Pollinator Habitat Grants

Pollinator Habitat Grants is sponsored by Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia. Supports the creation or enhancement of native habitats for endangered monarch butterflies, including educational components for children.

**_advancing nature experiences, outdoor learning, and environmental ed for every GA child_** ## Explore the Environmental Education Alliance! **"Every Georgia child can grow up as a problem-solver who is connected to nature, ​knowledgeable about the environment, motivated to protect the earth, empowered to create a sustainable future."

** EEA supports, amplifies, and champions educators who leverage the power of environmental and outdoor learning so students can be engaged in meaningful learning experiences that include opportunities to solve real-world environmental challenges. ​ ​Motivation to protect the planet arises from exploring and enjoying nature: something every Georgia child deserves to experience.

Becoming empowered to care for the earth requires not only nature connection and environmental literacy, but also authentic problem-solving experiences that foster confidence in the ability to make a difference.

**GOAL #1 : High Quality Education** To drive **excellence** and spark **innovation** in the field; translate research into best practices; share exemplary models, methods, and materials; support and build capacity of educators to engage children in problem-solving.

**GOAL #2: Advancing the Field** To demonstrate the collective **impact** of environmental and outdoor education; foster collaboration; mobilize **investment** in outdoor learning spaces, professional development, student supplies, and access to nature experiences.

**GOAL #3: Access to Nature** To ensure that every Georgia child has **access** to nature and is included and engaged in relevant, place-based foundational outdoor experiences that result in curiosity, affinity and appreciation for the natural world.

## Introducing eeCredential Courses ~ a convenient, low-cost professional learning option to take your teaching practice to the next level **3-Year GOLD Grant Report** (use arrows to page through the report or click square at bottom right to enlarge view) SB 148 - Outdoor Learning Spaces Pilot Program ​Passes Congratulations to Senator Sheikh Rahman, Senator Bo Hatchett, and Representative Soo Hong, sponsors of SB 148: the Outdoor Learning Spaces Pilot Program.

The bill passed with unanimous support (per LegisScan: "slightly partisan Republican 2:1"). EEA is grateful to every legislator for their support of outdoor learning. When funded, the act will support 3-year projects that are designed to assess the use and value of schoolyards as outdoor learning labs.

In addition, it supports hunter safety education, defibrillators in schools, and an increase to 5 personal leave days for Georgia teachers. _"(a) The Department of Education is authorized to establish a pilot program, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, to provide for the development and study of outdoor learning spaces on elementary and secondary school property.

The purpose of the pilot program shall be to determine whether and how to implement best practices and design standards for outdoor learning spaces. ​ (b) The Department of Education is authorized to select elementary or secondary schools with sufficient existing or potential outdoor learning spaces for participation in the pilot program as pilot schools.

Private, nonprofit, and local school system funding may be utilized by such pilot schools for community engagement, school grounds design support, and capital construction costs. The local board of education for each pilot school shall agree to implement a program to incorporate outdoor learning spaces into the existing curriculum and to continue to provide such program for a period no shorter than three years.

(c) The Department of Education shall provide for an evaluation regarding the success and impact of the pilot program upon completion of the third year of the pilot program and shall report the results of such evaluation to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Education and Youth Committee." _ ## Georgia Schoolyard Forest Network **What can kids learn in a schoolyard forest?

** Join the Georgia Schoolyard Forest Network by inventorying and planting trees on your school campus. Look for sessions about schoolyard forests at the EEA Conference,and learn how to plant trees, care for and expand a schoolyard forest, and engage students in outdoor learning through real-world investigations and problem-solving.

Join the free CoOL Schoolyards recognition program, where ee providers offer outdoor learning challenges and schools earn points for participating.

## **Spring & Summer Free Workshops** ## EEA's Greensleeves Virtual Book Club **_Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb_** ​​In Eager, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America’s lakes and rivers.

The consequences of losing beavers were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans alike, than those without them. **Join us on April 30, 2026 at 7:00 pm / All are welcome!

** ## Schoolyard Forest Design Lectures Learn about all aspects of schoolyard forests, from planning and design to tree selection, planting, maintenance, stormwater infrastructure, and mitigating the effects of climate change. This **free**lecture series is presented byGreen Schoolyards America​.

* **August 21, 2025**: Texas Trees Foundation (Dallas, Texas) * **September 18, 2025**: Laura Duffey,School Forest Program Manager | Division of Forestry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Minnesota) * **October 16, 2025**: James Duncan, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources * **November 20, 2025**: New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (New Hampshire) Photo by Nancy Sinistre Registration for 2025-26 is OPEN!

CoOL Schoolyards is a tiered recognition program that awards points to schools for their efforts to engage students in outdoor learning. CoOL Schoolyards also connects ee providers with schools, and provides project models for engaging students in high-quality outdoor learning experiences.

​Schools can earn credit for taking students outside to learn or connect with nature, to plant trees that create shade and provide habitat, or to solve environmental problems on campus - and then watch the Leaderboard to see their points (and recognition level) soar.

​Non-profits and public agencies can propose free or inexpensive Challenges that demonstrate best practices in outdoor learning including activities, field trips, and environmental stewardship projects. Accepted Challenges will be assigned points for school recognition levels.

**2024-25 Honorees**Congratulations to The Outdoor Learning School / Learning Tree Academy, Cleveland Road Elementary, Free Home Elementary, Double Churches M S, ​ ​Clark Creek STEM Academy, and Bill Arp Elementary **2024-25 CoOL Schoolyard of the Year: Dr. G. W.

Carver Elementary School** Keri Wilcher and Jerry Hightower ## 2025-26 Georgia Outdoor Learning Demonstration (GOLD) Grants The 2025-26 GOLD Grant application review process has been completed. 197 applications were received. The State Board of Education awarded 14 grants to the top-ranked proposal in each part of the state (BOE district); then 8 more grants were awarded to the top-ranked remaining proposals state-wide.

Awards were announced in November and funds are available for projects to take place in Spring 2026. $100,000 was allocated by the Georgia General Assembly for GOLD Grants, which enjoy bipartisan support. ​ ## _Congrats to the 2025-26 GOLD Grantees!

_ 2024-25 Winners of GOLD Grants **154 Applications**received and reviewed **23 Grantees announced:** Nov 2024 **Funds available:**Dec 2024 (drawdown on reimbursement basis) **Project completion****deadline**: June 30, 2025 **Eligible applicants**: public schools, school districts, public agencies,non-profit organizations, or beneficiaries must be GA public school students **Eligible activities**: professional learning for educators, schoolyard improvements, supplies for outdoor learning, and/or field trips **Grant amounts:** $500 - $5000 per grant; at least 18 grants to be awarded ## ​​​​EEA Signature Programs **EEA operates these signature programs to promote excellence and collective impact in environmental and outdoor learning.

** CoOL hosts an annual Outdoor Learning Symposium, manages the Outdoor Learning Collaboratory to identify best practices in design and use of outdoor learning spaces, created the Outdoor Learning Toolkit, manages the Georgia Schoolyard Forest Network, advocates for outdoor education to engage all children in nature experiences, field investigations, problem-solving and stewardship.

MAG offers educator workshops using the Monarchs, Milkweed and More curriculum, hosts a biennial Pollinator Symposium, teaches land managers, garden clubs and schools how to restore native habitat, certifies pollinator habitats that demonstrate best practices, manages the annual Symbolic Migration as part of Journey North, and provides pollinator habitat grants.

ATEEG is a nationally-accredited certification program for pK-12 teachers, professors, and non-formal environmental educators. It consists of three core courses and an independent project. Each core course is offered in a hybrid format that includes an in-person workshop, self-paced modules, and interactive webinars.

Georgia and out-of-state candidates welcome. ## **EEA Partner Programs** **EEA supports these environmental and outdoor learning programs, providing fiscal sponsorship and tax-exempt status. ** Georgia Project WET is awater education programthat envisions a world in which action-oriented education enables every child to understand and value water, ensuring a sustainable future.

Project WET promotes awareness, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources by creating and distributing teaching materials and conducting educators workshops. ​ Rivers Alive is Georgia's volunteer waterway cleanup program. It aims to keep all watersheds within the state trash-free and encourages volunteers to target streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands to help to protect our waterways.

The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) is the state's volunteer water quality monitoring program.

Since 1993, the program has engaged citizen scientists all across Georgia and beyond in water protection activities, through a series of educational workshops which train individuals on the physical, chemical and biological health of their waterways. **​EE Landscape Analysis** ​The EE Landscape Analysis was designed to find out more about environmental education (EE) in the southeast.

EEA surveyed outdoor learning and EE providers and schools in Georgia. In partnership with seven other regional states, the data was analyzed and used to create maps and a suite of planning tools. The findings of this survey reveal strengths and needs throughout our state, and help prioritize action items of the eeCEO Roundtable.

**Outdoor Learning Collaboratory** EEA is asking educators, property managers, and landscape architects to share their expertise and ideas about best practices in outdoor learning... from designing and creating spaces to fostering student-directed learning, and sustaining programs long-term. Our goal is to develop best practices and case studies in partnership with the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education.

**Inclusive & Equitable Teaching Practices** ​EEA's vision is for environmental education and outdoor learning to benefit every child in Georgia. To address gaps in access, EEA spotlights effective models, advances equitable instructional strategies,offers professional learning workshops and courses to increase capacity, and partners with organizations that have demonstrated success in culturally-competent teaching.

**Guidelines for Excellence Institute** As Georgia's designated 'Guidelines for Excellence in EE Institute', EEA is authorized to offer _Guidelines for Excellence_ courses developed by the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. These Guidelines set the standards for high-quality environmental education and reflect best practices. Each guide was drafted by a diverse team and reviewed nationwide.

​ ## EEA Curated Teaching Collections **Celebrate outdoors and explore freeteaching resources! ** Click the pics to access the collections. WILDLIFE VIEWING & ACTIVITIES COMMUNITY (CITIZEN) SCIENCE ECO-ENGINEERING CHALLENGES **EEA invites members and partners to take advantage of these opportunities and services.

** as a resource database for job listings, grant opportunities, contests, awards, lessons, and profiles of schools and environmental education providers. The EEA Memorial Forest provides a way to commemorate loved ones who have contributed to the field of environmental education by planting trees in their memory around the state.

EEA's virtual book club offers members a chance to discuss books and share ideas or reflections with each other. We are fortunate to have authors join us from time to time. **Outdoor Learning Store** EEA has partnered with the Outdoor Learning Store to provide a non-profit source of teaching supplies.

A percentage of sales from Georgia goes to EEA. Enter code **eea22$%! ** for 5% off.

​ ## Outdoor Learning for All **Outdoor Learning Toolkit** EEA's**CoOL****Toolkit for Outdoor Learning****is**a quick-start guide to creating outdoor learning spaces, managing students, and teaching outside classroom walls. **Overcoming Obstacles** **Tips and Techniques for Outdoor Learning**was designed to help educators overcome challenges to outdoor learning. Many thanks to Jerry Hightower and Petey Giroux.

**Making the Case** To provide evidence for outdoor learning, consider this **research** on academic gains, improved physical and mental health, and increased "agency" or ability to make a difference. ## Funding for Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning **EEA offers these grant opportunities whenever funds are available.

** EEA'sDragonflyGrants inspire innovation by encouraging environmental educators to integrate performing and visual arts with learning experiences. ## Pollinator Habitat Grants EEA's Monarchs Across Georgia (MAG)Pollinator Habitat Grants encourage the creation or enhancement of native habitat for endangered monarch butterflies.

EEA's Council of Outdoor Learning offers grants to support schoolyard improvements,student supplies, professional learning, and/or field trips, whenever funds are available. EEA's Conference March 26-28, 2026 ​133 educators joined us for this professional learning event**at Georgia Tech in Atlanta** ## Thank you for coming to the 2025 Outdoor Learning Symposium! 120 educators attended this event at Fernbank Science Center.

Thank you to all the presenters, sponsors, and host for making the event such a success. **Thanks to host Fernbank Science Center and sponsors Acorn Naturalists and The Outdoor Learning School and Store!

** ## 40 people participated in EEA Workshops to learn how to Create and Teach in Rain Gardens**on October 25, 2025** Many thanks to Cobb Water System / Watershed Stewardship Division and West Atlanta Watershed Alliance for hosting EEA's recent Rain Garden Workshops.

We are grateful to American Geosciences Institute and presenters Lauren Brase and Lindsay Mossa, whose engaging sessions taught educators and community leaders how to create and teach in rain gardens. ## EEA's Summer Professional Learning Institute 55 K-12 Teachers participated in this year-long program **​CREST Summer Institute ~ a Tree-mendous Group of Educators who Teach Outdoors!

** EEA's first weeklong Summer Institute: CREST, engaged 50 of the state's brightest and best teachers and district science coordinators in exploring the "Ghost Forest" of Jekyll Island, calculating the carbon captured by trees, investigating forest ecosystems, using apps to identify tree species, and planning an arboretum of native trees for the schoolyard.

In addition, participants engineered devices to separate microplastics from sand and water, investigated how trees hyperaccumulate nano-plastics from the soil and air, and compared temperatures of different surfaces in the sun and in the shade to learn more about the urban heat island effect. The theme of the week was using trees to integrate outdoor learning with 3-Dimensional Science for all grade levels. Many thanks to the R.

Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation for funding this professional learning event. ## EE Landscape Analysis​ ​​PUT YOUR SCHOOL or ORGANIZATION ON THE EE MAP _Please complete the survey today! _ **_It's baaaaack!

Please take the survey for the first time or update your previous response by clicking a button below_** ## ​Does environmental and outdoor learning happen at your school? Tell us in this survey! **_Every educator and administrator is invited to complete the survey - not just one per school or organization.

_** ## EE Landscape Analysis - Tools and Results from the First Survey The EE Landscape Analysis was designed to learn more about providers of environmental education (EE) in the southeast. As part of this effort, EEA surveyed outdoor learning and EE providers in Georgia.

In partnership with seven other regional states, the data was then analyzed and used to create maps and a suite of planning tools for schools, EE providers, and communities. Click the images below to try out the interactive maps and tools. **We're rallying to raise support for expanding environmental and outdoor learning to every Georgia child.

Your donation, in any amount, will be valued and appreciated. Please help EEA continue to provide professional learning events and courses for educators, offer free vetted teaching resources,****advocate for funding, encourage collaboration,****and foster excellence in the field of environmental and outdoor learning. ** ## **Special Membership Offer** For the cost of a cup of coffee, you can be a member of EEA.

P ay as little as $3/month or $30/year in dues at the regular rate. EEA has a limited-time offer to _**JOIN or RENEW**_ at the _**lower Nymph rate of $20**_. If you need a year of _**FREE MEMBERSHIP**_, email your request for the discount code to info@eealliance.

org. You can catch up next year, when times are better. Until then, enjoy this opportunity to meet people, strengthen skills, and keep up with emerging trends and issues.

And, if you _do_ have funds to spare, feel free to click the **_GIVE_** button below to contribute to our Membership Fund, so we can continue to offer this special deal. The Environmental Education Alliance invites you to participate in EEA programs and events, use the resources, share ideas, and contribute to our efforts. Together, we can make a difference!

**Waterfall Foundation Little Otter** **Jill's Butterfly Garden Workshop** ## ​EEA is the official Georgia affiliate of NAAEE and SEEA EEA's reach in the state of Georgia and beyond continues ​to grow each year. ​We believe in the power of ​environmental education and our role in ​bringing ​about a more sustainable ​future for all. ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS EEA ​MEMBERS ACTIVE BOARD MEMBERS GENERAL CONTACTS