Cooper Elementary School is one of five schools in Washington State to be awarded a $53,000 grant for the school's "E.A.R.T.H." Project.

Of that amount, $26,500 will come from the state and there will be an in-kind match of services from the three partner organizations of Northwest Environmental Education Council, Nature Consortium and Camp Long. The E.A.R.T.H. Project is a new magnet environmental focus at Cooper Elementary School. It includes the planning and planting of an on-site habitat by students as well as integration of art and technology linked to the environmental projects teachers are developing. E.A.R.T.H. stands for Enviromental, Arts, Respect, Technology for the wHole child.

The on-site habitat, located on the south end of the school, will include an outdoor classroom where students will be able to do hands-on lessons about the Northwest environment. The arts component will partner the Nature Consortium with Youngstown Cultural Center in creating art works exploring the environment and its importance. Rob Silver, Cooper Elementary School's technology teacher, will link student learning and use of technology to the various environmental projects.

"We are very pleased to add this new program to the exciting changes now taking place here at Cooper," said Cathy Rutherford, Cooper Elementary principal. "It will provide many opportunities for students to apply the skills they are learning in other subject areas. More fundamentally, I believe it will help our children enjoy and, as a consequence, become more motivated and engaged in their learning."