U.S. EPA Announces $3 Million Available for Locally Focused Environmental Education Grants

San Francisco – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of up to $3 million in grant funding for locally focused environmental education projects under the 2018 EE Local Grant Program. EPA will award up to 35 grants nationwide, each between $50,000 and $100,000.

The 2018 EE Local Grant Program includes support for projects that reflect the intersection of environmental issues with agricultural best practices, conservation of natural resources, food waste management, and natural disaster preparedness. Funded projects will increase public awareness of those topics and help participants make informed decisions.

"By recognizing these locally-based learning and awareness opportunities, the Environmental Protection Agency is taking both a local and national leadership role in promoting sound agricultural conservation practices, environmental disaster preparedness, adequate food waste management and other important environmental best practices," said Administrator Scott Pruitt. "Environmental education starts locally in our own backyards, classrooms and in the fields of farmers who work the land directly, and I'm proud to play a role in enhancing such learning opportunities."

Through this grant program, EPA will provide financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques that will increase environmental and conservation literacy and encourage behavior that will benefit the environment in the local communities in which projects are located.

Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 and $3.5 million in grant funding per year under this program, supporting more than 3700 grants.

Proposals for 2018 grants are due by March 15, 2018. The full solicitation notices is posted at www.grants.gov and at www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grant.

Featured

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Georgia State University Opens New Research Tower

    Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, nine-story, 155,000-square-foot Research Tower, according to university news. Amenities include academic classrooms, a large lecture space, teaching labs, faculty research space, and the uppermost floors reserved for future expansion.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.