Technical Assistance
Financial support remains one of the most challenging areas for schools and school districts looking to make positive change. We continue to seek outside funding opportunities and resources for schools throughout the year, and will update this page periodically with grant opportunities. If you have an idea for a project or program for your school or district, and don’t know where to get started, contact our Healthy Schools PA coordinator for assistance.
Technical assistance is available for free for K-12 schools in the southwest PA area. Our staff offers technical assistance programming through environmental health consulting, including environmental hazard identification and mitigation, action planning, funding identification and grant writing assistance, policy and protocols review and revision, and technical training for school professionals.
Focus Areas
Local Grant Opportunities
The Home Depot Community Improvement Grant
The Home Depot Foundation offers grant awards up to $5,000 to 501c designated organizations (recognized and in good standing with the IRS for a minimum of one year) and tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the community. Grants are given in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials or services and are required to be completed within six months of approval date. These grants are accepted on a rolling basis.Highmark Schools Grants – Environmental Health
School environments can affect students’ health, school performance, attendance and concentration. Highmark’s School Grants program allows schools to fund environmental health initiatives such as Green Cleaning, Indoor Air Quality and Asthma-Friendly School Environments. Applications are open! To learn more, click here. To apply, click here.Action for Healthy Kids – School Grants
Despite wanting to do what’s best for students’ health and academic success, many schools lack the necessary resources to implement health and wellness practices to help students eat better, stay physically active and be better prepared to learn. This mini-grant program allows any member from the school community, including parents, apply for mini-grants up to $3,000 to implement or expand school-wide initiatives on health, nutrition and physical activity.- Remake Learning IGNITE Grants 2020
Remake Learning has just opened it’s IGNITE grant for 2022. Ignite Grants will provide catalytic funding of up to $70,000 per applicant to support learning in critical thinking and problem solving skills, challenge learners to examine social systems, connect students to place, encourage learners to play and connect learners to communities,
practices, projects and environments. To learn more and apply, click here.
State Grant Opportunities
Driving PA Forward – School Bus Retro-fit Grant Program
Approximately $30 million is being allocated over a 5-year period to fund rebates for class 4 – 8 school buses and shuttle buses. Replacing or repowering vehicles containing older diesel engines with new technology can reduce emissions by up to 90%.The Home Depot Community Improvement Grant The Home Depot Foundation offers grant awards up to $5,000 to 501c designated organizations (recognized and in good standing with the IRS for a minimum of one year) and tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the community. Grants are given in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials or services and are required to be completed within six months of approval date. These grants are accepted on a rolling basis.
PA DEP Environmental Education Grants
Each year Pennsylvania invests in its schools, county conservation districts and other nonprofit organizations to improve environmental awareness among students and adults alike. Administered through DEP, the funds are used for projects ranging from creative, hands-on lessons for students, teacher training programs and outdoor learning resources to conservation education for adults. Grant applications typically open in October and run through December.
Federal Grant Opportunities
USDA Farm to School Grant Program
The Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2020 Farm to School Grant Program is now online and available through Grants.gov. This year, FNS seeks to award up to $10 million to schools, school districts, nonprofits, state and local agencies, agricultural producers and Indian tribal organizations to plan and implement farm to school activities. Grants ranging in size from $20,000 to $100,000 will be available. All interested applicants are encouraged to visit the grant announcement.EPA Tools for Schools Grants
Numerous sources of funding are available to create and support healthy, productive school environments for students and staff in areas like Environmental Education, School Bus Clean Diesel Rebate program, School Gardens and High-Performance Green Schools renovation and capital improvement projects (PA only).- NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants
The NOAA Office of Education has issued a competitive funding opportunity for projects designed to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards and become involved in achieving that resilience. Deadline for pre-applications is typically in November.
To request a consultation for technical assistance, please fill out the brief form below.