City Parks Foundation receives $50,000 grant

The City Parks Foundation's (CPF) &#8220Seeds to Trees” education program received a $50,000 grant from HSBC in the Community (USA) Inc., to grow the initiative designed to incorporate science and nature into the urban environment through classroom activities and park trips.
The $50,000 grant is a 100 percent increase from HSBC's previous contributions, which will help students study specimens from the forest floor, plant a new tree seedling and learn from the natural environment the parks have to offer.
&#8220City Parks Foundation’s Seeds to Trees program is a shining example of how teachers can make science fun for kids,” said Heather Malkin, Vice President, Manager, Bank Foundation & Grants. “HSBC in the Community is committed to funding programs that encourage youth to become environmentally aware, so this program is a great fit for us.”
The announcement, which took place at the 538-acre Forest Park, which borders the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Glendale and Woodhaven, gives teachers educational resources and in-depth training that enables them to incorporate ecological lessons into the basic curriculum.
The program, which is CPF's longest running program, currently has 59 teachers and 1,600 students in grades 1-4 and 6-7 that participate annually.
&#8220HSBC's support for our Seeds to Trees program means that hundreds of city kids will be inspired to learn about the environment through outdoor scientific explorations, from the forests to the coastlines of our city's parks,” said CPF Director of Education Programs Claudia DeMegret.
CPF uses parks throughout the five boroughs as a place for teachers to educate students in critical thinking and decision making skills. The different programs it offers gives opportunities to 6,000 city students every year.