Deadline: 29-Jun-23
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is seeking applications for the Youth Environmental Education Grant Program to provide accessible funds to schools, organizations, and agencies for youth environmental education opportunities and educator support.
The Youth Environmental Education Grant Program is designed to engage youth and students in outdoor education activities that raise public awareness and participation in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake and coastal Bays and their rivers.
The Youth Environmental Education Grant Program is a partnership between the Trust, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Program Goals
- Through the Youth Environmental Education Grant Program, the Trust seeks to increase youth knowledge and involvement in the restoration and protection of their region’s natural resources by increasing access to programs that provide robust outdoor environmental education. The program was established to provide accessible funds to organizations, agencies for youth (generally in the age range of Pre-K to 12th grade), and schools for environmental education and educator support. The program specifically seeks to:
- Educate youth about natural and aquatic resources, their local watersheds, and how they can make a difference in natural resource health,
- Engage communities in education and restoration activities that benefit watershed health,
- Provide environmental education professional development opportunities for formal, non-formal, and community educators,
- Provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students and teachers, and
- Support environmental literacy goals within schools, school systems, and other educational institutions.
Funding Information
- Applicants can request funds from one of the following tracks:
- Track 1: Out-of-School Outdoor Investigations for Youth Provided by Community-Based Organizations (up to $10,000)
- Track 2: Outdoor Classroom, School-Yard Habitat, or Community-Based Improvement Requests (up to $10,000)
- Track 3: Professional Development for Formal, Non-Formal, and Community Educators (up to $5,000)
- Track 4: In-school MWEEs for Pre-K-12 Students (up to $5,000)
- Project Timeline: Projects must be completed within 12 months upon receipt of the award. Requests to extend project completion period will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.
Eligible Project Tracks
- Project Track 1: Out-of-School Outdoor Investigations for Youth Provided by Community-Based Organizations (requests up to $10,000)
- Track 1 requests will engage youth in the local community through outdoor investigations led by established community-based organizations. Youth engaged through this track will be participating in community-based, after-school, weekend, and/or summer programs. If the applicant seeks to engage students in partnership with local schools, please apply to track 4. Track 1 requests, submitted by community-based organizations, will be prioritized through this grant opportunity.
- Project Track 2: Outdoor Classroom, School-Yard Habitat, or Community-Based Improvement Requests (requests up to $10,000)
- Track 2 requests will focus on developing outdoor learning space in local communities or on school grounds through the installation of outdoor classrooms, school-yard native habitats (such as a one-time tree planting or pollinator garden planting), or community-based improvement projects. There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of outdoor learning for mental health, stress reduction, physical health, student engagement, and academic success
- Project Track 3: Professional Development for Formal, Non-Formal, and Community Educators (requests up to $5,000):
- Track 3 requests will support professional development (PD) experiences for community educators and/or school staff (such as teachers and administrators) to build the understanding of environmental content and competence in inquiry based and investigative instructional techniques.
- Project Track 4: In-school MWEEs for Pre-K-12 Students (requests up to $5,000)
- Track 4 requests will engage students in MWEEs. Pre-K-12 teachers interested in completing a MWEE with their students or non-formal educators interested in completing a MWEE with students through a schoolbased partnership should apply to track 4. MWEEs are multi-faceted, learner-centered experiences that focus on investigations into local environmental issues that lead to informed action and civic engagement.
Eligible Project Locations: This program funds throughout the state of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay watershed portions of D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
Eligibility Criteria
- The Trust welcome requests from the following organizations:
- 501(c)3 Organizations
- Faith Based Organizations
- Community Associations
- Service, Youth, and Civic Groups
- Municipal, County, Regional, State, Federal Public Agencies
- Soil/Water Conservation Districts and/or Resource Conservation and Development Councils
- Forestry Boards
- Public or Independent Higher Education Institutions
- For Profit organizations are NOT eligible for funding through this program.
- For school-based projects: the Trust prefers that the school serve as the lead applicant instead of a partner, however, if a partner does apply, the Trust requires the following:
- The participating school(s) name(s)
- A narrative statement explaining why the partner is applying rather than a school
- Letter(s) of commitment from participating school(s)
For more information, visit Chesapeake Bay Trust.
