National Environmental Education Training Program

 

The purpose of the teacher training program is to train education professionals in the development and delivery of environmental education and training programs and studies. As required by Public Law 101-619, funds are provided to universities, non-profit organizations, or a consortia of such institutions to deliver environmental education training and support for education professionals. The mission of the current teacher training program--ee360+--is to train a cadre of culturally-diverse educational professionals who have the knowledge, skills and tools to develop and deliver high-quality environmental education in formal and non-formal settings and to strengthen the EE field. The goals of the current teacher training program--ee360+-- are to: 1) Drive Educator Excellence, which includes in-person and on-line training and the development of and updating of current Guidelines for Excellence; 2) Cultivating Collective Impact, which includes supporting state capacity building; 3) Mobilizing Access to High-Quality Resources and Networks, which includes maintaining eePRO; and 4) Maintaining Project Excellence through Evaluation, Communication and Management. ee360+ supports a diverse cadre of environmental education leaders through certification, accreditation, leadership training, state-of-the-art education materials and research, networking opportunities, and an on-line hub. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2023: To perform tasks associated with the ee360+ project. Tasks include workshops, EE certification and accreditation, in-service and preservice leadership development, guidelines training, and fellowships for community leaders, among others.

Active 66.950 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 The Expanding Capacity in Environmental Education program will complete the following accomplishments in FY 2016 by December 2016. Developing and delivering NPEEE Guidelines workshops, Developing new guidelines for working in communities, Online learning, Building State Capacity including awarding 10 capacity building grants to 10 states to develop replicable model programs to diversify and strengthen environmental education, maintain eePRO launched in January 2016 and complete the implementation of the communications plan. The Expanding Capacity in Environmental Education program will complete the following accomplishments in FY 2016 by December 2016. Developing and delivering NPEEE Guidelines workshops, developing new guidelines for working in communities, Online learning, Building State Capacity including awarding 10 capacity building grants to 10 states to develop replicable model programs to diversify and strengthen environmental education, maintain eePRO launched in January 2016 and complete the implementation of the communications plan.
Fiscal Year 2017 The ee360 Program will completed the following accomplishments, among others, in FY 2017: preservice and in-service training for environmental educators; leadership training for NAAEE Affiliate members from 6 states; re-tooling of the educator certification program at the state level; Community Guidelines training at the annual NAAEE conference; workshop on linking research to practice; and updating the current Guidelines series.
Fiscal Year 2018 The ee360 Program will complete the following accomplishments, among others, in FY 2018: preservice and in-service training for environmental educators; leadership training for NAAEE Affiliate members from10 states; re-tooling of the educator certification program at the state level; Community Guidelines training at the annual NAAEE conference; deployment of a searchable research database; workshop on linking research to practice; and updating the current Guidelines series.
Fiscal Year 2019 The ee360 Program has completed the following accomplishments, among others, that include: preservice and in-service training for environmental educators; leadership training for NAAEE Affiliate members from 10 states; re-tooling of the educator certification program at the state level; Community Guidelines training at the annual NAAEE conference; deployment of a searchable research database; workshop on linking research to practice; and updating the current Guidelines series. For information on accomplishments under this program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/education and https://naaee.org/our-work/programs/ee360
Fiscal Year 2020 n FY 2019 and 2020, the ee360 program completed the following, among others: in-person and virtual pre-service and in-service training for environmental educators; leadership training for NAAEE Affiliate member organizations; development of a guidance document for educator certification at the state level so that certification of environmental educators is consistent across the country; in-person and virtual Guidelines training and additions to the Guidelines Bureau; expansion of the research database and launch of the evaluation portal; publication of research on how conservation education leads to improved environment; and update of 3 of the original EE Guidelines for Excellence.
Fiscal Year 2023 For accomplishments associated with this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/education. National Environmental Education Act, Section 5, Public Law 101-619 Assistance under this program is available to universities, non-profit organizations, or a consortia of such institutions to deliver environmental education training and support for education professionals. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Education (0-8), education (9-12), education (13+), public nonprofit institutions and private nonprofit institutions. Documentation of nonprofit status may be required. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. The Office of Environmental Education may ask applicants or principal investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications and documentation of past performance of grants similar to this one in size and scope. Preapplication coordination is required. Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive funding announcement (solicitation notice). For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed in the solicitation notice. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. A solicitation notice is issued for this program once every five years. The notice identifies the application process. The solicitation notice which described the application procedure for the teacher training program that will operate from 05/01/2021 through 05/31/2026, subject to the availability of funds, was posted on https://www.grants.gov in late Fall 2018. The solicitation process for this program is conducted every 5 years. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the solicitation notice. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. The deadline for submitting applications for this program is specified in each solicitation notice. It can take up to a year from time of application submission to award of an assistance agreement. The last award was made in Spring 2021 (for the solicitation published in Fall 2018). The next date that a solicitation notice for this program will be published in the Spring of 2025. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable. None. Generally, EPA incrementally funds grants and cooperative agreements for surveys, studies, and investigations. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to the Office of Environmental Education's program priorities, and the availability of funds. Priorities for selecting applications are listed in Section 5 of Public Law 101-619, National Environmental Education Act. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will also be described in the solicitation notice. Funds shall be used to establish an education and training program which shall include, at a minimum: (1) classroom training in environmental education and studies including environmental sciences and theory, educational methods and practices, environmental career or occupational education, and topical environmental issues and problems; (2) demonstrations of the design and conduct of environmental field studies and assessments; (3) development of environmental education programs and curricula, including programs and curricula to meet the needs of diverse ethnic and cultural groups; (4) sponsorship and management of international exchanges of teachers and other educational professionals between the United States, Canada, and Mexico involved in environmental programs and issues; (5) maintenance or support of a library of environmental education materials, information, literature, and technologies, with electronic as well as hard copy accessibility; (6) evaluation and dissemination of environmental education materials, training methods, and related programs; (7) sponsorship of conferences, seminars, and related forums for the advancement and development of environmental education and training curricula and materials, including international conferences, seminars, and forums; (8) supporting effective partnerships, networks, and the use of distant learning technologies; and (9) such other activities as the Administrator determines to be consistent with the policies of the National Environmental Education Act, Section 5. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Included as part of the progress reports at the 6 month and at the end of each year (semi-annual). Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipient grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure report as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 25%. It is the policy of the Office of Environmental Education (OEE) to require that federal funds for any project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project. The project has a 25 percent non-federal match. The match must be for allowable costs and may be provided by the applicant or a partner organization or institution. The match may be provided in cash or by in-kind contributions and other non-monetary support. In-kind contributions often include salaries and/or other verifiable costs such as volunteer time and/or supplies/materials, and this value must be carefully documented. In the case of salaries or volunteer time, applicants may use fair market value for the locale. If the match is provided by a partner organization, the applicant is still responsible for proper accountability and documentation. All grants are subject to federal audit.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The training program consists of an initial one-year budget and project period. Subsequent incremental funding on an annual basis may be awarded for the next four years, for a total budget and project period of five years. This program operates on a five-year basis. Funds are initially awarded for a one-year project period. Subsequent incremental funding awards on an annual basis for the next four years. A list of the Environmental Education Coordinators (by Region) can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-coordinators-epas-regional-offices. Ginger Potter, Senior Education Specialist
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (Mail Code: 1704A)
Washington, DC 20460 USA
potter.ginger@epa.gov
Phone: 202-564-0453
Fax: 202- 564-2753 https://www.epa.gov/education 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$2,175,500.00; FY 23 est $2,370,750.00; FY 24 est $2,370,750.00; FY 21$2,175,500.00; FY 20$2,175,500.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18$3,000,000.00; FY 17$2,157,500.00; FY 16$2,157,500.00; - This is a five-year program; one recipient is selected every five years. The project is funded on an annual basis and the amount of the annual funding depends on Congressional appropriation. In this case, per the National Environmental Education Act, 25% of the annual appropriation and average financial assistance for the full five-year project period is approximately $11,000,000. 2 CFR Part 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); 40 CFR Part 47 (National Environmental Education Act Grants). Fiscal Year 2016 ) Continuation of EE Pro Phase II roll out 2) Ongoing work on fundamentals of EE online training 3) Ongoing NAAEE Accreditation pilot tested at one institution of higher learning. 4) Finalize EE Guidelines for Excellence. EE PRO was launched in January 2016. This is a resource that provides educators, and community leaders a one stop hub for finding and sharing EE resources, information and professional development opportunities.
Fiscal Year 2017 ee360 provided learning opportunities for educators through webinars, on-line courses and workshops. Topics for 2017 included: New Approaches to Public Engagement: Seeking Relevance, Responsibility and Resilience; eeWORKS: Demonstrating the Power of Environmental Education; and Introducing NAAEE's Guidelines for Excellence in Community Engagement.
Fiscal Year 2018 ee360 will continue with the success they had in the development of the EE Research Database-the first database globally to allow environmental educators to search and find research to support their practice. For FY18, ee360 will begin the development of a EE Evaluation Database that will help environmental educators find the information, tools and methodologies to support their program evaluation efforts.
Fiscal Year 2023 For examples of the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/education.