Tuesday, 17 January 2012 12:59 | 
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In 2011 the Education Advisory Board awarded 42 Mini-grants for projects meeting the grant criteria, as follows:
Mini-Grant #: 11-01 Sunol Glen School, Green Team – Sunol Glen School, Sunol, East County, $2,844.00 - Grant funds will be used to purchase dedicated recycling/composting containers to help support student recycling education and demonstrate the impact their efforts have on the environment.
Mini-Grant #: 11-02 Center for Recycling Research, City of Alameda CATV Promotes Alameda Restaurants and Full Spectrum Organics Recycling, Berkeley, West County, $3,000.00 - Grant funds will be used to produce vignettes which will promote recycling and the food diversion program within the City of Alameda and its food service establishments. These vignettes will be shown on the City of Alameda’s local cable network, as well as other social media sites. Funds will also be used to construct a portion of a 4th of July parade float to promote recycling and food diversion in the City of Alameda.
Mini-Grant #: 11-03 Fourth Street Community Garden, Fourth Street Community Garden Project, Livermore, East County, $500.00 - Grant funds will be used to purchase irrigation supplies, garden tools and compost bins to complete the garden.
Mini-Grant #: 11-04 MacGregor High School, MacGregor High School Reusable Dishware, Albany, West County, $425.00 - Grant funds will be used to purchase reusable dishware and flatware to reduce waste in the school kitchen. MacGregor High School is committed to reducing waste and encourages students to compost their paper products in the school kitchen. By purchasing reusable’s this will significantly reduce the school’s waste output.
Mini-Grant #: 11-05 Albany High School, Connect Academy Garden and Compost Project at Albany High School, Albany, West County, $1,325.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to purchase a natural building workshop to construct a cob shed or similar natural materials building (as opposed to the purchase of one at a local retailer). This structure will be used to store all garden tools and supplies as well as teaching materials, making upkeep and use of the space more manageable. The shed will support the compost program by allowing the use of space and tool storage for this endeavor. Additionally, it will make a composting partnership with the school’s earth team more feasible.
Mini-Grant #: 11-06 Mission Way Church, Discovery Community Garden – Compost Demonstration Site, Fremont, West County, $3,000.00 - The objective of the project is to set up an onsite composting system at the Discovery Community Garden which will not only compost 500 pounds of organic waste generated at the garden on a monthly basis but will also serve as a composting demonstration site for people in and around Fremont.
Mini-Grant #: 11-07 MyPetWormyWorm.info, “My Pet Wormy Worm” – Saves the Earth, Alameda, West County, $2,700.00 - MyPetWormyWorm.info has an ongoing goal to teach students how they can “Save the Earth”, by vermicomposting with worm bins, educational programs and products. Funding from this grant will be used to continue to implement the “Starter Kit” into local schools, create educational books, and products. The children will learn about how a garden grows from garbage, a fun and exciting hands on program that educates children with red wigglers. The children will also learn about vermicomposting, recycling, repurposing and reducing waste that would otherwise go into landfills.
Mini-Grant #: 11-08 MacGregor High School, MacGregor High School Dishwasher, Albany, West County, $3,000.00 - Funding from this grant will be used to purchase a high-efficiency commercial dishwasher for the school kitchen. The school holds culinary classes every day and each student samples their dishes using plates and forks. A reusable dishwasher will cut down on wasted instruction time; reduce waste, save time, energy, and water. A commercial dishwasher will also have fast enough cycles to accommodate multiple classes throughout the day and will meet the needs of the growing student body. An average of 250 plates and 500 utensils will be washed in the dishwasher each week.
Mini-Grant #: 11-09 Oakland Tech Green Academy, Improving Recycling at Oakland Tech High School, Oakland, West County, $2,080.00 - Funding from this grant will be used to design and create new, more functional signage to significantly improve the sorting of landfill trash from recyclable materials on the school campus. This will help to raise the awareness and foster a better understanding of the value of recycling to improve the school-wide trash disposal and recycling system. The school will also practice in the use of worm and green bins, composting, and implement methods to improve the water usage in the school garden adjoining the Green Academy.
Mini-Grant #: 11-10 Ruby Bridges Elementary School, Reusable Party Ware for Staff meetings, Alameda, West County, $61.51 - Grant funds will be used to purchase reusable party ware to be used by staff. This will reduce the use of 840 plates, cups, bowls, and plastic utensils per year.
Mini-Grant #: 11-11 Livermore High School, Power Up, Livermore, East County, $2,860.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to purchase low voltage power supplies to use in the physics classes that can be used for many years. Low voltage power will also improve the labs and help to avoid the waste of disposing of batteries.
Mini-Grant #: 11-12 Livermore High School, Livermore High School Go Green, Livermore, East County, $2,360.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to cover ongoing expenses associated with continuing a waste reduction and recycling program at Livermore High School.
Mini-Grant #: 11-13 Sunset Elementary School, Sunset Elementary School Garden Waste Reduction Program, San Francisco, West County, $2,571.00 -Funds from this grant will be used for a three-bin composting system. This will allow for students better understanding of the waste cycle with an on-site compost system. Students will be involved in all aspects of the compost system, and it will be fully intergraded into the schools outdoor science and gardening curriculum. In addition the hope is to reduce the food waste that is currently sent from the school through the city services.
Mini-Grant #: 11-14 Altamont Creek School, Composting with Kids in Small Rotations at Altamont Creek School, Livermore, East County, $3,000.00 -Grant funds will be used to have all 2nd through 5th grade students participate in composting their lunch veggies, and learn more first-hand about the rot cycle in waste prevention. Funds will also be used for a substitute teacher to assist in taking classes for a whole group activity, while small groups are instructed on composting in the garden.
Mini-Grant #: 11-15 Croce Elementary School, Composting with Kids in Small Rotations at Croce Elementary School, Livermore, East County, $3,000.00 - Grant funds will be used to have all 2nd through 5th grade students participate in composting their lunch veggies, and learn more first-hand about the rot cycle in waste prevention. Funds will also be used for a substitute teacher to assist in taking classes for a whole group activity, while small groups are instructed on composting in the garden.
Mini-Grant #: 11-16 Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD), 4R’s Release Time for Science Teachers: Training Elementary and Middle Schools, Livermore, East County, $3,000.00 - Grant funds will be used for teacher substitutes for 1 day release time for 17-20 elementary and middle school science teachers to attend a 4R’s training workshop.
Mini-Grant #: 11-17 Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD), Go Green at Altamont Creek, Livermore, East County, $2,900.00 - Grant funds will be used to continue and enhance the “Go Green” Greening program designed to reduce waste, and teach students and staff about sustainable practices.
Mini-Grant #: 11-18 Garden of Grace Project Asbury UMC, Aerated static pile (ASP) Composting Project, Livermore, East County, $3,000.00 - The Aerated static pile (ASP) Composting Project will provide the Asbury Garden of Grace with a fully operational small containerized ASP composting system.
Mini-Grant #: 11-19 City of Oakland, Oakland Community Gardens’ Compost System, Oakland, West County, $2,996.88 - Funds will be used for the Program Coordinator to provide oversight of the purchasing of materials for three-bin composting systems for five gardens. The Program Coordinator will also provide oversight on the construction of the bins. Composting workshops will be provided at each garden, and will also be promoted to the surrounding communities, free and open to the public, and will create fliers and e-distribution lists to circulate around each areas schools and neighborhood centers.
Mini-Grant #: 11-20 American High School Recycle Team, Pulp Fiction, Fremont, West County, $710.00 - The American High School Science Club makes recycled paper from school papers that have been shredded by the secretaries and teachers. The recycled paper is pulped and screened to new paper that is made into cards. The Science Club will use grant funds to purchase a new heavy duty blender and other needed materials to continue the recycled paper project.
Mini-Grant #: 11-21 Grattan School, Reuse Art Mural, San Francisco, West County, $2,994.00 - Using principles and practices of arts-based education students will learn critical thinking skills (encourage respect for self, others and the environment, and inspire lifelong learning). Over the course of four weeks, Grattan 4th and 5th graders, as well as two special education classes, will meet with the school’s Garden Educator to learn key concepts of waste prevention reduction in their school environment. With the help of a local artist, a core group of students will meet after school and design a mural based on the concepts they have learned. The core group will then act as artist to paint a mural using reused paint and reused materials.
Mini-Grant #: 11-22 The East Bay Children’s Book Project, Book Collection Stand, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - The East Bay Children’s Book Project had 150,000 books donated and kept out of the landfill. 135,000 free books were given to professionals working with children in need. This grant will be used to construct a book collection stand that is designed to hold books as well as literature brochures.
Mini-Grant #: 11-23 Keep Oakland Beautiful, Oakland Schools Food Scraps, Oakland, West County, $2,467.00 - This grant will be used to satisfy the need to identify volunteers within Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) in school food scrap and paper recycling programs. The organization Keep Oakland Beautiful (KOB) has special safety vests that will be used by volunteers during KOB community volunteer projects. OUSD schools with successful recycling programs have found it important to provide a type of uniform for students and even staff to wear. The vests have been tested in elementary schools where students and staff are interested in wearing them when on active recycling duty. Grant funds will purchase 300 vests.
Mini-Grant #: 11-24 Oakland Landscape Committee, School Composting, Oakland, West County, $1,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to build raised bed gardens and composting areas at needy Oakland schools. Materials will be purchased at discounted prices to build the compost bins and worm bins for composting green waste or food waste in these gardens.
Mini-Grant #: 11-25 Franklin Elementary School, Reusable Party Ware, Alameda, West County, $525.00 - Franklin Elementary will be purchasing reusable party ware for classes to use at their parties instead of disposable plates, cups and utensils. Use of the party ware will divert waste from the landfill and encourage zero waste practices. The school will purchase BPA free and dishwasher safe plates, cups and flatware, as well as containers to store each classroom set.
Mini-Grant #: 11-26 Franklin Elementary, 4 R Learning on the Playground, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds will be used for 4th and 5th grade students to collaborate with a local artist to design a ground mural, painted in street quality that will depict the 4R’s. The mural will display the 4R’s in the correct order: reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. Under each word will be a sentence or two with ways to define the meaning as well as an illustration. Also, a poster contest will be held following the guidelines above and the winning poster will be the one painted on the playground.
Mini-Grant #: 11-28 Alameda Green Schools Coordinating Committee, Alameda Green Schools Manual, Alameda, West County, $3,000.00 - Funding from this grant will be used to support the work of Alameda Green Schools teachers in developing the Alameda Green Schools Manual. The purpose of this manual is to document both the district-wide standard operating procedures and the site-specific procedures for implementing Alameda Green Schools program at each school in the district.
Mini-Grant #: 11-29 Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) Science, 4Rs Staff Development and Training for Science Teachers and School Greening Planning, Livermore, East County, $3,000.00 - Science teachers in LVJUSD’s 10 elementary schools and 3 middle schools can be catalysts for 4R practices and education in their schools. Grant funds will be used to have assistance come in and assist with time to learn what can be done within our schools education and best practices to reduce waste, prevent waste, and educate students, staff, and families about changing to more sustainable practices.
Mini-Grant #: 11-30 All Ah We/All of Us, Oaktown Worms, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to create a partnership with the EAB, All Ah We/All of Us and Growing Power to implement a living worm/compost system that will be an integral part of a comprehensive and sustainable urban agriculture oasis in East Oakland.
Mini-Grant #: 11-31 MedShare, Reuse Education and Waste Diversion Program, San Leandro, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to educate students and hospitals about the benefits of recycling unused medical supplies that will then be shipped around the world to meet the healthcare needs of others.
Mini-Grant #: 11-32 Peralta Parent Teacher Group, Peralta Environmental Stewardship Program, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - Funding from this grant will help to support growth of the program at Peralta Elementary School to provide the opportunity to focus on 3 main areas of resource conservation practices: 1) Continued development of environmental stewardship commitment and capacity in the children through science and arts programs 2) Build the capacity as an elementary level demonstration site to explore practical solutions that are both classroom and school wide models 3) Share what is learned through promoting student work and lessons on the school website, through the Alameda County Office of Education website and public presentations.
Mini-Grant #: 11-45 East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, SLWRP Support, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - The Depot will support teachers in Alameda County Office of Education’s Service Learning Waste Reduction Project (SLWRP) schools by providing: reused high quality teacher and student materials such as paper, pens/pencils, notebooks and arts and crafts supplies; creative reuse activities for students; enrollment in The Depots Green Educator Program; consulting on implementing a responsible year-end locker clean out; and facilitate locker clean out at one school.
Mini-Grant #: 11-46 Castro Valley Sanitary District, Schools Blue Bins Part 1- Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Elementary Schools, Castro Valley, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to provide recycling bins for Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) elementary school classrooms (approximately 230).
Mini-Grant #: 11-47 Castro Valley Sanitary District, Schools Blue Bins Part 1- Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Middle and High Schools, Castro Valley, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to provide recycling bins for Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) middle and high school classrooms (approximately 190).
Mini-Grant #: 11-48 Wee Poets, Recyclable Gems, Berkeley, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds will be used to produce 4, 30-minute, videotapes titled Recyclable Gems. The videos will emphasize and promote source reduction, recycling, and purchased of recycled goods.
Mini-Grant #: 11-49 Redwood Heights Parent Fund Association, Greening RHS Lunches, Oakland, West County, $2,950.00 - Funds will be used for updating signage, new bins for terra-cycle packages, supplies for the compost program, promotional items for promotion of packing waste free lunches, and support for the Garden and Ecology Teacher.
Mini-Grant #: 11-50 Chabot Space and Science Center, Zero Waste Lunch Program, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 -Funds from this grant will be used to continue to expand the highly successful Zero Waste Lunch Program at Chabot.
Mini-Grant #: 11-51Greenleaf Elementary School, Greenleaf Compost Project, Oakland, West County, $3,000.00 - Funds from this grant will be used to introduce Greenleaf Elementary School to composting, expand the school garden to serve not only students but the entire community, reduce the amount of waste that the school produces and to educate the staff and students about the value of learning how to turn waste into rich soil.
Mini-Grant #: 11-52 H. Haight Elementary Go Green Committee, Reusable party ware, Alameda, West County, $1,251.00 – Funds from this grant will be used to purchase reusable party ware for each classroom at H. Haight Elementary School.
Mini-Grant #: 11-53 Grattan Elementary School, Life and Death with Decomposers, San Francisco, West County, $3,000.00 – Funds from this grant will be used to create based on the California Education and Environment Initiative (EEI) a pre-assessment survey asking students what they know about decomposers, and develop a 5 week curriculum with written/verbal quizzes.
Mini-Grant #: 11-54 City of Dublin, Dublin Custodial Outreach Campaign, Dublin, East County, $2,750.00 – City of Dublin will use these funds to support its Commercial Recycling Program. Specifically, the City would like to develop Spanish and English language commercial How-to-Guides for custodians and janitorial staff.
Mini-Grant #: 11-55 Dublin Unified School District (DUSD), Recycling in Dublin Schools: Beyond Elementary, Dublin, East County, $2,010.67 – Funds from this grant will be used to purchase additional containers for schools/district office, and purchase food waste containers for Wells Middle School.
The total 2011 Expenditure Plan budget of $100,000 for Mini-grants was approved by the Board along with the option to carry over all unexpended funds from previous grant years and expend if necessary. Funds from previous years were expended, and a total of $103,280.70 in Mini-grants were awarded.
