The Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge is a project based learning grant program for Indiana K-12 schools, with an emphasis on civic engagement and circular economy.
Donor Name: Earth Charter Indiana
County: Marion County (IN)
Type of Grant: Challenge
Deadline: 12/09/2022
Size of the Grant: up to $5,000
Details:
Projects must be within the 3 Pillars of the ITSC program: School Gardens; Energy & Waste Reduction; Climate & Sustainability Curriculum Creation.
All schools must have students involved with implementation, generally known as a Green Team but can also be but not limited to an afterschool garden club, individual classroom, entire grade or entire school. Youth involvement is mandatory.
The Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge is a project based learning grants program for Indiana K 12 schools, with precedence given to schools in Marion County and underserved rural communities. Project funding is available to schools in need of financial support, maximizing the opportunity for all schools in our community to participate in tackling sustainability. Selected schools will be eligible for up to $5,000 in funding to implement up to 3 new projects, as well as to improve upon or expand existing projects. The dedicated teachers and staff who champion the implementation of new projects at selected schools will receive a stipend of up to $1,000 with no strings attached. For projects that have multiple Champions, decisions regarding how to split the stipend is at the discretion of the school.
- Projects must be within the 3 Pillars of the ITSC program: School Gardens; Energy & Waste Reduction; Climate & Sustainability Curriculum Creation.
- Round 1 Grant Funding: support School GardensmPillar only. This includes but is not limited to native, pollinator or food gardens; food rescue projects; composting.
- Round 2 Grant Funding: supports all pillars
- Priority consideration will be given to: projects emphasizing circular economy and civic engagement; schools within historically underserved communities based on the percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Meal assistance, demographics of the student body, median household income, proximity to grocery stores and more.
- All schools must have students involved with ideation and implementation, generally known as a Green Team, but can also be but not limited to an afterschool garden club, individual classroom, entire grade or entire school. Youth involvement is mandatory.
All ITSC cohorts will have to attend and exhibit details of their project(s) at one or both of the following events or their virtual equivalent. Participation is mandatory in either:
- Round 1 Eco Science Challenge on April 21, 2023 at the Indiana State Museum Submit a 3-5 minute video showcasing their project results due with their final report in May 2023
- Round 2 Eco Science Challenge at the Indiana State Museum or corresponding event in April 2024
- Submit a 3-5 minute video showcasing their project results due with their final report in May 2024 Schools are welcome to participate in both events.
Program Benefits
- Education in sustainability engages children and young adults around important topics like environmental stewardship, climate resilience, social responsibility, waste reduction, circular economy, systems thinking, place- and problem-based learning, and resource conservation.
- Creating new projects will provide students, educators, and parents alike with hands-on implementation experience.
- Through project-based learning, students will exercise critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in the context of creating authentic, meaningful projects. These skills and knowledge will be crucial to the development of innovative solutions to the challenges of the 21st century
Project Funding
Each project, regardless of category, requires a pre- and post assessment of impact. Examples of
metric/ data to collect:
- Attendance of Green Teams throughout the course of the program
- Amount of volunteers that came to assist with projects
- Weight of trash collected before implementation and during
- Weight of produce grown and distributed
- Account of how much food was saved or donated from food rescue
- Amount of people that visited outdoor space
- Pictures of your green teams in action
- Pictures of your designated project areas before, during and after implementation
- Pictures of posters created to educates classmates or sharing the movies your green teams create
- Energy bill comparisons of before and after energy reduction projects
Funding Information
All Indiana schools are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 in project funding to support the implementation of up to 3 new projects, or to expand, improve upon, or sustain an existing
sustainability project.
Guidelines
All Indiana schools are eligible to apply for project funding through the Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge. There are two opportunities to participate in the Challenge:
- Round 1 application, open November 11 – December 9, 2022, is for grant funding to support School Gardens Pillar only. This includes but is not limited to native, pollinator or food gardens; food rescue projects; composting.This program runs from January – May 2023. Final reports will be due at the end of May 2023.
- Round 2 application, open June 16- July 14, 2023, is for grant funding supporting all pillars of the ITSC program.This program is for the 2023/24 school year and runs August 2023- May 2024. Final reports will be due at the end of May 2024.
For more information, visit Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge.
