$30,000 is coming to the Housatonic Valley Association for a watershed restoration project in Danbury.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the funding as part of $1.5 million in competitive grants. 

The Still River Watershed Connections program engages local youth in the restoration of the Still River in order to build a sense of stewardship, teach valuable career skills, and provide a steady source of volunteers for watershed restoration projects.

This project aims to support a significant expansion of the existing Connections program to reach 250 additional at risk youth many of whom live in neighborhoods close to the River. Project activities include retooling a local high school's existing aquatic science curriculum to integrate the Connections program; conducting student-led restoration projects along the Still River, and developing a paid summer job-training internship program. Interns will be hired to perform work on the four restoration sites, and 10 local high school science teachers will be trained in project-based learning methods and Still River watershed issues and will integrate that training into their courses.

Project partners include the Danbury Public Schools, Danbury Youth Services, and Western Connecticut State University.