Credit union awards classroom grant to support environmental project

Central Regional H.S. Environmental Science Teacher Jen Haines, a resident of Waretown, NJ, was very excited when she received a surprise visit to her classroom by First Financial President & CEO, Issa Stephan, who brought her a $500 classroom grant for the 2012-2013 school year. Ms. Haines supervisor, Louise Pesci, submitted a grant application on her behalf to support Haines ongoing efforts to conduct hands on, environmental projects that excite the students and promote transferable learning. Pesci wrote in to the First Financial Foundation, "Ten years ago, our seventh-grade science students took part in a rain basin project, which since that time, has filtered out pollutants to the ground water and stopped non-point source pollutants from entering into our two on site storm basins. These basins empty out into the Barnegat Bay and have continued to recharge the waters entering these drains to keep our waters safe.� Students from the four classes who worked and learned about saving their environment still come back to see their handiwork, some with their own children." The grant money will allow Haines to expand the project to two new troubled areas on the school campus.� One area is a constantly eroding hill, and the two others are wet lands areas in front of a small storm-basin and a low lying area of land. The grant will allow for the purchase of shovels, wet-lands plants, up-land plants and enough mulch for both project areas.� It will also allow the Science Department to invite a soil conservation specialist to come to the school and speak to the students. Since First Financial began with a group of Asbury Park schoolteachers back in 1936, the credit union has not forgotten its educational roots.� That is why its Foundation offered current Monmouth and Ocean County educators four classroom grants to use at their schools for the 2012-2013 school year. "Education remains a guiding principal for our organization, and were delighted to help our local educators enhance their classroom experience," noted First Financial President & CEO, Issa Stephan.