Disadvantaged communities around the country struggle to provide adequate funding to their public schools, including for much-needed infrastructure improvements, but a new federal grant program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is positioned to provide big money to assist. EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants will award $2 billion in total funding, including around 150 awards of $10 to $20 million, for efforts in disadvantaged communities that support climate action and pollution reduction.

Unfortunately, we know that many communities do not have the experience or capacity to apply for a grant of this size, so the Center for Green Schools has requested funding from our partners at Flu Lab and gathered nonprofit organizations together to provide dedicated support. Together with the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, the Association of School Business Officials International and the National Rural Education Association, we just released a Readiness Check for school districts to help districts and their community partners understand if they are a good fit to pursue the grant funding.

If, after reviewing the Readiness Check, districts decide that they are a good fit for the funding, they are invited to sign up for a short training series from Aug. 19 to 23 to jump-start their applications. A limited number of participants in the training series will then have access to one-on-one coaching support from a professional grant writer to set their application strategy and review drafts along the way.

These grants are an excellent fit for school districts that serve disadvantaged communities; they are designed for the work these school districts do every day, and they are large enough to effect real change in struggling communities. Reach out to us with questions or for more information.

Check if the grant is right for you

New support helps schools apply for Community Change Grants