Grants

EPA's environmental education grants program supports projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality. EPA awards grants to state agencies, nonprofit organizations, school districts, universities and tribal organizations each year based on funding appropriated by Congress. Annual funding for the program ranges between $2 and $3 million.

The Recipient of the 2011 Sub Grant Program from Region 5 is:

The Board of Regents, University of Wisconsin-Madison received $150,000 to expand Earth Partnership's Restoration Education, Science Training and Outreach for Regional Educators (RESTORE) network. RESTORE teams train school and community leaders in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The training gets educators, students and community leaders involved in projects to restore schoolyards and nearby natural areas. They learn about conserving native habitats for the greatest ecological value. This effort reaches more than 10,000 students and 100 communities. For more information, contact Cheryl Bauer Armstrong at 608-262-5264.

Recipients of 2011 grants from Region 5 are:

Wayne State University received $81,392 for its Center for Urban Studies SAFE (Stewardship and the Family home Environment) program which teaches people how to reduce exposure to asthma triggers and lead hazards in their home. For more information about the project, contact Lyke Thompson at Wayne State University in Detroit at 313-577-5209.
Environmental Health Watch received $81,432 for Green Houses & Greenhouses: Building the Soil and Laying the Foundation for an Urban EcoVillage, a community project in the Buckeye neighborhood of Cleveland. The project helps residents learn how to make informed decisions regarding community agriculture and healthy/green housing issues. For more information about the project, contact Kim Foreman at Environmental Health Watch at 216-961-4646.
Saint Paul Public Schools Independent District 625 received $35,324 for integrating environmental education into science instruction. The goal is to improve science proficiency through teacher workshops on outdoor classroom management and environmental education. This project plans to reach over 570 Saint Paul students in third or fifth grade. For more information about the project, contact Julie Schultz Brown at Saint Paul Public Schools at 651-767-8365.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources received $20,946 to fund the Student/Youth Wildlife Habitat Action Grant. This program provides sub-awards through $1,000 grants to nonprofit organizations or school groups for the development or enhancement of a wildlife habitat for youth in grades K-12th. The sub-awards will be used to increase green space, reduce stormwater runoff, improve wildlife habitat in the local environment and provide a model for the community and educators to incorporate hands-on learning into their curricula. For more information, contact Valerie Keener at Illinois DNR at 217-785-0973.

The application process is highly competitive and funds are limited. However, these Region 5 states have similar grant programs:

If you're not in a Region 5 state and would like to get on a mailing list to receive the next solicitation notice, find out who to contact.

Previous Year Awards

Summaries and statistics for previous EE grant projects awarded in Region 5

All EE grants that have been awarded nationwide since 1992

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Resources

Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.