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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Pennsylvania DEP Environmental Education Grants

Pennsylvania DEP's Environmental Education Grants Program, funded by a share of the state's pollution fines since the Environmental Education Act of 1993, has distributed more than $16 million to schools, districts, and nonprofits for environmental projects, with Seed Grants up to $5,000, Grow Grants from $5,001 to $30,000, and Impact Grants from $30,001 to $65,000. Recent water-related awards have funded stream-monitoring investigations, aquaponics systems, and riparian-buffer planting projects addressing stormwater and water quality.

Visit Pennsylvania DEP Environmental Education Grants ↗

What you will find there

  • Seed Grants up to $5,000 for local, single-classroom or single-school projects
  • Grow Grants of $5,001 to $30,000 and Impact Grants of $30,001 to $65,000 for larger, multi-school projects
  • Funded water-project examples including stream monitoring, aquaponics, and riparian-buffer restoration
  • Eligibility open to public school districts, intermediate units, charter schools, and incorporated private schools
  • Applications submitted electronically through the state's Keystone Login and grants.pa.gov portal

Our take

More than $16 million in cumulative funding shows this is a well-established program rather than a one-time pilot, and the tiered grant sizes let a single classroom project and a multi-school initiative both find an appropriate award level. Grow and Impact Grants require a minimum 20 percent match in cash or in-kind support, which is a real cost a school needs to plan for before applying.

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