Earth’s Classroom has received a $5,000 grant from L-A-D Foundation to support the tuition-free Field Science Career Experience program that provides hands-on, field-based science education opportunities to junior and senior high school students in Crawford, Phelps, Maries and Dent counties.

In the same grant round, Partnership for Youth Inc./AmeriCorps St. Louis received $9,500 to support the cultivation of fire crew members in Shannon, Reynolds, Crawford, Dent and Texas counties by providing career pathways, preparing future leaders and expanding partner capacity to achieve environmental objectives through a three-day training program focusing on emergency response and conservation.  

In total, L-A-D Foundation granted $55,00 to 10 nonprofits that support the conservation of natural and cultural resources in its 12-county service area. Based in St. Louis, L-A-D Foundation manages the Pioneer Forest and holds land with natural, geologic, cultural or historic interest in Carter, Crawford, Dent, Madison, Maries, Oregon, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Genevieve, Shannon and Texas counties.

  “These grants represent the power of collaboration in the Ozarks,” said Jennifer Battson Warren, executive director of the L-A-D Foundation. “By working with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, L-A-D Foundation can support local organizations that make a real difference — whether it’s restoring trails, protecting wildlife, or creating educational opportunities. Together, we’re investing in the health and vitality of our Ozark communities and landscapes.”