Association announces a 3-year commitment from Burroughs Wellcome Fund
The Eno River Association has received an award of $180,000 from Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student Stem Enrichment Program (SSEP) to support the continued expansion of our environmental education programs for students in the Triangle over the next three years. For more than 25 years, Burroughs Wellcome Fund has supported informal STEM programs in North Carolina through the SSEP, and they were a leading investor in the creation of the Association’s graduated STEM summer camp experiences.
Funding from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student STEM Enrichment Program will increase the Associationβs ability to continue delivering high-quality, experiential environmental education programs to K-12 students in our area. Over the three-year grant period, the Association will continue to offer two summer programs, iWalk the Eno Science and Nature Camp and Eno River Field Station, and expand its year-round programming, with a focus on public school programming to continue the development of studentsβ interest in STEM education.
Funding from the SSEP not only allows the Association to offer high-quality STEM education to the youth within our community, but it allows us to reach a wider audience of students. Many of the schools in the Eno River basin have large concentrations of low-income students and populations who are typically underrepresented in STEM education and careers. The SSEP allows the Association the opportunity to make these high-level camps and education opportunities affordable or free to everyone in the community through camp scholarships and discounted program rates.
This three year commitment comes on the heels of two other awards the Eno River Association received to support expansion of STEM education programs. Last month, the Association was a recipient of a $25,000 grant through the Merck Neighbor of Choice program. This summer, Durham residents voted to award over $47,000 to expand the Association’s in-school programs and field trips through the City of Durham’s Participatory Budgeting process.
“We are thrilled that we can continue to support the STEM leadership journeys of our youth through our popular summer education programs and expanding our out-of-school programming,” noted Jessica Sheffield, Executive Director. “We are so grateful to these funders for their commitment to building the next generation of environmental stewards.”
To read Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s full press release visit their website.