Sustaining our environment

Eco Schools Grants

Aim of the program

This program provides grants to schools to give them the opportunity to involve their students and community in developing and implementing environmental management projects.

Objectives

The overall objective of the Eco Schools Program is to support schools to develop best practice in environmental education and innovative solutions to environmental issues. The program will fund school environmental management projects aimed at one or more of the objectives below.

Students:

  • to promote the development of students' knowledge, values and behaviour that supports environmental sustainability
  • to promote participation of some or all students in identifying, designing, implementing and monitoring solutions that improve the quality of the school and local environment.

Teachers:

  • to assist teachers to integrate school environmental management projects into school programs and therefore maximise student learning
  • to enable project related professional learning for teachers to gain practical and pedagogical skills and knowledge about the environment.

School development and management:

  • to encourage a whole of school approach to  sustainable management of school operations
  • to fund schools to utilise the natural and built environment to facilitate student learning
  • to encourage schools to link with the local community (including other schools) to undertake activities which address local environmental issues.

Environment:

  • to promote more efficient resource use and  improve the quality of the local environment
  • to enable schools to address community and government environmental concerns and priorities.

The ultimate goal of the Eco Schools Grant Program is the development of environmentally sustainable schools.

Eligibility

Schools that did not receive an Environmental Trust grant in the previous year are eligible to apply. Schools must also be registered on the Sustainable Schools NSW website. Please note that preschools are not eligible to apply. 

Grants awarded in 2011

A total of $150,000 was available for the Eco Schools Program in 2011.  The Trust received 122 applications this year, an increase of 30 from 2010, and approved 60 grants of $2,500 each.  A list of successful projects and project summaries is available on the 2011 Eco Schools grants summaries page.

Information sessions and workshops for 2011

Information workshops were held for Eco Schools in 2011 to help applicants better understand the program and prepare a quality grant application.

Guidelines and application forms 2011

The documentation below is for information only and will be updated at the next call for appliations, expected to be in March 2012.

 

StageOpening DateClosing DateForms
Application (one-stage process)19 March 201120 May 20112011 Guidelines
110232GLES2011.pdf (147kb, PDF)
   2011 Application Form
110231AppformES2011.doc (210kb, Word document) 

Help on downloading and completing application forms

Grants awarded in previous years

For information on previous grants awarded please select the relevant program from the side navigation menu.

Reporting Guidelines

All grantees should use the Eco Schools reporting pro-forma for their final report.  It is recommended that all schools read the pro-forma prior to completing their application. See Grantee Reporting Process on the side navigation menu for a link to the pro-forma.

Case Studies

A range of case studies from previously conducted Eco Schools projects are available on the Case Studies page. These projects all have their unique way of assisting to conserve and enhance the New South Wales environment.

For further information please contact the Environmental Trust on (02) 8837 6093.

NSW Environmental Trust
PO Box 644, PARRAMATTA 2124
Phone: (02) 8837 6093
E-mail:info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au

Page last updated: 12 October 2011