We are fortunate to live in a county filled with urban and rural parks and open spaces that allow us to explore majestic redwood forests, stunning wetlands, rolling hills, and our rugged coastline. Yet, many people in our community do not have access to opportunities to get outdoors, connect with and learn about nature—even when those places are right in their own backyard.
To foster informed, inspired lifelong environmental stewards who can address the environmental challenges we face now and in the future, there must be equitable opportunities for everyone in our community to cultivate a connection to nature and participate in protecting the environment. Community Foundation seeks to continue to address these disparities and expand access to typically underserved community members through this grants program open to both established and grassroots environmental organizations who share our commitment to equity.
Overview
Community Foundation Sonoma County is committed to addressing issues of disparity in order to build an equitable community. Our Environmental Education Grant Program focuses on supporting high-quality environmental education experiences for young people who lack access and opportunities to experience the outdoors through:
- Multiple visits (single-visit programs are ineligible for funding)
- Standards-based science curriculum
- Opportunities to cultivate a sense of connection and belonging in the outdoors
- Direct experiences as stewards of the natural world
- Incorporation of climate justice into the experience
Environmental education curricula should be delivered by environmental organizations working in collaboration with classroom teachers to deliver experiences directly to elementary and/or secondary school students.
Timeline
The Environmental Education Grant Program takes place in the spring with grant awards announced in early summer.
2021 Grants
| Organization | Grant Purpose |
|---|---|
| Extended Child Care Coalition of Sonoma County Inc. | to support K-8 student participation in environment and nutrition programs at the Larkfield Community Garden/ Learning Center, as fiscal sponsor to Community Soil Foundation |
| LandPaths | to support the In Our Own BackYard program |
| North Bay Organizing Project | to support the Latino Student Congress environmental education outings |
| Pepperwood Foundation | to support TeenNat, connecting youth to natural resource careers through participation in conservation research |
| Pepperwood Foundation | to support professional development for Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative (SEEC), as fiscal sponsor |
| Point Reyes National Seashore Association | to support partnership with Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance to expand the Youth in Parks program |
| Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation | to support the Environmental Education Modules |
| Sonoma Ecology Center | to support the K-12 Watershed Education program for Sonoma Valley youth |
| Sonoma Land Trust | to support the Conservation Council environmental science and youth development program |
This grant program is by invitation only. For more information, please contact:
