Chesapeake Bay Trust and EPA Announce New Environmental Education Capacity Building Grant Program

The Chesapeake Bay Trust will boost its efforts to advance environmental literacy for students throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under the new Environmental Education Capacity Building Grant Program, the Trust will award sub-grants up to $5,000 to increase the capacity of the environmental education community in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia.

“Advancing environmental education is a crucial step to restoring the Chesapeake Bay,” said Shawn M. Garvin, EPA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. “By providing funding for local efforts to increase the capacity of organizations to educate the public about the environment, we increase our chances that residents will make smart, educated decisions that help our waterways and advance our restoration goals.”

Applications for this program will be accepted through August 31, 2012 and must address both educational and environmental priorities as identified in the request for proposals. Eligible applicants* include local education agencies, colleges and universities, state education and environmental agencies, as well as non-profit organizations to fund environmental education trainings, workshops, and educational outreach.

Specifically, applications should: 1) create and support high quality programs and educational methods that advance regional environmental education goals; 2) support state frameworks that enable students to graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions; 3) provide professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators; and 4) provide access for schools to maintain buildings, grounds, and operations that support positive environmental and human health outcomes.

“Every year the Chesapeake Bay Trust devotes significant resources to advance environmental education efforts throughout the Bay watershed,” said Trust Executive Director Jana Davis. “Our goal is to teach individuals, both children and adults, why they should care about the Bay so that they will be empowered to take action and improve it. Education is the first step in a long series of efforts that is necessary to truly make a difference for our waterways.”

“Recent studies have shown that providing students with environmental education opportunities not only increases their capacity and interest in learning, but also contributes to science, math, reading, and social studies aptitude,” continued Davis. “Partnerships like this one with the EPA on environmental education will serve as a much-needed resource to continue to advance educational efforts throughout our region.”

For more information and to apply for the Environmental Education Capacity Grant Program, visit www.cbtrust.org.

*Individual primary and secondary schools are not eligible to apply for Environmental Education Capacity Building Grants. Applicants from Maryland or Washington, D.C. interested in Environmental Education projects targeting K-12 students to provide resources for Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences should refer to the Mini Grant Application Package for K-12 Environmental Education. The Mini Grant program is currently open, and will accept applications for awards of up to $5,000 until August 10th.