NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2006
Contact: Diane Brossart
Valley Forward Association
(602) 240-2408

VALLEY FORWARD ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS STATE-WIDE

PHOENIX, AZ (September 25, 2006) – Arizona teachers, grades K-12 may apply for up to $5,000 in funding for environmental education activities in their classroom, school or in the community, through Valley Forward's EarthFest Education Grant. For the second consecutive year, the grant is made possible by one of the association’s visionary members, STMicroelectronics.

Widely recognized in the Valley as a non-profit environmental public interest organization, Valley Forward will award one or more grants for projects that focus on such topics as: water, air, land, plants and animals, recycling, transportation or energy.

Application forms are available by calling (602) 240-2408 or can be downloaded online at www.valleyforward.org. The deadline for submissions is 4 p.m., November 17, 2006. Recipients will be announced on or before January 10, 2007.

“Valley Forward recognizes that students are the environmental stewards of tomorrow,” said Diane Brossart, president of Valley Forward. “However, teachers face challenges in the classroom with limited time and resources. We are committed to providing them with funding and other resources to make it easier to teach kids about our unique desert environment.”

The grant opportunity was announced last week at Valley Forward’s EarthFest Educators Night, held in partnership with Freescale Semiconductor and attended by more than 300 teachers throughout the state. The event included more than 50 exhibits, activities and displays on environmental education resources for Arizona teachers.

In addition, Valley Forward’s Online Environmental Resource Directory (www.valleyforward.org) features a comprehensive list of field trip opportunities, curriculum, classroom speakers and related materials for teachers.

For more than 37 years, Valley Forward has been bringing business and civic leaders together to convene thoughtful public dialogue on regional issues and promote cooperative efforts to improve the environment and livability of Valley communities.