The GE Fund, the philanthropic
arm of the General Electric Company, today announced nearly $200,000 in grants
for environmental stewardship and education programs across the nation. In
addition, volunteers from GE Elfun chapters around the globe will be
supporting community environmental projects as part of the celebration of
Earth Day 2000.
The grants are the first in the GE Fund's Environmental Stewardship
Program, which supports projects with strong environmental education and
volunteerism components.
"The projects supported by the GE Fund's Environmental Stewardship Program
will bring together GE employees and community leaders to restore habitat or
protect natural resources, bolster environmental education programs and
expand outdoor recreational opportunities," said Stephen Ramsey, GE's vice
president of Corporate Environmental Programs. "GE employees and the GE Fund
are proud to support these outstanding environmental stewardship and education
projects."

The grant recipients are:

Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC), Cleveland Ohio,
$25,000

CVEEC is a leading environmental educator in the Cleveland area and this
grant will enable it to expand its programs to urban schools. The grant will
be used to recruit additional staff, provide teacher training and coordinate
field trips for urban youth to CVEEC. Urban teachers and students will apply
their environmental education through an "action project" such as building an
inner city community garden. GE volunteers from the Cleveland Elfun chapter
support this project.

Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, $24,992
The grant will help create a critical wetland habitat along the
Rio Grande. The funds also will be used to help develop an education and
mentoring program focused on earth sciences for local high school students.

Mill Creek Restoration Project (MCRP), Cincinnati, Ohio, $25,000
The grant will help create a critical wetland habitat along Mill Creek.
The grant funds also will help develop an environmental education and
mentoring program for local high school students. GE volunteers have had a
long-standing partnership with MCRP since its creation in 1994 and will
continue to support this Fund-supported project.

Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, Davenport, California, $20,283
The grant will support the Salmon and Trout Education Program (STEP), with
a focus on improving the curriculum for training teachers. The Monterey Bay
Salmon and Trout Project provides students with hands-on learning experiences
about the Coho salmon, steelhead and Chinook salmon. To date, STEP has been
successfully implemented in more than 82 schools in central California,
reaching more than 75,000 children. This project is supported by more than
6,000 GE volunteer hours each year.

Tampa BayWatch, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida, $25,000
The grant will support the construction of two new coastal marsh nurseries
within Pinellas and Hillsborough county high schools. GE volunteers will work
on all aspects of the program through participation at the schools' nurseries
and restoration planting projects around Tampa Bay.

The Dry Stone Masonry Institute of America, Lexington, Kentucky, $25,000
The grant will help restore 900 feet of the Vaughn's Branch streambank
channel and will provide dry stone masons, engineers, students and volunteers
a hands-on experience in dry stone mason construction. Volunteers from the GE
Lexington Lamp Plant and several other businesses in Kentucky will work with
Lafayette High School and the community on the project.

Waukesha Land Conservancy (WLC), Brookfield, Wisconsin, $18,000
The grant will improve marsh hawk habitat at the Land Conservancy's Marsh
Hawk Preserve. The GE Medical Systems Employee Conservation Club will assist
WLC with the installation of signs, property enhancement projects, Marsh Hawk
inventories, biological inventories and conservation easement training.

Still River Project-City of Danbury, Danbury Conn., $20,800
The grant will fund Phase 2 of the construction of the Still River
Greenway for the following purposes:
-- Installation of educational signs along the river corridor, keyed to a
brochure that explains the functions of the river and flood plan
-- Installation of wildlife observation viewing areas along the trail
-- Design of the Still River Museum, which will be sited along the trail.
GE Elfun volunteers were instrumental in providing the labor,
materials, and logistical planning during Phase 1 and will continue to
support Phase 2 of the project.

The GE Fund works to improve the well-being of people around the world.
The Fund made grants totaling more than $35 million in 1999.

GE Elfun is a global organization of more than 40,000 GE employees and
retirees who are committed to improving their communities, their company and
their lives through volunteerism. Elfun has 105 chapters in GE locations
worldwide. In addition to the GE Fund programs, thousands of Elfuns will be
participating in environmental stewardship and education projects around the
globe this spring. Examples include:

-- The Beijing Elfun Chapter will participate in the "Hand in Hand Earth
Village" to encourage recycling among elementary students.
-- The Canadian Central and West Elfun Chapter in Toronto will be working
with Streetsville Secondary School on habitat restoration, land cleanup and
beautification projects.
-- The Downeast Chapter in Somersworth, N.H., will participate in an Earth
Day partnership with the City of Somersworth to beautify City Hall Park and to
build nature trails, canoe launch and family picnic areas leading to Salmon
River Falls.
-- The Hawkeye Chapter in West Burlington, Iowa, is participating in a
roadside cleanup project to be assisted by local high school students.
The Hungary Chapter is supporting a cleanup of a site in the Balaton National
Park.
-- The Indonesian Chapter is sponsoring field trips and educational
sessions to Bidadari Island and conservation park for school children.
-- The Mountaineer Chapter in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is providing
landscaping improvements for a local elementary school and is participating in
Earth Day activities with local school children.
-- The Pittsburgh Chapter is supporting an environmental and historical
boat outing with a local Boy Scout pack.
-- The Twin Cities Chapter in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is assisting with a
cleanup and family picnic in Staring Lake Park.
-- The Vicenza, Italy, Chapter is supporting a project to rebuild a park
area to allow for increased use by persons with disabilities.

For more information on GE's community activities, visit
http://www.ge.com/community.

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