Environmental Education Grants Program

Activities eligible for grant support pursuant to Section 6 of the NEEA shall include, but not be limited to, environmental education and training programs for 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 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The Environmental Education Grants program may not fund technical training of environmental management professionals, environmental information or outreach projects that have no educational component, advocacy promoting a particular point of view or course of action, lobbying or political activities, non-educational research and development, or construction projects (including the acquisition of real property or the construction or the substantial modification of a building). Use restrictions are outlined in the NOFO.

This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.