10.5.2021 – The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education grants is now available under the 2021 Environmental Education (EE) Local Grant Program. EPA will award grants in each of EPA’s 10 Regions, for no less than $50,000 and no more than $100,000 each, for a total of 30-40 grants nationwide. Applications are due Dec. 6, 2021, and the Request for Application (RFA) notice is now posted on www.grants.gov.

“Tackling the climate crisis and delivering on our health and environmental protection mission requires engaged and informed local partners,” said Administrator Michael S. Regan. “When we equip communities with the right tools to raise awareness and advance environmental education, it benefits everybody. That’s why I encourage our local partners across the country to apply for the 2021 Environmental Education Local Grants Program.”

The 2021 EE Local Grant Program includes support for projects that reflect the intersection of environmental issues with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, preventing future water quality and human health issues, in addition to other environmental topics. Funded projects will increase public awareness of those topics and help participants to develop the skills needed to make informed decisions. An RFA containing regional details will be issued by each of the 10 EPA Regions. Applicants should choose the RFA that is for the location of the project.

Through this grant program, EPA intends to provide financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques, that will serve to increase environmental literacy and encourage behavior that will benefit the environment in local communities, especially in underserved communities. EPA recognizes underserved communities as people or communities of color, Tribal and Indigenous populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks, high-poverty areas, persistent poverty counties, and Title 1 schools for this grant program.

Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 and $3.5 million in grant funding per year under this program, supporting more than 3,800 grants and making the grant program one of the most utilized in the agency.

The full list of solicitation notices are available at www.grants.gov and at https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grant-solicitation-notice. The Office of Environmental Education will host two webinars in the coming weeks on how to write a competitive application and to address commonly asked questions.

Find out background information on the EE Grants Program and resources for applicants at https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants.