AMMP Receives $51,188 in Chesapeake Bay Trust Grants
The Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park (AMMP) is pleased to announce that it has received two significant grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT).
An Environmental Education Grant in the amount of $38,188 was awarded to expand AMMP’s Oyster Education Program (OEP). With support from the grant, the museum aims to increase program participation by 50 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.
OEP is a year-long, project-oriented program that reaches sixth-grade students in Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The program consists of outdoor learning experiences, in-school outreach programs, teacher professional development, and teacher-led classroom instruction, all related to the oyster.
OEP begins with a thorough investigation of the oyster and its role in the Bay. Students dissect oysters, build models, and observe feeding and digestion. Oyster growth data is recorded in the classroom and that knowledge is put into practice on a field trip in which students “plant” oysters on a reef in a local sanctuary site.
Ecology and social studies are also incorporated into the program through erosion experiments, biodiversity studies, and a conversation with a working waterman.
“OEP provides the critical final step in the progression of the museum’s core programs,” said Sarah Krizek, education director for the AMMP. “Growing OEP is so important because it instills environmental stewardship in each student who completes the program. This expansion could not have been accomplished without the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s support.”
In support of the museum’s continued growth, a separate Capacity Building Grant was awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust in the amount of $13,000. Funds will be used to update the museum’s three-year strategic plan as it continues to grow into its second campus and serve the community.
About CBT
The Chesapeake Bay Trust (www.cbtrust.org) is a nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to improving the natural resources of the Chesapeake region through environmental education, community engagement, and local watershed restoration. The Trust engages hundreds of thousands of individuals annually in projects that have a measurable impact on the waterways and other natural resources of the region.
About the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
The museum, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, brings to life the distinctive role that Annapolis has played for generations in the marine industry through exhibits, lectures, and programs held at our two campuses located in Back Creek. To stay up-to-date on the park’s progress, and to learn about other programs and events, visit the museum’s website at www.amaritimestg.wpengine.com.
