, 2009.
For more information, visit the Champions Web site at: http://www.scdhec.gov/champions, or call LaSalle at (803) 898-4394.