Environmental Education Grant Program

The Environmental Education Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Environmental Education and Stewardship Division, provides federal financial assistance to support locally and regionally focused educational projects that promote environmental stewardship. The program is authorized under Section 6 of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-619) and is associated with Assistance Listing 66.951. The initiative is designed to enhance public understanding of environmental issues and support the development of informed, responsible individuals capable of making decisions and taking actions that protect the environment. This funding opportunity (EPA-EE-25-01) focuses on projects integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and water-related environmental concerns. The 2026 cycle emphasizes the dual priorities of teaching responsible use of AI and addressing environmental challenges related to ensuring clean and safe water. Eligible projects must not only increase awareness of local and regional environmental issues but must also equip participants with skills to use AI tools for monitoring, analyzing, and mitigating water quality issues. Applications must incorporate these priorities and align with the definition of Environmental Education as described in the funding notice. Sample activities include developing AI models to detect water pollution, conducting community water conservation workshops, and creating curriculum modules that merge AI literacy with aquatic ecosystem health education. Funding available under this opportunity totals approximately $3.2 million, with 13–16 awards anticipated. Applicants may request between $200,000 and $250,000 in federal funding for projects lasting one to two years. A 25% non-federal cost share (match) is required, calculated as one-third of the EPA funding request. In addition, grantees must subaward exactly 25% of EPA funds to eligible subrecipients in increments of $5,000 or less. Subawards must go to eligible entities such as nonprofit organizations, colleges, or schools with 501(c)(3) status and must be accounted for in the budget and implementation plan. Eligible applicants include local education agencies, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, state and local environmental agencies, and tribal education entities that meet nonprofit status. Applicants must be based in the U.S. or U.S. territories and must propose activities that also take place within these jurisdictions. Applications failing to meet key threshold criteria—including cost share, subaward distribution, and alignment with the AI and water priorities—will be deemed ineligible. For-profit organizations, individuals, and certain types of tribal agencies (e.g., those run by the Bureau of Indian Education) are not eligible. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by March 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Required components include SF-424 forms, a detailed 10-page Work Plan, budget narrative, timeline, logic model, partnership letters (if applicable), and documentation of past performance. Technical issues must be reported with a Grants.gov ticket before the deadline. Submissions that fail Grants.gov validation or are incomplete will be ineligible. Additional guidance, including templates and evaluation criteria, is available on the EPA’s Environmental Education Grants website. A technical assistance webinar will be hosted in February 2026. Applications will undergo a threshold eligibility review followed by panel evaluation and selection by the EPA. Evaluation criteria focus on the clarity and feasibility of project goals, activities, budget, and expected outputs and outcomes. Awards are expected to be announced in October 2026, with projects starting no earlier than October 15, 2026. Grants are non-recurring, but the program itself is regularly reissued, and future rounds can be anticipated. Questions about eligibility and the application process may be directed to the program contact Michael Band at [email protected].

Clearly address AI and clean water priorities; comply with subaward and match rules; use EE Continuum framework; ensure outputs/outcomes are measurable; do not exceed page limits.