ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SUB-GRANTS PROGRAM

Grant: Environmental Education Sub-Grants Program
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Division: Office of Environmental Education
Deadline: November 8, 2011

Description: The Environmental Education Sub-Grants Program supports the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) efforts to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provide participants in Environmental Education projects the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and to take responsible actions toward the environment.

EPA will select, through this program, 10 grant recipients, one in each of EPA's regions, who will develop and implement a project to make sub-awards to organizations to meet the specified expected environmental and educational results of the program. Each recipient must make a minimum of 19 sub-awards to eligible applicants in their region.

All sub-awards made by the recipients of the regional grants must address at least one educational priority and at least one EPA strategic environmental priority. Sub-awards must also increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues.

Educational priorities:

• Capacity building: Increasing capacity to develop and deliver coordinated environmental education program across a state or across multiple states.
• Educational Advancement: Utilizing environmental education as a catalyst to advance state or local education reform goals.
• Community Projects: Addressing environmental stewardship in a local educational context and using community-based stewardship activities as the primary teaching tool.
• Human Health and the Environment: Educating K-12 youth, post-secondary students and educators about human health threats from environmental pollution.
• Environmental Education Teaching Skills: Providing pre-service and in-service professional development for teachers, faculty or non-formal educators to improve their environmental education teaching skills and/or knowledge about environmental issues and content.
• Career Development: Educating K-12 youth, post-secondary students and their educators in order to encourage interest in environmental careers.

Strategic Environmental Priorities:

• Taking Action on Climate Change.
• Improving Air Quality.
• Assuring the Safety of Chemicals.
• Cleaning Up Our Communities.
• Protecting America's Waters.
• Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice.
• Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships.

Fit for public broadcasting: Public broadcasting stations are eligible to apply for this program, and their education and outreach expertise are aligned with the goals of this program. Recipients of grants from this program will receive $150,000 and will be responsible for making 19 sub-awards to other eligible organizations that will carry out environmental education activities. Stations that have strong relationships with other regional organizations are well-positioned to become Prime Recipients and make sub-awards. Stations that would prefer to receive smaller sub-awards should still be aware of this program, as they can begin talking to other organizations that may be considering applying to this program and positioning themselves to receive a sub-award later.

A similar Environmental Education EPA grant program recently funded an Iowa Public Television program that allows Iowa teachers to take a TeacherLine course on Climate Change Education. Read more about that program.

Eligibility: Any local education agency, college or university, state education or environmental agency, nonprofit organization or a noncommercial educational broadcasting entity may submit a proposal as a prime applicant (who will then make sub-awards).

Anticipated funding: The total estimated funding for this opportunity is $1,500,000. EPA anticipates awarding one grant (for a two-year period) in each of EPA's ten regions. Each of those grants will be for $150,000. Each regional recipient will be required to use $92,273.50 of this amount for a minimum of 19 sub-awards over the two-year period. Each sub-award must be in an amount of up to $5,000 to an organization other than their own. Non-federal matching funds of at least 25 percent of the total cost of the proposed project are required.

How to apply: The EPA will accept both hard copy and electronic submissions of proposals. Electronic proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the deadline.

Resources:
Program Notice
Program Website
Environmental Education Regional Grants Contacts
Iowa Public Television Environmental Education Success Story