Mini-grants
Do you have a project that would educate your community about an environmental issue? Do you have a curriculum that will engage your participants in learning about an ecological concept? Can you provide an experience that will help students increase their understanding of the natural world?
EEAI mini-grants are awarded each year for up to $350 per proposal. This is a competitive process with a state-wide review committee. Successful grants are ones that follow the guidelines listed below and show how the project will have a sustained impact. For example, a student field trip to learn about the function and value of wetlands will have more of an impact if supplies, field guides, and equipment are purchased and re-used, and the experience is supplemented with classroom curriculum.
Eligible Applicants: Illinois formal and non-formal educators are eligible to apply. MUST be members of EEAI.
Proposals must be received by October 31. Funds may be used from November 31 through October 1 of the following year.
More information can be found on our Members Page under Publications.
EEAI mini-grants are awarded each year for up to $350 per proposal. This is a competitive process with a state-wide review committee. Successful grants are ones that follow the guidelines listed below and show how the project will have a sustained impact. For example, a student field trip to learn about the function and value of wetlands will have more of an impact if supplies, field guides, and equipment are purchased and re-used, and the experience is supplemented with classroom curriculum.
Eligible Applicants: Illinois formal and non-formal educators are eligible to apply. MUST be members of EEAI.
Proposals must be received by October 31. Funds may be used from November 31 through October 1 of the following year.
More information can be found on our Members Page under Publications.
Past Mini Grant Recipients
Congratulations 2018 Mini-Grant Recipients!
Successful proposals meet the criteria that EEAI has set for the proposals, including the goals, objectives, sustainability, impact, and evaluation method, as outlined on the application; the strength of the environmental education mission; and the overall quality of the project.
This was a highly competitive process! Many excellent proposals were considered. Based on the approved budget for Mini grants, 3 grants were able to be funded:
St. Charles Park District: Wetland Ecology at Otter Creek Bend
The nature education staff at Otter Creek Bend Wetland Park in St. Charles facilitate wetland ecology hands-on field trips for hundreds of middle schoolers. Students attending the programs pass through 6 learning stations, each with a curriculum-correlated objective. The hallmark of each program is dipnetting for macroinvertebrates. They will use EEAI funds to purchase new dip nets with reinforced edges for more durability.
Eastern Illinois University: Citizen Science Box Turtle Project
The EIU’s Herpetology Club are initiating a citizen science box turtle tracking program in Coles County. Eastern Box Turtles are threatened with a downward trend in global populations. Because of the turtle’s popularity, easy identification, and distinct shell patterns, people will be instructed on how to photograph the turtles and submitting the photos to be processed and sorted, and ultimately help track of the status of the turtle population in Coles County. EEAI funding will be used for permanent signage and advertising of the project at key trailheads where participants are likely to encounter the turtles.
National Great Rivers Resource and Education Center: Clip-On Phone Microscopes for River Monitoring
The NGRREC facilitates citizen scientist programs that monitor water quality, using macroinvertebrates as bioindicators (RiverWatch and Stream Discovery). They have requested funds to purchase and distribute LED Magnifier Clip-on Cell phone Microscope Micro Lens’, which will allow the trained citizen scientists to make more accurate identification of macroinvertebrates that they collect in the fields without having to wait to get access to a microscope in a lab.
Successful proposals meet the criteria that EEAI has set for the proposals, including the goals, objectives, sustainability, impact, and evaluation method, as outlined on the application; the strength of the environmental education mission; and the overall quality of the project.
This was a highly competitive process! Many excellent proposals were considered. Based on the approved budget for Mini grants, 3 grants were able to be funded:
St. Charles Park District: Wetland Ecology at Otter Creek Bend
The nature education staff at Otter Creek Bend Wetland Park in St. Charles facilitate wetland ecology hands-on field trips for hundreds of middle schoolers. Students attending the programs pass through 6 learning stations, each with a curriculum-correlated objective. The hallmark of each program is dipnetting for macroinvertebrates. They will use EEAI funds to purchase new dip nets with reinforced edges for more durability.
Eastern Illinois University: Citizen Science Box Turtle Project
The EIU’s Herpetology Club are initiating a citizen science box turtle tracking program in Coles County. Eastern Box Turtles are threatened with a downward trend in global populations. Because of the turtle’s popularity, easy identification, and distinct shell patterns, people will be instructed on how to photograph the turtles and submitting the photos to be processed and sorted, and ultimately help track of the status of the turtle population in Coles County. EEAI funding will be used for permanent signage and advertising of the project at key trailheads where participants are likely to encounter the turtles.
National Great Rivers Resource and Education Center: Clip-On Phone Microscopes for River Monitoring
The NGRREC facilitates citizen scientist programs that monitor water quality, using macroinvertebrates as bioindicators (RiverWatch and Stream Discovery). They have requested funds to purchase and distribute LED Magnifier Clip-on Cell phone Microscope Micro Lens’, which will allow the trained citizen scientists to make more accurate identification of macroinvertebrates that they collect in the fields without having to wait to get access to a microscope in a lab.