Deadline: 2-Jul-25
The North American Association for Environmental Education is excited to invite nominations for its Global E-STEM Awards to recognise excellence and innovation in E-STEM.
This program supports organizations that engage students aged 11 to 22 in STEM topics to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to take action to advance conservation stewardship and solutions, energy efficiency, and next-generation transportation.
The overall goal of this program is to increase students’ environmental literacy, build STEM interest and skills, and create pathways to careers that support building and conserving resilient communities.
The Global E-STEM Awards program supports promising programs that build and use STEM knowledge and skills in environmental learning and problem solving. Preference will be given to nonprofit organizations proposing opportunities that are open to all and to organizations using partnerships to boost their impact. Partnerships with additional organizations such as schools, governmental agencies, or other groups are encouraged to help strengthen the program offered.
Topics
- Conservation stewardship and solutions: STEM learning opportunities that build student understanding of conservation issues in their communities and engage them in solutions to address threats to natural resources and a healthy environment.
- Energy efficiency: STEM learning opportunities that build student understanding of energy conservation strategies, including energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, or hydropower, among others.
- Next-generation transportation: STEM learning opportunities that build student understanding of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of transportation.
Benefits
- Awardees will receive:
- Funding to support their E-STEM programs.
- Global recognition of their organization’s work through NAAEE and Pratt & Whitney’s platforms.
- Professional development and peer learning opportunities with E-STEM awardees.
- Access to the NAAEE network and Pratt & Whitney nonprofit community.
Prize Information
- E-STEM Innovation Grants: between $5,000–$15,000 USD each will be awarded to organizations proposing a new or expanded E-STEM project or program.
- E-STEM Excellence Prizes: of $15,000–$50,000 USD will support new or expanded projects by organizations that also demonstrate excellence through their previous E-STEM programming.
- Next-Generation Transportation Grant: of $10,000 USD will be awarded to one organization with proposed work focused on next-generation aviation technology and other transportation issues. This can include elements like energy efficiency, SAFs, and more.
Role and Responsibilities
- Awardees are expected to:
- Attend a virtual 1-hour awardee orientation in late 2025 or early 2026.
- Evaluate and report on project activities and outcomes related to STEM interest, STEM skills, environmental literacy, and any other project-specific outcomes through a midterm and final report.
- Provide periodic updates on the project’s progress throughout the award year.
- Participate in quarterly opportunities to share project activities, outcomes, and lessons learned with NAAEE and Pratt & Whitney staff, fellow E-STEM Awardees, and the public (e.g., through blogs, social media, and/or other platforms).
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant organizations must:
- Be a school, academic institution, or university, or an organization tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and not classified as a private foundation, or a nonprofit or non-governmental organization with recognized legal status in their respective foreign country that is equal to section 501(c)(3) status. You will be requested to upload documentation to prove your nonprofit status in your application.
- Not be subject to U.S. or other applicable governmental sanctions and other restrictions.
- Have a working bank account that can receive electronic funds in USD. The bank must not be subject to U.S. or other applicable governmental sanctions and other restrictions.
- Be able to demonstrate fiscal and administrative stability.
- Submit a program that worked with students aged 11-22.
- Be able to administer programs between December 2025–October 2026.
For more information, visit NAAEE.