Environmental Education Pathways Project Grant Program

About the Environmental Education Pathways Project

The Environmental Education Pathways Project (Pathways Project) is an initiative of the Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative (SEEC), whose mission is to catalyze cooperation between organizations to cultivate professional excellence and amplify impacts. SEEC believes that together we are more effective and efficient in increasing the depth and breadth of environmental education in the county. As a regional consortium, SEEC brings together almost all local and regional environmental education professionals from organizations, agencies, networks, and school districts.

The Pathways Project builds on SEEC’s network of providers to coordinate a cohesive countywide effort whose focus is: To significantly elevate the impact of outdoor environmental education across Sonoma County, increasing depth and breadth, and the extent to which we reach and create change in underserved communities.

The Pathways Project is profoundly grateful for the generous support of the Riddell Family. As steadfast stewards of environmental education and equity, the Riddell Family prioritizes creating a lasting impact on our youth with outdoor education learning. Through engaging conversations with the Riddell Family about advancing environmental education in underserved Sonoma County schools, an innovative idea emerged to build upon the pathways work within SEEC.

To create environmental literacy pathways, the Pathways Project will work at three levels:

• On the ground supporting the delivery of outdoor environmental education to Title 1 Schools/underserved communities;
• Within schools to build stronger relationships with teachers, school administrators and the diverse environmental education providers, and;
• Across institutions to bring resources, diverse experiences, and perspectives to create.

The primary goals for the project are the following:

• Identify and pilot solutions to barriers to delivering environmental education (i.e. transportation).
• Build the capacity of each service provider to collaborate while also maintaining program delivery.
• Pilot Environmental Learning Pathways in selected schools, tapping the strengths of participating service providers and working within the individual school capacity and culture.

Grant Program Overview

The heart of the Pathways Project is to create a pathway of environmental learning that connects and grows environmental understanding during the elementary school years. Similar to the concepts of grades in other areas of learning (math, language arts), each year will build on the previous year, scaffolding the environmental education learning with a capstone experience in the final elementary school year. An essential element of the Pathway is outdoor experiential learning, where students engage in hands-on science, and develop feelings of belonging and connection– a sense of comfort and confidence in and from the outdoors.

SEEC is partnering with Community Foundation Sonoma County to hold and manage the funding for this three-year project, administer an annual grant program for SEEC members, and support convening and collaboration across providers and other institutions involved in environmental education in Sonoma County.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Eligible organizations can apply to receive funding for their time to participate in Pathways committees to advance the goals of this project. Schools have been selected based on the following criteria:
• At least 50% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
• Geographic distribution with a particular focus on areas identified as a higher need in The Portrait of Sonoma County.
• Schools are currently being served by SEEC members, with preference given to schools being served by multiple EE providers.
• Environmental education providers are invited to apply for funding for their programs for the 2024-2025 academic year if they meet the following criteria:
  • Active participation in SEEC, defined as the following:
  • At least one member of the organization attended at least half of the meetings from August 2023-May 2024.
  • At least one member of the organization is an active member of a SEEC committee. Committees include the Steering Committee, Professional Development Committee, Youth Committee, and Pathways Committee.
  • Have an updated letter of commitment on file.

Ineligibility

• Out-of-school-time programs that take place after school or during school breaks are not eligible for funding.
• Classroom-based programs that do not include a field component are not eligible for this funding.