Grants of up to $20,000 to Wisconsin non-profits, municipalities, universities, preK-12 schools, and others for a variety of forestry education projects. January 31, 2015 is the deadline for school districts to request approval for previously unidentified implementation project initiatives.

All grant funded projects must provide learning opportunities tied to one of the following goals:

Goal I. Communicating the Value of Environmental Education (EE): Build awareness of environmental literacy and sustainable communities.

Goal II. Education: Promote access to information and educational experiences needed to support environmental literacy and sustainable communities at home, work, school and play.

Goal III. Community Resources: Build the capacity of individuals, organizations, businesses, and governments to advance environmental literacy and sustainable communities.

Goal IV. Research and Assessment: Promote research and/or assessment to identify strategies that advance environmental literacy and sustainable communities. Assess progress toward environmental literacy and sustainable communities.

Goal V. Funding: Identify, develop, share or secure funding strategies and resources to advance environmental literacy and sustainable communities.

Forestry Education:
Proposals submitted should be respectful of the roles that forest management, products, conservation, protection and preservation play in our economy.

Possible projects include, but are not limited to:
* Training for teachers and/or students on our forest resources;
* Training in sustainable forestry concepts and methods;
* Workshops on private woodland management;
* Community forestry based educational events;
* Educational use of urban green spaces and street trees;
* Cooperative educational uses of community forests;
* Conduct forestry education literacy assessments.

Project proposals should leverage existing forestry education programs—not duplicate them. Proposals that address gaps in, utilize, or complement current forestry education programs are encouraged.

School Forest Education Plan:
Proposals must be for work to develop, enhance or modify a school forest educational plan to provide details regarding how the use of the school forest and the district’s K-12 environmental education plan:
1) Are/will be integrated into the overall district curriculum and
2) Promote sustainable forestry concepts and practices.

School Forest Implementation:
Proposals must be for work to implement initiatives detailed within the district’s WEEB approved school forest education plan. Previously unidentified (and therefore unapproved) initiatives may be incorporated into a district’s plan via approved addendum. Approval must be requested by January 31.

Eligible expenditure categories include:
-Salaries and honoraria
-Fringe benefits
-In-state travel, meals, and lodging
-Materials/supplies
-Increased itemized operating expenses directly related to project