The purpose of the EPA’s Environmental Education Grants Program is to provide money to support environmental education projects that increase the public’s awareness about environmental issues and provide them with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment.
This grant program funds environmental education (EE) projects. Environmental information and outreach may be important elements of EE projects, but these activities by themselves are not environmental education. By itself, environmental information only addresses awareness and knowledge, usually about a particular environmental issue.
Outreach involves information dissemination and requests or suggestions for action on a particular issue (often without the critical thinking, problem solving and decision making steps in between). EE covers the range of steps and activities from awareness to action with an ultimate goal of environmental stewardship.
In order to be eligible, all applications must address at least one of the EPA educational priorities listed and at least one EPA environmental priority.
EPA educational priorities are community projects, human health and the environment, and career development. EPA environmental priorities include protecting air quality, preventing pollution, cleaning up our communities, and protecting America’s waters.
Eligible Entities: Any local education agency, college or university, state education or environmental agency, nonprofit organization, or a noncommercial educational broadcasting entity. Tribal education agencies that are eligible to apply include a school or community college controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation that is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians and which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
EPA expects to award one grant per Region for an expected 10 grants nationwide.
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State and local officials interested in additional information about developing and implementing cost-effective climate and energy strategies that help further environmental goals and achieve public health and economic benefits may visit EPA’s
State and Local Climate and Energy Program site.
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