WEEB Grant Categories

Grant Program: Energy
Education Category

Download Application Materials (PDF format)

Purpose

The Energy Education Grant Program is designed to increase and improve energy-related education initiatives within schools and the community. All projects must have an educational component. Priority will be given to proposals that:

• complement, support, or supplement activities of the K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP);
• improve educational opportunities for educators, learners, and the community;
• promote electrical energy efficiency and/or reduce consumption of electricity; or
• promote energy efficiency for natural gas savings.

KEEP's mission is to improve and increase energy education in Wisconsin K-12 schools. Contact the KEEP office (energy@uwsp.edu or [715] 346-4320) to discuss how your proposal facilitates or enhances energy education. To learn more about KEEP, visit www.uwsp.edu/keep

Eligibility

WEEB energy education grants Corporations (nonstock, nonprofit corporations) registered under chapter 181 of state statutes

• Public agencies (counties, cities, villages, towns, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, school districts, and cooperative educational service agencies)tion and rehabilitation districts, school districts, and cooperative educational service agencies
• State agencies, tribal governments, public colleges, and universities
• Private nonprofit colleges and universities — if the school is not pervasively sectarian, including the absence of sectarian entrance and graduation requirements
• Private pre-school, elementary and secondary schools — provided that a corporation or public agency applies for funds on their behalf and the following four criteria are met:
  1. Grant funds may not be used for religious activity or instruction.
  2. Any materials purchased under the grant shall be nonsectarian in nature and content and may not be used for religious activity or instruction.
  3. Title to and administrative control of any capital goods purchased shall remain with the corporation or public agency. However, as long as the environmental education program remains in effect and meets criterion 2, the capital goods may be located in the private school facility.
  4. Grant funds may not be used to pay a private school instructor's base salary. Grant funds may only be used to supplement a private school instructor's contractual salary.

Energy education grant funds are restricted to organizations within the Focus on Energy territory. In addition, all members of the target audience MUST reside within the Focus on Energy territory. Email energy@uwsp.edu or call (715) 346-4320 to determine eligibility.

If you have an energy education related proposal and the administering organization and/or target audience members are not in Focus on Energy territory, please apply for funds within the general environmental education program of WEEB. Guidelines for the general environmental education program may be found within the "General Grant Program Application"materials. Do not apply within the "Broad Energy Education" category unless the organization and target audience members are located within Focus on Energy territory.

Previous grant recipients must have submitted all reports to be awarded funds from the 2009-2010 grant cycle. Contact the WEEB office if uncertain whether this criterion has been met.

Sub Categories

School Building Energy Action Plan

School Building Energy Education

Broad Energy Education

Amounts Available

Category	Amount Available	Maximum Award/Proposal
School Building Energy Action Plan	~approx. $15,000	$5,000
School Building Energy Education	~approx. $8,000	$2,500
Broad Energy Education	~approx. $15,000	$2,500

For the school building energy education and broad energy education grant categories the "capital expenditure" limit is a maximum of 75% of WEEB grant funds requested. For the school building energy action plan category, no "capital expenditures" may be made.

For the school building energy education and broad energy education grant categories there is not a specific "site enhancement" limit. Project directors are reminded this is a competitive grant program whose primary mission and focus is providing educational opportunities to members of the target audience. For the school building energy action plan category no "site enhancement" expenditures may be made.

Please see "Preparing the Budget Summary" link below for a definition of "capital expenditure" and "site enhancement".

 

Download Application Materials (PDF format)

How to apply

To apply for an energy education grant use the link above (pdf file) to download the application directions. The direction booklet does contain blank "print and type" application forms. However, for "electronic fill-in" forms use the links below. Submit the original and 5 copies (6 sets total) of the following:

• WEEB Cover Page (see Preparing the Cover Page)
• WEEB Consortium Verification (if required, see Preparing the Consortium Verification Page)
• WEEB Budget Summary (see Preparing the Budget Summary)
• Map or diagram page (optional, limited to 1 side of 1 sheet)
• Narrative describing project (limited to one side of one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper, minimum of 10 pt font, 1" margins). The narrative should include:
  • Project Title and Applicant
  • Statement of need
  • Project goals, objectives, and activities
  • Dissemination
  • Project evaluation
  • Staff qualifications
  • Continuation

For more information about the narrative see Preparing the Narrative or the application directions.

To avoid disqualification and receive full consideration, make sure the minimum criteria for funding summarized in the Quality Assurance Checklist are met. Absence of any starred and bolded item will cause the proposal to be disqualified.

Grant writers may also wish to have someone who is unfamiliar with the proposal use the technical review form (jump to technical form in PDF format) and merit review form (jump to merit form in PDF format or Word format) to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. Note these review forms are from a prior year, and do not correspond directly with this year's requirements. Project directors are responsible for meeting the 2009-2010 requirements for funding.

Mail materials by February 14, 2009 or hand deliver by 4:30 PM on February 13, 2009 to:

Wisconsin Environmental Education Board
110B Trainer Natural Resources Bldg.
UW-Stevens Point
800 Reserve Street
Stevens Point WI 54481

Samples

Samples are provided as an aide to those writing proposals and are not meant to restrict your vision of possible projects. For more examples of projects that have been funded in the past, please also refer to the grant recipient database.