Vectren grants $25,000 to Glen Helen Ecology Institute
- Published: November 23, 2010
Schoolchildren throughout the Miami Valley will have new opportunities to learn in Glen Helen, thanks to a partnership announced on Nov. 15 between Vectren and Antioch College.
Vectren will provide Antioch College’s Glen Helen Ecology Institute with $25,000 to strengthen its residential environmental learning programs. The funds will be used to create a student field journal that children complete as they explore Glen Helen. The field journal will guide their discoveries as they learn about the ecology of the region, and accompany them back to the classroom when they return to their school.
“Both Glen Helen and Vectren work to be deeply engaged in the communities we serve,” Glen Helen Director Nick Boutis said. “We recognize the role of education in strengthening individuals, families and the region. We also share a dedication to conservation of natural resources, and a belief in the importance of managing lands and preserving natural habitats.”
The Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center is the oldest residential environmental learning facility in the Midwest. Each year, 3,000 children attend its Outdoor School program. Over 150,000 children have participated in this overnight program since its inception. Students come from Dayton, Springfield, Columbus, Cincinnati and the surrounding areas. Over 12 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged children who attend thanks to scholarship assistance.
“As a corporation with a long history of conservation leadership, Vectren is
particularly aware of the value that Glen Helen offers to Southwest Ohio,” Vectren community affairs manager Lynda Hoffman said. “Glen Helen’s environmental education programs have a well-deserved reputation for shaping the lives of the students who participate in them.”