past scholarship & grant recipients

GRANT WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

The Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) of Greater Philadelphia has selected the grant winners for 2019:

Guardians of the Brandywine, in support of their Sweet Water FLOWS (the Future/the Legacy of Our Watershed), was awarded $2,000. Their goal is to provide a 4-day “watershed science by canoe” program free of charge for girls in grades 9-12. The program will focus on watershed dynamics, the relationship between a community and its water resources, and water quality testing. The program will be centered at the Northbrook Canoe Company. Using the Sweet Water Ventures Learning Center located at the canoe company, along with taking canoe water quality research excursions. The girls will participate in understanding the dynamics of a watershed (elevation, tributaries, erosion, infiltration, etc.), the sciences of water quality (physical, chemical, biological), the communities dependent on clean water (plants, animals/people), canoeing, teambuilding, and, simply, the wonders of the natural world.

Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, in support of their nationally recognized Master Naturalist program, was awarded $1,000. This program focuses on training diverse women from multicultural audiences dedicated to inspiring and promoting an environmental ethic in their Philadelphia neighborhoods. The program objective is to bring environmental learning and stewardship to all neighborhoods of the Greater Philadelphia area and to provide professional development for women seeking further training in natural sciences and natural resource conservation as well as provides a forum for women to give back through volunteer service dedicated to conserving natural environments locally. The Pennsylvania Master Naturalist experience consists of three components:  a 50-hour “core” training course, volunteer service, and continuing education, with a focus on natural resource conservation, climate change, energy conservation, storm water management, and natural sciences; and designing interpretive displays or signage for parks and museums. 

The Camden City Garden Club, in support of their Youth Empowering Watershed Education & Action Program, was awarded $500 to fund the Field Trip for Youths component of the program. This program addresses four essential issues impacting at-risk, underserved youth: academic underachievement/high drop-out rate; unemployment; financial marginalization; and, food insecurity. The program consists of education, hands-on training, paid employment, lesson materials, field testing equipment, field trips, and on-going support. This program positively impacts student retention, future employment success, communication skills, leadership skills, self-esteem, motivation and several other hard and soft skills.

The Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) of Greater Philadelphia has selected the scholarship winners for 2019:

Scholarship Winner: Hayley McCurdy, University of Pennsylvania

Hayley McCurdy was awarded a SWEP 2019 Graduate Scholarship for $3,000. Hayley is a Master of Science in Environmental Studies degree with a concentration in Energy Management and Environmental Sustainability candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to attending the University of Pennsylvania, Hayley received her BA in Political Science from Texas Christian University. She is the Co-Chair of the Wharton Energy Club, member of the Sustainable Business Coalition and the Academic Coordinator for the Graduate Advisory Board. Hayley’s most impressive achievement to date is the development a micro-loan program (in both English and Spanish) to promote the use of solar panels to generate electricity for rural consumers in the Dominican Republic.

Scholarship Winner: Jill Felker, Antioch University New England (in conjunction with The Pennsylvania State University)

Jill Felker was awarded a SWEP 2019 Graduate Scholarship for $3,000. Jill is a PhD candidate in Environmental Studies candidate at the Antioch University New England. Prior to attending Anitoch University, Jill received her BS in Biology and her MS in Environmental Pollution Control from The Pennsylvania State University. Jill continues to serve as an adjunct instructor and lab manager at Penn State’s Berks Campus in Microbiology, Biology and Chemistry. Jill is also currently working in collaboration with the Nolde Environmental Education Center with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DNCR) to develop citizen science programs. She has also begun working on her PhD research project, a pilot project that assesses the antibiotic resistant microbial populations and the chemical characteristics of the Blue Marsh Watershed in Berks County. Jill resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children and embodies the challenge of work/life balance.

SWEP GP awarded a grant to the Darby Creek Valley Association ($2,000) to support their Community Environmental Education Series.

The 2018 Scholarships were awarded to Katie Lample ($3,000), Adrienne Donaghue ($3,000), and Elena Rohner ($1,500). 

The Society of Women Environmental Professionals funded grant program, Girls Learning from Women STEM Professionals at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) event was held over two days, May 30 and 31st. Although we did not reach our target of bringing 250 girls to the DEP to work alongside female STEM professionals, 139 girls were able to participate across the 2-day event.  Clean air and clean water, storm water management, recycling and the structure of the modern landfill, and a tour of their beautiful LEED Certified Gold Building were just a few of the workshops that our girls experienced.

DEP staff scientists spoke to our Norristown Area High School 9th grade students briefly about their careers and path to DEP, as well as the information for the assigned station.

Students were divided into 7 groups before arriving at DEP at 8:45 a.m. each morning. Each group had a NASD chaperone and greeted their first DEP host who escorted the group to Breakout #1. Students moved through the breakout sessions until convening in the Delaware/Schuylkill rooms for lunch. Pizza was paid for with grant funds. During lunch, the girls had the opportunity to eat with DEP staff, as well as hear other strong females in the office. At the end of breakout #7, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the students boarded the buses and returned to Norristown Area High School.

Many thanks to the Society of Women Environmental Professionals and the volunteers at the DEP for helping our girls envision a future in STEM.

       

          

          

          

     

     

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) of Greater Philadelphia hosted their annual Green Smarts Party at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 2700 Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia. The event is an opportunity to honor and present the SWEP’s graduate scholarships.

Scholarship Winner: Megan O’Donnell, Drexel University

Meghan is a Master of Science in Environmental Policy degree candidate at Drexel University, and Staff Scientist II at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Prior to attending Drexel University, Meghan received her BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Meghan works on the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, where she researches the effects of agriculture methods on aquatic life by studying macroinvertebrates. She oversees field technicians, writes grants, installs scientific equipment, and conducts rapid habitat assessment and fieldwork at 35 study sites in the region.

Scholarship Winner: Kathryn McNamara, Drexel University

Kathryn is a Master of Public Health degree candidate at Drexel University, with a focus on Environmental and Occupational Health. Prior to attending Drexel, Kathryn received her BA in International Relations and Arabic from Dickinson College. Kathryn was a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia, where she became interested in resource management and environmental exposures in at-risk communities. As a Graduate Assistant at the Dornsife School of Public Health, Kathryn created a risk communication tool for the state of Pennsylvania, and launched a social media message library for a wide-range of disaster scenarios. Her Masters thesis deals with radiation risk assessment at local nuclear power plants, and modeling for occupational cancers among exposed workers.

SWEP is grateful to Greenberg Traurig, LLP for generously sharing their beautiful conference rooms for this Event!

On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) of Greater Philadelphia hosted their annual Green Smarts Party at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 2700 Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia. The event is an opportunity to honor SWEP’s grant winners.

This year in addition we had the opportunity of hearing from one former grant awardee, the wH20 Women’s Water Journal.

Presenters:  Stanley L. Laskowski and Akudo Ejelonu

Stanley Laskowski is a Lecturer and Advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, a Global Water Alliance founder and former Deputy Regional Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He spoke on “The Role of Water in Women’s Lives Around the World”, and the University of Pennsylvania’s “wH2O: The Journal of Gender & Water”. Joining him was Akudo Ejelonu, in the Masters of Environmental Health and Masters of Public Health programs at the University of Pennsylvania;  she spoke on her experiences on projects in India addressing water issues.

2016 Grant Winners – This year, SWEP presented grants to:

Dawn White from Green Valleys Watershed Association, in support of their After-School Nature Explorers Club at Pottstown Middle School, for this winter, 2017

Kimberly Reed, Director, Troop Support & Experiences, and her three Senior/Ambassador Girl Scouts of Central and South New Jersey, in support of their “Refill, not Landfill” program.

In addition, SWEP is again sponsoring the Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery County Envirothons.

SWEP is grateful to Greenberg Traurig, LLP for generously sharing their beautiful conference rooms for this Event!

The Nebinger School was a Spring 2015 grant recipient, and the students participated in a Delaware River educational experience that included canoeing and land-based environmental education. Grant funds were also used to construct tree boxes and bulb plantings around the school as another hands-on experience for students.

Access a full copy of the SWEP Grant Nebinger School Report.

View the published article HERE.

     

     

     

SWEP is pleased to announce its 2014 Grant Awardees and Awards Program to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia’s, Germantown Girls Give and Grow Project was awarded $2000.  Their goal is to teach up to 40 girls from ages 7 to 14 to learn by doing;  to plan, build, tend and harvest a community garden in Germantown, and to give the older girls leadership opportunities in working with this project and the younger girls.  There are extensive plans to evaluate this project throughout and at the end of the season to allow for enhanced success in continuing this project in years to come.  Ariel Goldring, Director of Grants & Stewardship, is the primary contact for this project. NEW: The final write up of the program can be seen at Germantown Girls Give and Grow Project.

Green Valleys Association of Southeastern PA, Inc.’s  “Habitat Awareness and Conservation Summer Camp”  was awarded $500 to allow them to purchase field materials to observe breeding of birds, bats and insects.  This Summer Camp will take place during the week of August 11-15, 2014. This week is expected to draw close to 55 children in preschool through 7th grades. GVA is requesting funds to assist in programming for the estimated 25, 4th through 7th graders who will be participating in this camp week, and expect about 50% of them to be female. The final write up of the program can be seen Green Valleys Project_2014 Final Report.

On June 9th, one of this year’s SWEP of Greater Philadelphia’s Grant awardees, the Junior Girl Scout Troop 555 of Springfield, as the culmination of their Bronze award project, officially turned over the vegetable garden that they planned, built and planted over the last 8 months for the Wesley House Shelter. Wesley House Community Corp. is a 17 unit facility-based program for families and single adult females for up to 3 to 6 months length of stays in Chester, PA.

At the garden’s dedication ceremony Troop Leaders Margie Larkin and Kristen Fee O’Connor awarded 10 girls who each put in over 20 hours of hard work to make this garden a reality.  They consulted with the Master Gardeners and created a “lasagna” layered raised bed garden.  On June 9th , in vigorous growth were green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant and green peppers.

Liz Ladd and Sheiletta Corporal, the CFO of the Community Action Agency of Delaware County [CAADC, Inc.] and Director of the Wesley House respectively, said a few words about the value of the garden to the shelter and the girls’ hard work. Also, there was a representative of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania [GSEP] and from SWEP; Elaine Feldman [Grants Chair] and Donna Suevo [Grants Committee] were also present and said a few words of admiration of the girls’ initiative and hard work.  There were additional representatives from the Shelter staff Ms. Rose and Ms. Beth and as well as residents who were taking over the garden.

The shelter staff and residents are enthusiastic about the garden, have taken over garden upkeep and harvesting and hope to continue this program in years to come.  SWEP felt privileged to support this project with a $500 grant. 

Newsletter Article Update for the 2013 the Urban Watershed (Exploring Urban Watersheds 2013 Report).

   

         

The Water Works Newsletter  – Camps and Canoes Bring Kids to the River!  See how SWEP’s grants help encourage kids to the explore the environment!

Page from FWWICnewsFallWinter2013 on SWEP-funded program