Steve Thompson Memorial Education Grants

Education grants program to bring recycling professionals to the Resource Recycling Conference for professional development and networking.

Amount: More than $80,000 distributed annually (2017: 53 grants awarded)

Geographic Scope: United States

Eligibility: Recycling professionals from U.S. communities and states

Focus Areas:

• Professional education and development for recycling program staff
• Conference attendance and participation
• Travel, lodging, and registration support

What the Grant Covers:

• Travel expenses
• Lodging
• Registration fees for Resource Recycling Conference

Purpose: Honors Steve Thompson, former executive director of the Curbside Value Partnership (The Recycling Partnership's precursor organization). Thompson was a committed recycling champion who passed away in 2016. The grants recognize that recycling professionals are key to better program performance.

Background: First offered in 2016 with 10 grants from 200+ applications. In 2017, 53 grants were issued from over 500 applicants, representing 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Partners/Funders: The Recycling Partnership, Re-TRAC Connect, Resource Recycling Inc., Cascadia Consulting Group, Closed Loop Fund, Dow, Keep America Beautiful, ReCollect, Recycle By City, and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.

Contact:

• The Recycling Partnership
• 20 F Street NW, 7th Floor
• Washington, D.C. 20001
• 877-514-8774

Application Process

Specific application details were not provided in the available content. Based on the 2017 announcement:

• Application Basis: Competitive selection process
• 2017 Results: 53 grants awarded from more than 500 applicants
• 2016 Results: 10 grants awarded from more than 200 applicants

For current application information and deadlines, applicants should contact The Recycling Partnership directly or visit their grants page.