Where to Start Your Path to a 'Green School'

Want to get your students engaged in their outdoor environment but aren’t sure how? Ever wanted to do a tree planting or create an outdoor classroom at your school but don’t know where to start? Consider applying for a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust!

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is the only non-profit grantmaking organization dedicated to environmental education and restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. What does that mean? Essentially, we take the donations we receive and put them toward funding for projects related to restoration, community engagement, urban greening and environmental education. Last year, the Trust funded grants that engaged 59,547 students and 4,643 teachers and granted $505,693 for environmental field trips.

We have two grant programs that are designed specifically to help teachers find the funding they need to allow their students to have meaningful watershed experiences in the Chesapeake Bay, and now to help fulfill the new Environmental Literacy requirement. Our grant managers will even work with you to come up with a grant that fits your goals and curriculum.

Our Mini grants are the most popular for teachers to apply for, and grants have ranged from $100 to $5,000. Most of this funding is applied to individual class field trips or schoolyard habitat installations, and have included activities like native plantings and stormwater stenciling. The current round of mini grant applications are due January 10, 2014 by 5:00 pm.

We also have an Environmental Education grant which has three areas of focus. Environmental literacy, meaningful watershed experiences, and green schools are all funded by our education grants, and tend to be larger and are applied to whole schools or counties. Applications for these grants are due December 6, 2013 by 5:00 pm.

How are we able to do all of this? With help from people like you. We receive donations from the purchase of the Treasure the Chesapeake license plate, from the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species or “Line 35” on the Maryland state income tax form, partnerships with businesses and corporations, and from individual donors. We are proud to say that 90 cents of every dollar we receive go back into restoration and education for the Chesapeake Bay.

Contact one of our grant managers today to learn how you can bring environmental education to your school.