Washington, DC—Project Learning Tree® (PLT), a national environmental education program sponsored by the American Forest Foundation, and Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company, announced the 19 recipients of environmental service-learning grants through PLT’s GreenWorks!  initiative with Esurance today.

The GreenWorks! grants program, founded by PLT in 1992, gives students a chance to apply classroom environmental education to community improvement projects. Esurance partnered with PLT in early 2007 to bring GreenWorks! grants to schools in communities where Esurance associates work and live.

The recipients of the GreenWorks! Esurance Grants were chosen based on several factors, including the incorporation of PLT environmental education materials, high level of engagement with the community, and student leadership of the program. Projects will range from the creation of a xeriscape community garden by 9th-graders to solar energy cooking and education fairs by 2nd-graders. Schools chosen for these GreenWorks! grants are located near Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Sioux Falls. Esurance associates in these areas will partner with schools to volunteer their time and services when needed.

“Engaging young people in environmental stewardship was at the heart of why Esurance teamed with PLT to provide GreenWorks! grants in the communities where our associates work and live,” said Kristin Brewe, Esurance Director of Brand and Public Relations. “By fostering a lasting bond between young people and our environment, our communities will benefit for years to come.”

“Esurance is helping PLT extend GreenWorks! grants to exciting and worthwhile projects that may not have been able to go forward otherwise,” said Kathy McGlauflin, Senior Vice President of Education for the American Forest Foundation. “PLT and Esurance share a commitment to leadership, environmental education, and community participation.”

The projects will be completed within the next year and are as follows:
Detailed project information can be found at: http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/21_22_196.html

Atlanta area
• Chattahoochee High: The Reconstruction of the Historic Gardens at Monticello
• Creekview High School: Strength in Recycling Program
• Spelman College: Green Urban Students Team
• Taylor Road Middle: Front Entrance Beautification Campaign

Dallas area
• Corbell Elementary: Neighborhood Tree Identification Project
• DeGoyler Elementary: Garden of Discovery
• Gunstream Elementary: Environmental Awareness Night
• Sem Elementary: Environmental Education Day

Phoenix area
• Basha High: Xeriscape Community Garden
• Higley Unified School District: Student-led Natural World Mentoring Program
• Playa del Rey Elementary: Research Butterfly Garden
• St. John Bosco: Renovation of the Curriculum Garden

Sacramento area (Rocklin):
• Rock Creek Elementary: Wetlands Outdoor Laboratory Project
• Rocklin Elementary: Solar Energy Fair and Composting  Project
• Rocklin High: Elementary School Air Quality and Education
• Rocklin Unified School District: Science Super Saturday
• Spring View Middle: Indigenous Plant Landscaping Project

Sioux Falls area
• Outdoor Campus and Lowell Elementary: Urban Garden Cooperative Project
• Woodfield Center School: Community Landscaping Assistance

###

About Project Learning Tree®
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. PLT provides educators with comprehensive environmental education curriculum resources that can be integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas. PLT teaches students “how to think, not what to think” about complex environmental issues, and helps students learn the skills they need to make sound choices about the environment. Developed in 1976, PLT has an international network of more than 500,000 trained educators using PLT materials that cover the total environment. The American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization, works for healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world.

About Esurance®
Esurance, a subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: WTM), provides personal auto insurance direct to consumers online and through select online agents. Because of Esurance’s virtually paperless online customer experience, Esurance policyholders have saved thousands of trees since the company’s inception. To date, Esurance also helped plant over 20,000 trees through its support of urban reforestation programs.
Esurance is committed to safeguarding the environment through its own operational practices, including a hybrid claims fleet and carbon offset programs for its office locations. Esurance also supports a variety of environmental organizations across the U.S. For more information about Esurance’s environmental initiatives, visit: http://www.esurance.com/home/environment.asp.