SCDES Recognizes 13 South Carolina Schools as ‘Champions of the Environment’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Thirteen South Carolina schools were recently awarded grants to support the education of the next generation of environmental stewards, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) announced today.
The “Champions of the Environment” awards are issued each school year to foster environmental education and action in South Carolina’s classrooms from kindergarten through 12th grade. Teachers apply for grant funding by outlining a proposed educational project that focuses on pollution or waste reduction, water or energy efficiency, or preservation of natural areas. The grant program is sponsored by SCDES, Dominion Energy and Sylvamo, with assistance from the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina.
“Hands-on projects like those funded by Champions of the Environment can empower students to understand, appreciate and actively protect the natural world around them, which is why we’re so proud to support this initiative,” said Myra Reece, SCDES Director. “We hope these classroom projects encourage collaboration, curiosity and a lifelong commitment to sustainability.”
SCDES started Champions of the Environment in 1993 with the goal of encouraging, enabling, and recognizing youth environmental education projects that develop awareness, promote behavior change, or improve and protect our water, air, and land.
“We had a record-breaking 85 grant applications this year,” said Amanda Ley, SCDES’s coordinator for the Champions of the Environment program. “The winning schools demonstrated strong student involvement, outstanding use of funds, outreach to those outside of the projects, and partnerships with environmental organizations.
Ten schools were awarded $2,500 and three schools were awarded $1,500 for projects including pollinator gardens, habitat restoration, water quality monitoring and alternate energy.
The 2025-26 Champions of the Environment winners are below.
$2,500 winners:
Allendale Fairfax Middle School, Allendale County
Blue Ridge High School, Greenville County
Conway Elementary School, Horry County
Diamond Hill Elementary School, Abbeville County
James H. Hendrix Elementary School, Spartanburg County
Leaphart Elementary School, Lexington County
Lowcountry Montessori School, Beaufort County
Mullins High School, Marion County
Tall Pines STEM Academy, Aiken County
Virtus Academy of South Carolina, Florence County
$1,500 winners:
Pickens Elementary School, Pickens County
South Aiken High School, Aiken County
St Joseph Catholic School, Anderson County
For more information, including descriptions of each winning project and eligibility requirements for next year’s grant funding, visit des.sc.gov/champions.
