Environmental Education Grants Program

 

The Environmental Education Grants Program supports projects to design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to environmental education and teacher training. As required by the National Environmental Education Act, Sec. 6, this grant program provides financial support for environmental education projects implemented by schools, universities, state and local government environmental and educational agencies, tribal education agencies, and nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organizations that increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provide the skills that participants in its funded projects need to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions toward the environment.

Active 66.951 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 Approximately 470 applications were received for the EE Local Grants program in FY16. It is anticipated that 33 - 35 awards will be made for EE Local Grants with FY16 funds, and 3 grants will be awarded at headquarters for EE Model Grants with FY16 funds (selected in June 2015 from the pool of applicants received for the 2014/2015 solicitation notice). Approximately 470 applications were received for the EE Local Grants program in FY16. 33 awards were made for EE Local Grants with FY16 funds, and 3 grants were awarded at headquarters for EE Model Grants with FY16 funds (selected in June 2015 from the pool of applicants received for the 2014/2015 solicitation notice).
Fiscal Year 2017 36 grant awards were made with FY 2017 funds for applications received under the 2016 EE Local Grants solicitation.
Fiscal Year 2018 37 grant awards are anticipated to be made in 2018 out of 550 applications received. The 2018 grant projects will use agricultural education, community projects, and career development to educate the public about such local environmental issues as those involving air and water quality, chemical safety, food waste and recovery, school and community gardens, and recycling.
Fiscal Year 2019 36 grant awards were made with FY 2019 funds for applications received under the 2018 EE Local Grants solicitation (under a waiver from the Office of Grants and Debarment, due to the large number of high-quality applications received in FY18). The 2019 grant projects will use agricultural education, community projects, and career development to educate the public about such local environmental issues as those involving air and water quality, chemical safety, food waste and recovery, school and community gardens, and recycling.
Fiscal Year 2020 35 grant awards were made in 2020 out of 306 applications received. The 2020 grant projects use agricultural education, community projects, and career development to educate the public about such local environmental issues as those involving air and water quality, chemical safety, land revitalization, food waste and recovery, school and community gardens, and recycling. For more information on accomplishments associated with this assistance listing, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/education.
Fiscal Year 2021 34 grant awards were made in 2021 out of 234 applications received. The 2021 grant projects will use community projects, career development, environmental education capacity building, and environmental justice to educate the public about such local environmental issues as those involving climate change and improving air quality, clean and safe water, and land revitalization and contamination prevention. For additional accomplishments associated with this assistance listing, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants.
Fiscal Year 2023 For accomplishments associated with this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants#awarded. National Environmental Education Act, Section 6, Public Law 101-619 Assistance under this program is generally available to local education agencies, colleges and universities, state education and environmental agencies, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service, and noncommercial educational broadcasting entities as defined and licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. "Tribal education agencies" that are eligible to apply include a school or community college which is controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Education. Tribal organizations do not qualify unless they meet that criteria or the environmental agency or non-profit criteria listed above. The terms for eligibility are defined in Section 3 of the Act and 40 CFR 47.105. 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 organizations, state and local government agencies. Documentation of nonprofit status may be required. Applicants must demonstrate that they have appropriate background, academic training, and experience in the field, and may be asked to demonstrate the necessary equipment or facilities to carry out the project. 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 announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Agency Contacts" in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applications are accepted for one or more solicitations on an annual grant cycle and are due at the deadline(s) stated in each solicitation. Applicants submit an application package in the format required in the annual Solicitation Notice(s). Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. After being submitted to Grants.gov, some applications may be reassigned by the EE Grants Manager to the appropriate EPA Regional Offices, depending on specifications in each solicitation notice and where the project activities will take place. Applications for Environmental Education assistance agreements will be evaluated by the appropriate EPA Headquarters or Regional Offices based on where the proposed project will take place and the nature of the awards as described in the solicitation notice. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. The Agency will then advise the applicant if funding is being considered. A final work plan will then be negotiated with the applicant. All awards are competed through the annual announcement(s) and no proposals are awarded non-competitively. For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement. Approximately 180 days from the deadline for applications to the award and/or announcement of the award of grants to selected applications. 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). Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Grant funds shall be used to establish an education program which shall include one or more of the following: (1) design, demonstration, and/or dissemination of environmental curricula and materials on specific topics relevant to the local environmental issue being addressed in the project; (2) design and demonstration (for educational purposes) of field methods, practices, and techniques, including review of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental and pollution problems; (3) projects to help the public understand and evaluate a specific environmental issue or a specific environmental problem; (4) provision of professional development or related education for teachers, faculty, or related personnel in a specific geographic area or region; and (5) design and demonstration of projects to foster international cooperation in addressing and educating the public on environmental issues and problems involving the United States and Canada or Mexico. Priority will be given to those projects which will develop: (a) a new or significantly improved environmental education practice, method, or technique; (b) an environmental education method which may have wide application; (c) an environmental education method which addresses skills or scientific fields identified as a priority in the current report developed by the National Environmental Education Advisory Council; and (d) an environmental education project which addresses an environmental issue which, in the judgment of the Administrator, is of a high priority. More specific priorities are specified in the annual Solicitation Notice. Performance Reports: Performance reports are due on the same schedule as program and progress reports. Note that a cumulative final report is also due within 120 days after the project period end date. 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 recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports 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%. In accordance with the National Environmental Education Act (Public Law 101-619), 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 required by statutory formula. For the purposes of this section, the non-federal share of project costs may be provided by cash or by in- kind contributions and other non-cash support.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. One or two years, or any time period between one and two years, are possible project periods for this program. Activities must be completed within the time frame of the budget period agreed upon at the time of the award. Two or more concurrent grants to the same organization for the same project are not allowed in this program. Grants are usually fully (rather than incrementally) funded. This determination is made by the EPA. Funding is provided to the grantee, as needed, from an account established at the start of the project period in accordance with the terms and conditions of the assistance agreement. Contact the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed on the website: https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-coordinators-epas-regional-offices. Michael Band
Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Education Grant Program, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (Mail Code: 1702A )
Washington, DC 20460 US
Band.Michael@epa.gov
Phone: (202) 564-3155 https://www.epa.gov/education/grants 68-0108-0-1-304 (Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$3,157,934.00; FY 23 est $3,603,540.00; FY 24 FY 21$3,220,054.00; FY 20$3,000,000.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18$3,000,000.00; FY 17$3,306,600.00; FY 16$3,306,600.00; - In 2021, awards ranged from $60,000 to $100,000. The average award in 2020 was for $92,971. The average award in 2021 was $94,707. In 2022, awards ranged from $60,000 to $100,000. The average award in 2022 was for $95,695. 2 CFR 200 and 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 By nature, much of the work occurring in FY 2016, including the implementation of mobile, area and stationary source pollution controls, will continue into FY 2017. The Office of Air and Radiation's NPM Guidance for FY 2016 and FY 2017 and the FY 2017 Addendum identifies key priorities and activities expected to be undertaken by EPA Headquarters and Regional offices and implementing air agencies in national areas of focus. The associated grant guidance provides information on the State and Tribal Grant program (STAG). The Guidance provides the basis for grant negotiations between HQ and regions and between regions and air agencies as to resource allocation and expected performance. Specific expectations and deliverables will be established through negotiations in grant agreements between regions and air agencies, and OAR encourages air agencies to engage EPA on activities where there may be opportunities for flexibility. In FY 2017, the National Areas Focus' are Improving Outdoor Air Quality, Addressing Climate Change, Indoor Environments and Radiation Protection. Details of the 2017 Addendum of the NPM Guidance for FY 2016-2017 can be found at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/national-program-manager-guidances. The monitoring guidance outlines monitoring priorities, quality assurance programs, and funding projections. The monitoring guidance is expected to be finalized by October 2016. Environmental Education projects funded in FY 2016 included (but were not limited to) projects 1) to train middle and high school teachers in communities along the Colorado River to introduce place-based, experiential learning activities in their classroom lessons about the river as a resource for the region; 2) to encourage families across the country to explore nature along with young adult guides from their community and with the expert assistance from local zoos and aquarium staff; and 3) to empower citizen scientists in Pennsylvania and surrounding states to monitor water quality side by side with professional scientists in their communities and learn how to reduce pollution in local waterways.
Fiscal Year 2017 Environmental Education projects funded in FY 2017 included (but were not limited to) projects 1) to educate middle school students about air quality issues and sources of pollutants in the Northeast region of the U.S. where they live; 2) to expose elementary school students in California to environmental career fields through project-based learning and mentoring by STEM professionals; and 3) to provide professional development for elementary school teachers in the Pacific Northwest to be able to introduce lessons about the connections between the salmonid life cycle, healthy fish and healthy watersheds.
Fiscal Year 2020 Environmental Education projects funded in FY 2020 included (but were not limited to) projects 1) to produce student and community stewards of effective agricultural practices with an environmental literacy program in Maryland’s Coastal Bays; 2) provide hands-on summer camps and environmental education opportunities to the underserved youth in the San Louis Valley; and 3) collect and study moss samples from trees during a 10-week research project and fieldwork study in south Seattle. To view a comprehensive list of project summaries for all of the Environmental Education projects funded in FY 2020 please visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-grant-descriptions.
Fiscal Year 2023 For current information on the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants#awarded.