Otter Creek Audubon Society (OCAS), the Addison County chapter of the National Audubon Society, is pleased to announce the availability of a limited number of grants to help finance environmental education projects for Addison County schools. The mission of Otter Creek Audubon Society is to protect birds, other wildlife and their habitats by encouraging a culture of conservation within Addison County. All local efforts are volunteer-run.
Grant funds may be used to help defer the cost of transportation, admission fees, equipment, outside presentations, or other expenses that will improve students’ understanding of the natural world. Grants of up to a maximum of $800 per request will be awarded for use in 2023. Otter Creek Audubon Society seeks to assist schools in multiple school districts. Also, proposals that get students into the natural world will be favored. Applicants will be judged based on their response to the following questions:
- What is the environmental education value of the field trip/event/project?
- What are the education outcomes you expect for your students?
- How many students will the field trip/event/project serve?
OCAS realizes that educators must follow certain guidelines this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage teachers to be creative in designing their proposals around these guidelines. For example, given the relative safety of the out-of-doors, grant writers might consider an innovative outdoor learning space project. Requests for other resources, such as the loan of materials from the OCAS Lending Library, might not be available until the spring of 2023. OCAS wants to support Addison County educators, and we look forward to hearing what teachers need as they strive to provide their students with natural world experiences. Keep in mind, though, that OCAS volunteers might be unable to offer in-class programs based on COVID restrictions.
Please distribute the attached application materials widely to your school’s teachers. Applications are due by Tuesday, November 1, 2022, and can be sent to cgramsmac@mac.com. Successful grant recipients will likely be contacted by Monday, December 19, 2022. Grant recipients will also be asked to provide a one to two-page summary, including photos, of their field trip/event/project after it takes place.
To find out more about Otter Creek Audubon Society’s mission and activities, please visit our website at www.ottercreekaudubon.org. There you can also find a “Join Us” link to take you to the membership page, where member benefits are described. (Please note that membership is not a factor in grant decisions.)
Otter Creek Audubon is continually refining the field trip/event/project grant application process. If there are any questions or recommendations about the application process please email Carol Ramsayer at cgramsmac@mac.com.
Otter Creek Audubon Society 
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