With the help of PPL Montana, elementary school students in Polson will have the chance to study plant life cycles, learn about the interdependence of plants and animals, and establish an outside garden and indoor lab from which to harvest healthy snacks.

Cherry Valley and Linderman elementary schools in Polson will each receive a $1,500 Project Earth Environmental Education Grant to support this joint after-school program.

The schools are two of nine grant winners this year that received a total of more than $12,000 statewide to support earth science programs.

"There are few things more important to our future than the environment and education," said Lisa Perry, PPL Montana's manager of Community Affairs. "That's why we are so pleased to award competitive grants to teachers who create projects that provide a significant learning experience about the environment."

This is the first year that PPL Montana has offered the Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program. Teachers can receive grants for school projects that focus on issues such as watersheds and wetlands, air quality, renewable resources, energy conservation and the greening of schools.

The projects are designed to enhance established classroom curricula and academic standards, or support extracurricular activities of school organizations and clubs.

PPL Montana employees chose this year's winning projects.

"We salute the students and teachers of the Cherry Valley and Linderman elementary schools who are doing their part to promote a healthy environment for generations to come," Perry said.

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