State and Local Grants

Need grantwriting tips? Green Steps mentor Sonya Younger suggests www.schoolgrants.org, a collection of resources and tips is intended to help K-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects, and Show Me the Money: Tips and Resources for Successful Grant Writing.

DHEC's Champions of the Environment Grant Program
South Carolina's K-12 teachers, students and environmental educators can apply for a $2000 grant. The deadline for applications is January 15 and September 15 each year. There are five grants available each grant cycle. Some deserving projects that do not receive a grant will be offered a Merit Award of $400 to help start the project. The Champions’ application form is a fillable Word document that is best submitted by email. Click here to learn more and download the application form.

DHEC's Recycling Education Grant Program
This grant program is available to schools to promote awareness of solid waste issues, including the need to reduce the solid waste we generate, and to recycle whenever we can. All projects are required to include a used oil awareness project. Any K-12 public or private school may apply on its own or school districts may apply on behalf of their schools. Grant awards are competitive, funding is limited and awards may vary from year to year.

Eligible projects include:

  • Containers - Classroom or outdoor bins used to collect recyclables.
  • Composting - This may include supplies for composting projects and/or vermi-composting projects. 
  • Action for a Cleaner Tomorrow Lesson Supplies - This may include supplies to support lessons from Action for a Cleaner Tomorrow. 
  • Recycling Club Supplies - This may include supplies to support recycling related activities of the Club. 

Click here for more information. Please note that applications for the FY2010 funding have closed.

DHEC Recycle Guys Awards
Each year, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling honors the top recycling programs, projects and people in South Carolina for outstanding achievement in a variety of categories. The 15th Annual Recycle Guys Awards Program was held on March 2, 2010. Click here to see the Recycling Student of the Year, Recycling Teacher of the Year, Recycling School of the Year and to view the entire 2009 Recycle Guys Awards Winners.

Mid Carolina Electric Cooperative Bright Ideas Grants
Mid Carolina Electric Cooperative's Bright Ideas grants program is open to classroom educators of grades K-12 in the following districts/schools:

  • Lexington School Districts One, Two, Three and Five
  • Hollywood Elementary School (Saluda County)
  • Pinegrove, Rhame, and Sandel Elementary Schools and St. Andrews Middle or Columbia High School (Richland County)

Application deadline is September 3. Click here for more information and to link to the 2010 Bright Idea Application.

Palmetto Pride Challenge for the Environment Grant
PalmettoPride is now accepting proposals from elementary, middle and high schools to participate in their Challenge for the Environment grant program. This competitive grant provides funds for educational and developmental activities concerning the importance of community-based beautification and litter reduction inivitives. Click here for more information.

Palmetto Pride Tree Grant
PalmettoPride is donating trees to be used in beautification projects around the state. All trees must be planted on public spaces accessible to all citizens. Click here for Tree Grant eligibility and guidelines or click here to download the application. Deadline for submissions is September 15, 2010.

Progress Energy Grants
Progress Energy is offering teachers in PE service areas up to full-funding for classroom projects that teach about alternative energy and/or energy conservation. To be considered, projects must be for $500 or less in materials, submitted by a teacher in a PE service area, and must focus on alternative
energy/energy conservation.      

Who qualifies? All science teachers at public schools in the
following counties:

  • Chesterfield
  • Darlington
  • Florence
  • Marion
  • Sumter

Note: This funding will be spent on a first come, first served basis and is only available until the grant is spent out, so teachers should act soon!

How do I participate? First, log in to your teacher account on DonorsChoose.org. Once you’re logged in, submit a project (or two!) requesting $500 or less in materials per project to teach about alternative energy or energy conservation.

Then what happens? Within one month of being approved, your project(s) will receive up to full funding, until our grant runs dry!

Visit the Progress Energy challenge page to get a better idea of the types of projects Progress Energy has been funding!

To get started with submitting your own alternative energy/energy conservation project(s), visit www.donorschoose.org/teacher!

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