The Department of Environmental Protection will begin accepting applications for Environmental Education Grants on October 5.   The deadline for applications is December 18.  (formal notice)

Grants will provide environmental education on timely and critically important topics for any target audience, including the following:

— Sustainable Living: Develop environmental education and outreach programs to encourage sustainable living and reduce environmental impacts. This includes outreach programs on rain gardens, rain barrels, clean energy, energy conservation and efficiency, transportation, improving indoor air quality/radon protection, composting, water conservation and other related topics.

— Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Education: Develop environmental education and outreach programs to reduce nonpoint source pollution, along with other water-related educational programs. This includes educational programs on abandoned mine drainage/reclamation, water conservation, private water wells, groundwater, storm water management, cold water habitats, and fisheries and other related topics.

— Air Quality: Develop air quality educational and outreach programs, including ground level ozone, climate change, transportation and electricity generation issues.

— Energy Education: Develop educational and outreach programs on energy efficiency and conservation, as well as natural gas, coal, wind, solar and other clean energy sources and technologies.

— Climate Change: Develop environmental education and outreach programs to address climate change and the potential socio-economic and environmental consequences and mitigation strategies.

— Brownfields: Develop educational and outreach programs on brownfield redevelopment and sustainable communities.

— Environmental Literacy Planning and Programming: Engage educators and stakeholders in content standards and field-based environmental education (EE). Areas of specific focus should include graduation requirements, professional development on EE content knowledge and field-based pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, partnering to build capacity, identifying existing resources and sustainability of programs. Additionally, projects may focus on high performing green schools and buildings, providing high quality programming for children, youth or adults, or both (programs to include science, technology, engineering and mathematics, outdoor education, service learning and ensuring access for participants with disabilities), professional development for formal and nonformal educators environmental service learning programs for youth and adults and environmental careers/green jobs.

— Formal and Nonformal EE Certification: Develop and implement institutionalized and community-based certification programs designed for teachers, naturalists and educators working in schools and EE facilities at parks, county conservation districts, nature and EE centers, conservancies, land trusts and more.

— Natural Landscaping and Trees: Develop educational outreach programs on native plant landscaping, the social, economic and environmental benefits of trees, riparian buffers and invasive plant management. This includes information on how to sustainably maintain these native landscapes.

— Connecting Children with Nature: Develop educational programs or infrastructure for regular, immersive outdoor education.

— Keystone Energy Education Program: Form or enhance an energy team with teachers, students, building facility managers and administrators with the goal to reduce the school building's energy use.

— Curriculum Integration Projects: Articulate the Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology into the formal K-12 curriculum for the entire school district, private school or charter school.

— Curriculum Revision Projects: Revise current (or write new) lesson plans or units to meet the changes identified in the alignment to the Environment and Ecology Standards, Energy Education and provide a means for classroom assessment.

— Outdoor Learning Resource Projects: Develop resources such as trails, agricultural demonstration areas, energy demonstration areas, ponds, wetland areas, sheltered learning stations, and the like, as well as similar nearby community resources as a framework from which students can learn about natural systems and the interrelationship among natural and human-made communities or other topics.

— Field Trips and Hands-on Activity Supplies: Schools and other organizations can conduct projects and are able to purchase EE hands-on activity supplies or coordinate field trips, or both, for student or adult learning or by conducting teacher education/in-service programs.

More information on how to apply is posted on DEP’s Environmental Education Grant webpage or contact DEP at 717-772-1644.

10/5/2015