Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoTech™ Grants Program

Deadline: 15-Jan-21

The Captain Planet Foundation encourages for the “ecoTech™ Grants” to engage children in inquiry-based, STEM-related projects that leverage technology and/or use nature-based design to address environmental problems in local communities.

ecoTech™ Grants were created to combat the notion that students needed to choose between “the screen” or “the green” and to encourage educators and students to explore the role technology can play in designing and implementing solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges.

Examples of previous ecoTech™ Grant funded projects have involved: the integration of robotics and sensors to explore water bodies, collect data, and organize clean-ups; the development of aquaponic and hydroponic systems using arduinos and remote sensing; renewable energy design challenges; biotechnology research; nature-based design applications; and many others.

Objectives

Captain Planet Foundation grants are intended to:

Empower youth by providing hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities;
Inspire youth and communities to become agents of change for their environment;
Serve as a catalyst for education that uses the environment as a context for applied and STEM learning.

Funding Information

ecoTech Grants support projects that leverage technology to achieve greater or innovative environmental outcomes (this does not include simply adding iPads, tablets, or other smart devices to a project). Available as cash grants of $2,500, these grants support purchase of materials and other expenses required to implement the project.
Available as cash grants for $500 – $2,500, these grants support purchase of materials and other expenses required to implement the project.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be based in the U.S;
Be solution-oriented;
Be project-based;
Be youth-led;
Result in demonstrable environmental outcomes.

Funds may not be used for:

Capital or building campaigns, purchase of real estate, or endowments;
General operating expenses;
Salary or contract services;
Beautification or landscaping projects;
Travel costs or field trips that are not an essential part of the proposed project (if included, identify the purpose of the field trip under “project activities”);
Scholarships;
Expensive equipment that can only be used once or by a few;
Promotional items such as t-shirts, flyers, postcards, etc.

For more information, visit https://captainplanetfoundation.org/grants/ecotech/