EPA's Environmental Education grants fund projects that pair an environmental issue with an education goal such as teacher training or career development. The most recent competition offered up to 16 awards of $200,000 to $250,000 and closed March 3, 2026. EPA hasn't announced the next one yet.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include local education agencies (school districts), nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, state education and environmental agencies, local and county environmental agencies, certain tribal organizations and tribal education agencies, and noncommercial educational broadcasters. Applicants must be in the United States or a U.S. territory. Teachers usually take part through a district or nonprofit that applies.
Rules that shape your budget
- 25% cost share: the applicant covers a quarter of the total project cost.
- Subawards: 25% of EPA's funding must go out as subawards of $5,000 or less, which can support classroom projects in the community.
- Projects should design, demonstrate or share environmental education practices that build awareness, stewardship and skills for responsible action.
Timeline
The 2026 competition (EPA-EE-25-01) closed March 3, 2026, and no new competition was open when we checked on November 1, 2026. Join EPA's Environmental Education grants email list to hear when the next one opens, and use the time to line up partners and your cost share.
Projects that fit
The Coding for Good Kit lets students in grades 3-12 collect real environmental data and build solutions with 11 plug-and-play sensors and modules, 4 servos and a water pump. Teacher training is part of the plan, with free self-paced courses and live virtual PD from $1,000.
- Data-driven Smart Farming (grades 6-8): students build a system that waters a plant based on soil moisture and tracks how long the pump runs.
- Wildfire Detection with Autonomous Vehicles (grades 6-8): students build a vehicle that patrols an area and raises an alert when it detects bright light and loud sound.
- Classroom subawards: a $5,000 subaward covers 15 Coding for Good Kits with micro:bit V2 Go Packs ($4,454.85 before shipping), a full set for a class of 30 working in pairs.
Frequently asked questions
How much do EPA Environmental Education grants award?
The 2026 competition offered up to 16 awards of $200,000 to $250,000, with a 25% cost share.
Is the competition open now?
No. The last one closed March 3, 2026, and EPA hasn't announced the next. Watch EPA's environmental education grants page.
Can a school district apply?
Yes. Local education agencies are eligible, along with nonprofits, colleges, state and local agencies and certain tribal organizations.
What are subawards?
Grantees must pass 25% of their EPA funding to other organizations in subawards of $5,000 or less, which can fund local classroom projects.
How can Forward Education help?
We can build a project plan from our lessons, align it to your state's standards, write an official quote for your budget and provide a letter of support. Contact our grant team.
Source: U.S. EPA, Environmental Education Grants page and 2026 competition announcement (EPA-EE-25-01), checked November 1, 2026.
