The grants provide funding to schools, universities, nonprofit organizations and county conservation districts to create or develop projects that support environmental education in this Commonwealth. Grant amounts vary from $3,000 for mini-grants to up to $20,000 to provide environmental education on timely and critically important topics, including the following:

1. Sustainable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and alternative transportation fuels;

2. Air quality, with a focus on improvements in transportation and electric-generation to reduce ground-level ozone or smog; and

3. Watersheds and wetlands, focusing on abating acid mine drainage, reducing nonpoint source pollution and enhancing water conservation in this Commonwealth.

The Environmental Education Grants Program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993 which mandates setting aside 5 percent of the pollution fines and penalties collected annually by the Department for environmental education in this Commonwealth.

 

DEP said applications for 2009 will be posed on theEnvironmental Education Grants webpage. Applications are also available by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grants Program, P. O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063 or call 717-772-1828.