Watershed Education Grant Program

Grants of up to $5,000 and grants of up to $10,000 to New York nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions in eligible locations for educational activities that foster greater awareness of the importance of protecting water resources. Eligible applicants are located in the West-of-Hudson (WOH) Watershed, which includes portions of Delaware, Greene, Ulster, Schoharie and Sullivan Counties, and in the five boroughs of New York City.

The purpose of the grant program is to support projects that emphasize the importance of the City’s water supply; the role of Watershed residents as stewards of that resource; the ecology of the WOH Watershed, the diversity of its aquatic and terrestrial life and habitat, and the unique cultural heritage of the Catskills. The importance and means of preserving water quality in the Watershed, the history of the development of the City’s vast water system, and the importance of enhancing communication and understanding among residents throughout the NYC Water Supply System are also emphasized.

The following topics must be integral parts of the proposal:

1. Fresh water;
2. NYC Water Supply System; and/or
3. The West-of-Hudson Watershed

Proposals may focus on the critical role of nature and communities in protecting water quality in the watershed, the importance of water conservation, the history and contemporary use and operation of New York City’s vast water supply system, and/or the cultural and biological diversity of the city’s WOH Watershed.

This program supports Watershed Education projects for:

1. Students/Teachers: Pre-K through 12th grade students and their teachers in the WOH Watershed and/or in the five boroughs of New York City.
2. Public Audiences (Adult or mixed ages), including college-age students, in the WOH Watershed.

Preference will be given to projects that: 

• Include matching funds or in-kind contributions
• Promote upstate-downstate collaboration and communication
• Engage West of Hudson audiences
• Offer environmental career exploration and/or training
• Have a community service component
• Promotes environmental stewardship or sustainability
• Address one or more of the following priority topics:
• Role of communities in protecting water quality in the watershed
• Importance of water conservation
• Cultural and biological diversity of the WOH watershed
• Impacts of climate change on the NYC Watershed and water supply system
• History and contemporary use and operation of New York City’s vast water supply system
• Water supply system upgrades and engineering innovation

Proposals must demonstrate how the project will be integrated into the existing curriculum. Student/Teacher Grant for projects shall supplement and expand upon existing school curricula and programs and must not merely replace or restore curricula or programs that have been the subject of reduced public funding.