Each year, Pennsylvania invests in its schools, colleges and universities, county conservation districts, nonprofit organizations and businesses to improve environmental literacy among youth and adults.
Administered through DEP, the Environmental Education Grants Program provides funds to support a wide range of environmental education projects including meaningful, hands-on programs for students, teacher training workshops, and community conservation projects for adults.
Wildlands Conservancy's "Climate Change in Our Watershed" middle school program, funded with an Environmental Education Grant
Environmental Education Grant Awards
The Environmental Education Grants Program, established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, mandates that five percent of all pollution fines and penalties collected annually by the Department of Environmental Protection be set aside for environmental education. Since its inception the Environmental Education Grants Program has provided more than $14 million to support environmental education throughout Pennsylvania.
Learn More
Printable version: EE Grants Program Fact Sheet (PDF)
2026 Environmental Education Grant Round: DEP will announce more information when available
(Please check back for the official Grant Round opening date)
DEP’s Environmental Education Grants Program welcomes applications for the development of innovative formal and non-formal environmental education projects that: 1) Address grant program priorities; 2) Provide opportunities to expand the public’s understanding of Pennsylvania’s environmental issues; and 3) Develop skills required to make informed decisions and take responsible action on behalf of the environment.
Grant funding is provided on a reimbursement basis.
2026 Project Period: (Please check back)
Application Round Opens: (Please check back)
Application Deadline: (Please check back)
Incomplete applications and/or those submitted prior to the opening date or after the deadline will not be considered.
Apply
Applications, including a written proposal and required documents, must be submitted electronically through the Keystone Login. (First-time users will need to register.)
2025 Environmental Education Grants Program Webinar - October 10, 2024
The session has been recorded and can be viewed here
During the webinar, DEP staff provided an overview of the 2025 Environmental Education Grants Program including project proposal tips and instructions for completing the required forms. The program concluded with a Q&A session.
2025 Environmental Education Grants Program Manual
2025 Environmental Education Grants Program Manual
Printable version: 2025 Environmental Education Grants Program Manual (PDF)
Required Application Documents
Please refer to the 2025 EE Grants Manual for guidance.
Applications must include the following: 1) Project Proposal; 2) Scope of Work; 3) Detailed Budget Sheet; and 4) Letter(s) of Commitment. Applications that fail to provide all required documents will be considered incomplete and ineligible for EE Grant Program funding.
Project Proposal
A written proposal describing key project elements including the EE Grant Program Priorities, intended audience(s), anticipated project outcome(s), project assessment and a plan to sustain the project after grant funds expire.
Scope of Work
A form reflecting the project benchmarks (major tasks to be completed), submitted in a sequential timeline, by anticipated target date of completion.
Detailed Budget
A form reflecting eligible grant expenses, needed to complete the Scope of Work benchmarks, including People, Travel, Resource and Other costs and Match (Cash or In-Kind). General Grants require a 20% Match. Mini-Grants requireMatch in any amount; 20% Match is encouraged.
Grant Detailed Budget Sheet (Excel)
Letters of Commitment
Signed Letters of Commitment are required from the applying organization and/or Partner(s) substantiating project Match. General Grants require Project Partners.
General questions about the Environmental Education Grants Program may be directed to: RA-epEEgrants@pa.gov
Environmental Education Grant Program Priorities
Projects must address one or more program priorities: Water, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice.
Water
Education programs promoting effective ways to reduce non-point source and source water pollution to improve water quality.
Climate Change
Education projects that promote practical solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the negative impacts of climate change including floods, changes to groundwater, pests, disease, agricultural disruptions, and potential threats to human health.
Environmental Justice
Education programs designed to engage audiences (youth and/or adults) living and/or working within Environmental Justice (EJ) areas. Use the DEP PennEnviroScreen to verify an audience is located within an Environmental Justice area.
Grant Award Amounts
Funding is available for Non-formal education (projects outside of the formal, PreK-12 school/higher education setting) or Formal education (projects integrated into the formal, PreK-12 school/higher education curriculums). Two types of awards are available:
Mini Grants of up to $5,000 may be awarded for local (school, county, municipality or other defined area) environmental education projects. Mini-grants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to form project partnerships and include a project match (Cash or In-Kind).
General Grants: - General grants are offered at two funding levels:
General Grants (Level I): From $5,001 up to $30,000 may be awarded for implementation of large-scale, regional and/or statewide environmental education projects.
General Grants (Level II): From $30,001 to $65,000 may be awarded for non-formal environmental education programs designed to widely* engage teachers and youth at the county, state and national levels. (*Teachers and students from at least 60 Pennsylvania counties must directly participate in the project). Additionally, the project must demonstrate that at least 30% of program participants are community members of an Environmental Justice Area.
2024 Grant Recipient Check-In
The annual EE Grants Program Check-In was held on December 4, 2024. During the session, current awardees were provided guidance for submitting required Progress Reports and Requests for reimbursement. Please click here to access the recording: 2024 EE Grants Program Awardees Check-In
Reporting Forms for Current EE Grant Recipients
- 2024 EE Grants Program Manual
- EE Grants Management
- Midterm Progress Report Form
- Final Report Form
- Reimbursement Instructions
- Reimbursement Request Form
- Reimbursement Invoice
- Scope of Work Form
- Detailed Budget Form
Additional EE Grant Opportunities
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Grants
Chesapeake B-WET is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high-quality environmental education programs and fosters the growth of new, innovative programs. It encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training grant program—known as Chesapeake B-WET—supports hands-on watershed education to students and teachers to foster stewardship of the Bay.