Grants
2022-2023 NPS 21st CCLC Greening STEM Grants
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is proud to announce the awardees of this year’s NPS-21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Greening STEM Grant.
For the third year in a row, NEEF has partnered with the National Park Service (NPS) and the US Department of Education (ED) to deliver STEM programming that engages youth from underresourced and/or underrepresented communities in citizen science, environmental monitoring, and other STEM activities at NPS sites across the country.
Funding from this grant will support place-based after-school education programs for students participating in 21st CCLC programs, which provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours. These programs will utilize components of NEEF’s Greening STEM model with a focus on NPS-related subject matter. They will also provide educators with strategies for hands-on, inquiry-based education, as well as opportunities for professional development and collaboration with 21st CCLC center staff.
Following project completion, all resources and related content developed under these grants will be made available via ED’s You4Youth professional learning portal. For examples of successful past projects, visit NEEF’s Greening STEM Spaces page.
“Thanks to the support of our partners at the National Park Service and Department of Education, we have been able to slowly increase the number of programs each year, culminating in a record of nine awardees this year,” said Robert Sendrey, program director for K-12 environmental education at NEEF. “This shows the success this grant has had in forging long-lasting relationships between 21st CCLC programs and NPS sites.”
List of Grantees Awarded
Grant Success Stories
Read about the impact this grant made across the country.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park involved middle school students in planting native trees and conducting scientific research in the park. Students studied ways to decrease tree mortality and assess the effect of reforestation on watershed health. They presented their findings, shared photos and data during a culminating community event.
Colorado National Monument and Riverside Educational Center broadened participation to include upper elementary students in citizen science. They collected data on forest health, focusing on the mass mortality of Pinyon Pine trees caused by beetles. Students gained knowledge about the fragile Colorado Plateau high desert ecosystem, including the impact of climate change and human activities on pine mortality. The students will analyze and present their forest health findings to the community.
Homestead National Historical Park implemented Greening STEM program to enhance existing STEM offerings by engaging in citizen science to study the connection between air quality, water quality, and biodiversity. Students conducted measurements of air quality at various park locations, collected and analyzed water samples, and documented observations of plant and animal life.
Gateway National Recreation Area and Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy launched the Seasonal Change program: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change, engaging students in phenology monitoring. Students explore the impact of climate change on New York City and their communities while contributing to research on animal-pollinated plants and their pollinators at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Grant Support From
