Green Up Our Schools Grant

Opportunity for Orange County, California and Denver Metro/Front Range region, Colorado elementary schools to develop recycling, composting, and waste reduction programs. Each school is required to have a student-led team to assist in the planning and implementation of two waste reduction projects per year. There is an option to apply for a fourth year of funding.

This opportunity provides support, funding, and structure to elementary schools to implement environmentally friendly programs in their schools.

Support: If accepted into the program, your school will receive 3+ years of guidance from a sustainability professional, gain access to a community of green schools, connections to partner organizations, and monthly phone calls or school visits to troubleshoot projects.

Funding: Schools often need help funding new infrastructure or creating incentives for habit changes, this program provides a $2,000 grant over 3 years to all accepted schools. Third year graduates have the option to apply for a 4th year grant!

Structure: This opportunity provides the structure to make a difference. Accepted schools participate for 3-4 years engaging in the following requirements:
- Form a student Green Team
- Waste audits to track progress
- School-wide education campaign
- 2 waste reduction projects a year

Green Up Our Schools asks each school to do these three activities to get the year off to a great start. Once all three are completed, the grant check will be sent to the school ($1,000 for year 1, $500 for year 2, and $500 for year 3).
- Form the student green team
- Perform a school-wide waste assessment with the students to collect baseline waste data
- Educate the entire school on your waste-reduction project goals for the year

Each school is asked to complete two waste reduction projects per year - (for example, a "Zero Waste Lunch Campaign" or a "Paper Towel Reduction Campaign") - 6 total over the course of the 3-year program. Once in place, schools are required to assess project success and report findings to Green Up Our Schools on a quarterly basis (October, December, February, April).

To provide support, Green Up Our Schools visits schools twice a year and touches base with every Program lead once a month on the phone. They also host several optional events, known as "Coffee Hours," where they bring teachers, principals, district members, partners, and parents together to share ideas.

There is an annual Appreciation Dinner to say thanks for all the time and energy invested throughout the year. To wrap things up, each school is also asked for a couple more things:
- A final school-wide waste assessment to chart progress
- An itemized expense report showing how the grant funding was spent

Fourth year applicants: Graduated schools looking for another year of assistance may apply again.

- A Lead Program Chair must be identified for monthly phone calls (does not have to be the same Lead Chair as before).
- The student green team must be continued.
- One main waste reduction project must be identified as the focus. Please describe this project in detail, explaining how it fits within the goals of the program. This may be the continuation of an existing project or the start of a new one.
- There is no set dollar amount for this grant -- please name the amount of money you are requesting and how it will be spent.