Students at seven Montana schools will be undertaking projects to enhance their environmental studies this spring thanks to grants from PPL Montana.

“This year we’re pleased to award grants to schools from West Glacier to Glendive,” said Lisa Perry, manager of Community Affairs for PPL Montana. “It’s always encouraging to read the grant applications from teachers who find new ways to create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences about the environment.”

Each of the seven schools will receive grants of up to $1,500 through PPL Montana’s Environmental Education Grants program to support educational activities that promote a beautiful and clean environment. A team of PPL Montana employees chose the winning projects, which focused on issues such as watersheds and wetlands, air quality, renewable resources and energy conservation.

“We extend our thanks to Montana teachers for taking the time to submit applications and inspiring our young people,” Perry said. “Supporting education has always been one of PPL Montana’s goals, and we’re proud to keep this tradition alive. Schools receiving grants have exciting, imaginative projects this spring.”

For example, in the forests surrounding Ronan High School, students will learn about ecosystems, sustainable forestry and natural resources, and identify tree species and plant diseases.

Children at West Glacier Elementary School will build three raised gardens to learn how to cultivate crops in the rocky, porous soil of the West Glacier region.

In addition to the grants awarded to Ronan High School ($1,000) and West Glacier Elementary School ($1,384), PPL Montana also awarded Environmental Education grants to:

• Dawson County High School, Glendive. With a $625 grant, students will experiment with different kinds of recyclable materials, such as saw dust, paper products and glass, to see if they can be combined with a concrete base to make aesthetically pleasing and durable construction materials.
• Elysian School, Billings. Fifth- through eighth-graders will use a $1,489 grant to purchase GPS units and mammal tracking guides to enhance their field science skills and appreciation of environmental stewardship.
• Lame Deer High School, Lame Deer. A $1,500 grant will be used to help establish bimonthly trash pickups in town through the school’s Morning Star Future Farmers of America community service program and build community pride among young people.
• Linderman Elementary School, Polson. A $1,500 grant will purchase 10 microscopes to help 130 third-graders study major fish species living in Flathead Lake and develop a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving water quality in the lake and river.
• Sentinel High School, Missoula. A $1,320 grant will help students build six passive solar space heaters as part of an interdisciplinary project involving the school’s advanced woodshop and classes in metal shop, biology and science.

PPL Montana sponsors the Environmental Education Grants program as part of PPL Project Earth, an initiative to educate the public about energy resources and the environment.

PPL has 500 employees in Montana who generate and sell electricity. PPL Montana operates coal-fired power plants at Colstrip and Billings, as well as 11 hydroelectric power plants along Rosebud Creek and the Missouri, Madison, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. It has a combined generating capacity of about 1,200 megawatts and has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. PPL EnergyPlus operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power in the wholesale and retail energy market. PPL Montana and PPL EnergyPlus are subsidiaries of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL).