Caring for Our Watersheds – Chesapeake Bay

Run by Earth Force in the Chesapeake Bay, Caring for Our Watersheds is open to grade 6-10 classrooms who attend schools in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Classrooms are asked to submit proposals that answer the question, “What can you do to improve your watershed?” Classrooms compete for $6,000 and participating schools are eligible for $10,000.

RISE Challenge

Us again! Our RISE Challenge engages young people in policy making around community resilience to natural hazards. The RISE Challenge was developed by Earth Force as a partnership with FEMA and the Association of State Floodplain Managers Foundation. The RISE Challenge currently operates in Colorado, Montana, and Illinois. Funding is available in the form of implementation grants and prize money.

Other Funding Sources

Note: Earth Force does not operate these programs and cannot guarantee accuracy.

• Chesapeake Bay Trust: The Chesapeake Bay Trust Mini Environmental Education Grant program provides accessible funds to schools to support educating their students about local environmental issues. They fund up to $5,000 for projects that involve students investigating a local environmental issue, problem or phenomenon.

• School Garden Grants Program/Whole Kids Foundation: To be eligible for this grant, schools must be a charter or public school, engaging with at least 10 children on a regular basis and be growing edible plants in your garden. Contact grants@wholekidsfoundation.org for questions.

• Captain Planet Foundation Grants: The Captain Planet Foundation seeks to promote high-quality educational programs that allow youth to appreciate the world through hands-on projects designed to improve the environment in their schools and their communities. Requests range from $500 to $2,500. Schools or organizations with operating budgets of less than $3 million are eligible to apply.

• #Rebuild100: On Peace First’s digital platform, young people ages 13-25 can pitch their ideas to reimagine the future of their communities through civic action and youth organizing on a rolling basis through April 30th, 2021. Selected projects will receive a dedicated mentor, project support, up to $250 in mini-grants and an invitation to join the #Rebuild100 digital community — a cohort of young people mobilizing for justice across the US. Participants will access monthly community calls, leadership development workshops and training by seasoned youth activists on organizing for social change.

• Wheels to Woods: Wheels to Woods provides funding to PreK-12 schools in Michigan to pay for transportation costs for educational field trips to nearby forests and forest products company. Any public or private Prek-12 school is eligible to apply for funds. Wheels to Woods will reimburse transportation costs up to $350 per bus and $1,000 per school. Applications can be submitted anytime to admin@WheelsToWoods.org

• Green Apple Day of Service: Green Apple Day of Service unites communities in effort to transform schools into safe, healthy, and sustainable learning environments. To receive mini-grant funding from the Center for Green Schools and Shaw Contract for your Green Apple Day of Service project, follow steps listed on http://www.mygreenapple.org/fundraising/.

• Riley’s Way Foundation: Riley’s Way Foundation empowers young leaders to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change. Winners can receive up to $3,000 in funding for their project and are able to join a cohort of fellows from across the country to participate in the Kind Leadership series. Contact Laura Kikuchi at lkikuchi@rileysanders.org for more information.

• Ohio Environmental Education Fund Mini Grant Program: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency offers mini grants from $500-$5,000. These grants are awarded to statewide and local organizations for the implementation of projects that raise awareness and educate the public about important issues that impact the state.