Are you a California Teacher passionate about environmental education and empowering your students to confront real-world climate challenges through technology? This post will guide you through securing California Teachers Association (CTA) Institute for Teaching (IFT) Environmental Education Grants to fund innovative projects using the Climate Action Coding and Robotics Kit and CHARGE for micro:bit.
Understanding the CTA IFT Environmental Education Grant
The CTA IFT Environmental Education Grant offers up to $5,000 for individual educators and $20,000 for teams. These grants support projects focused on environmental education and climate change.
Successful proposals are evaluated on budget, timeline, and the seven Strength-Based Equity Matrix factors, which evaluate whether proposals are student-centered, promote student equity and student advocacy, increase school-wide relations, integrate school-family relationships, foster community solidarity, and are future oriented. The deadline is March 31st.
Introducing the Climate Action Kit
The Climate Action Kit allows students to learn about environmental and sustainability concepts, then build and code working climate tech prototypes. This hands-on approach enables them to address environmental problems directly.
CTA IFT Proposal Tips for Success
When applying for a grant, remember to be unique and relevant. Simply purchasing kits is not enough; your proposal must outline a meaningful project. Consider these tips:
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Diversity is key: Proposals lacking diversity are unlikely to be funded.
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Unique elements stand out: Incorporate community-specific needs
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Apply the kits to enhance your initiative: Show how they help bring your project to life.
| Lack of diversity is unlikely to be funded | Unique elements have a greater chance of success |
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Applicant 1: Climate Action Kit + End of Year Design Challenge |
Applicant 1: Climate Action Kit + End of Year Design Challenge |
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Applicant 2: Climate Action Kit + End of Year Design Challenge |
Applicant 2: Climate Action Kit + Water Cycle Unit Plan and Rain Garden |
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Applicant 3: Climate Action Kit + End of Year Design Challenge |
Applicant 2: Climate Action Kit + Water Cycle Unit Plan and Rain Garden |
*for illustrative purposes only
Project Inspiration
Here are some project ideas to inspire your grant proposal:
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Hackathon: Challenge students to design and prototype solutions to environmental problems. Resources: Design Journal, do your:bit Challenge
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Custom Unit Plan: Craft unit plans focused on local issues or physical computing skills.
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School Garden and Composting Program: Use the Climate Action Kit to explore indoor growing, collect data with micro:bits, and partner with local organizations. Example: L'Essor on Instagram
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Sustainable City Design: Have students design sustainable cities, integrating urban systems. Example: Forward Education Smart City at FETC 2025
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Take Coding Outdoors: Use micro:bits to track environmental data or turn physical activity into a tech-powered adventure. Lesson Ideas: CHARGE Power Pack for micro:bit
Climate Action Kit and CHARGE Product Support
Lessons are designed to be self-directed, and teachers act as facilitators. All lessons are mapped to various federal and state standards like CA-NGSS, CSTA, and more. Support is available through free asynchronous courses, paid live workshops, and one-on-one sessions with CTA grant administrators.
Get Started Today
Explore the Climate Action Kit, CHARGE, and other resources at forwardedu.com. Start planning your innovative project and apply for a CTA IFT Grant to empower your students to make a difference.
