AZGFD Heritage K-12 Small Grant Program

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Heritage K-12 Small Grant Program provides targeted support to educators in Arizona, aiming to enhance wildlife education in formal classroom settings. Funded by the Arizona Lottery Heritage allocation, the program offers up to $3,000 per grant to implement quality wildlife education. The initiative is rooted in the Department’s longstanding commitment to conservation education and aims to reach diverse student populations across Arizona through tactile, standards-aligned, and technology-forward projects. Eligible applicants include education professionals operating within Arizona, such as employees of federal and state agencies, tribal governments, municipalities, school districts, charter schools, and qualifying nonprofit organizations. However, preference is given to current K-12 public school teachers. The program offers four project tracks: development of Bone Box educational resources, creation of STEM-aligned wildlife lessons, integration of 3D printing in wildlife education, and professional development for teachers focusing on wildlife topics. Each option encourages innovation, accessibility, and alignment with academic standards, and some emphasize partnership with the Department to broaden reach. The digital application opens July 21, 2025, and closes September 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. A potential second round may open, depending on remaining funds, with a January 1, 2026 deadline. Applications must be submitted through the official portal. All applicants are encouraged to review the Department’s scoring rubric prior to submission. Each application is reviewed by three Department staff members using a 20-point scale, with a minimum average score of 12 required for funding eligibility. Top-scoring projects are funded in rank order until the budget cap is met. Awardees will receive an email notification within four weeks of the deadline, including a grant agreement that must be acknowledged within three days and returned within two weeks. Awards are disbursed to the applicant's organization through the Arizona Procurement Portal, not directly to individuals. Funds must be used within 12 months of disbursement, with a final report due no later than 18 months from the award notification date. Reports must include project outcomes and student impact metrics. Applicants may only have one active grant at a time. Past recipients must submit their final report before reapplying, though the report does not need to be processed by the Department at the time of reapplication. The Department may collaborate with applicants on professional development proposals, but such collaboration must be established prior to submission and does not guarantee success. For questions or collaboration inquiries, educators can contact the wildlife education coordinator at eproctor@azgfd.gov. Additional program details and application materials are available on the official grant webpage.

Review scoring rubric in detail; emphasize alignment with department priorities; demonstrate accessibility and standards alignment; collaboration does not guarantee success.