Environmental Impact Challenge Grant
Funding Innovation
The Environmental Impact Challenge Grant program will provide middle school and high school students in Poudre School District an opportunity to work with CSU students to develop proposals related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or waste in the Fort Collins community. Students will work closely with trained undergraduate and graduate students to identify ways that their neighborhoods, schools, or other local communities can reduce waste, lower energy consumption, or increase alternate modes of transportation. Together, they will develop small budget grant proposals ($5,000 or less) and then work to implement the proposed projects. Interested teachers or club advisors should fill out the project inquiry form below to express their interest in the program.
If your classroom or club is chosen for this program, they’ll be partnered with two CSU students working with the Straayer Center for Public Leadership and the Center for Public Deliberation. CSU students will be trained in Public Achievement, a proven civic education platform designed to help groups devise and implement projects that address important public issues. Each classroom or club, in partnership with their CSU “coaches”, will devise a project proposal aimed at helping the city of Fort Collins achieve the goals set out in the Fort Collins Climate Action Plan (FCCAP).
Challenge Grant Timeline
All projects will be devised, proposed, and implemented within the 2018-2019 academic year. Classroom visitations will begin in early October, with CSU students visiting the selected PSD classrooms or clubs once every two weeks for the remainder of the year. The CSU team will work with selected teachers and advisors to schedule the best times to meet. Sometimes there will be specific lessons attached to these coaching sessions, and sometimes we’ll just want to do a check in with the students. We’ll work together to negotiate your class’s needs and to optimize the fit for your classroom. Final proposals will be due January 31, 2019, with implementation to begin in February or March of 2019.
Project Guidelines
Review the project guidelines and application for more information about the challenge grant.
To get started, fill out the Project Inquiry form.
Questions? Contact Katie Knobloch at Katie.Knobloch@colostate.edu for more information.