Bluegrass PRIDE (PRIDE) is a non-profit organization that provides environmental resources and information to schools, community groups, local governments and citizens in Central Kentucky. Through a partnership with Congressman Ben Chandler and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), PRIDE will be providing resources, in the form of community, education and educator workshop grants, to local governments, schools and citizen groups to improve the quality of their environment. By offering a variety of grants, each of the PRIDE/ARC counties will be able to combine the needs and priorities of their county with an appropriate grant program.
Who is eligible?
Counties included in the ARC region are Montgomery, Madison, Clark, Garrard, Lincoln, Estill, and Powell. These counties are divided into two groups: distressed and non-distressed. Counties designated as distressed include Lincoln, Estill, and Powell.
Is there a matching requirement?
In order to successfully obtain one of these grants, a percentage of expenses related to the grant-funded projects must be matched by the recipient. A 20% match will be required by grant recipients from counties designated as distressed and a 50% match will be required from all other ARC/PRIDE counties.
What is the timeframe?
All three types of grants have different periods of performance during the calendar year. Community Grant applications are due January 10, 2011, and awards will be announced on March 1, 2011. Environmental Education Grant applications are due May 6, 2011, and awards will be announced in July. Environmental Educator Workshop Grant applications are due March 14, 2011, and awards will be announced in May. Community Grants and Educator Workshop Grants are to be completed within ten months of their announcement. Environmental Education Grants are to be completed within nine months of their announcement.
How can I find out more information about these grants?
To ensure the swift and successful completion of all grant procedures, a grants administrator will be available to aide in the development of projects and to provide assistance throughout the duration of each grant. Feel free to contact Gene Slusher at (866) 222-1648 for more details.
Community Grant Program
Community Grants will be awarded to local governments and nonprofit groups to support innovative programs that will result in safer, cleaner, healthier waterways for the shared ARC/Bluegrass PRIDE counties. Community Grants will be available for the cleanup and restoration of illegal dumpsites, aquatic resource and habitat restoration, wetland construction and endless other projects determined to be feasible and necessary to assist PRIDE in abating local environmental issues.Grants up to $20,000 will be awarded.
Education Grant Program
Grants will be awarded to schools, teachers, groups of teachers and other nonprofit education groups working within the elementary, secondary and post-secondary education systems for the advancement of environmental literacy and education projects. Examples of these projects include expansion or establishment of outdoor classrooms, water quality testing, storm drain painting, computer-based environmental education activities, and wildlife and aquatic habitat restoration and protection. Funds may also be used to purchase environmental models or other materials designed to enhance environmental literacy. Grants up to $3,000 will be awarded. One grant, totaling $10,000, will also be awarded.
Educator Workshop Grant Program
To further support the promotion and advancement of environmental education throughout the PRIDE service region, PRIDE will offer grants to support environmental education workshops. Attendees of the workshops may be formal or non-formal educators working in the Bluegrass PRIDE service region. The workshops may focus on general environmental education or they may facilitate interdisciplinary use of the environment as a learning tool within a school or school district.
