Education Programs and Teacher Workshops with Riverway Area Schools- SACN | NPS NOIP20AC00368

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00368

The Education Programs and Teacher Workshops with Riverway Area Schools - SACN grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP20AC00368) is a discretionary National Park Service cooperative agreement focused on expanding environmental and place-based education in communities neighboring the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The project is built around a partnership between the Riverway (SACN) and its official friends group, the St. Croix River Association (SCRA), with the central goal of increasing how often local schools use the Riverway as a living classroom and strengthening long-term relationships between the park and surrounding school districts.

The effort is designed to serve K-12 education broadly, but it specifically targets fourth grade students and aligns with national priorities such as Every Kid in a Park and the National Park Service Centennial Act, emphasizing early, meaningful engagement with public lands. During the 2020-2021 school year, the program aims to reach approximately 30 teachers and about 6,000 students in communities near park headquarters and remote office stations along the Riverway corridor. The public benefit described in the opportunity is direct and local: improving access to high-quality, curriculum-based outdoor learning experiences for students and giving teachers the tools and confidence to incorporate the Riverway into their instruction.

A major deliverable is teacher training. SCRA is expected to provide three one-day training sessions (or an equivalent alternative format) for teachers in school districts adjacent to the Riverway. These workshops are intended as an introduction and orientation to the Riverway as a place of learning, combining a hands-on river-related experience, such as paddling or hiking, with educational presentations from National Park Service staff and other subject matter experts. The idea is to connect teachers with both the practical logistics of using the park for instruction and the content knowledge needed to teach river ecology, conservation, and related themes in a way that fits school standards.

In addition to teacher workshops, SCRA will coordinate delivery of the Riverway's standard curriculum-based education program for fourth graders, titled "Rivers are Alive." This component centers on bringing structured, established programming into school districts along the Riverway so that students receive consistent, age-appropriate education tied to river systems and natural resource stewardship. The cooperative agreement also explicitly includes logistical support for schools, such as transportation costs, reducing common barriers that prevent field-based learning from happening regularly.

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, under CFDA 15.954, and eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The grant listed an award ceiling of $165,000, with an expectation of a single award. The posting was created March 23, 2020, with an original application deadline of April 2, 2020. Overall, the grant is framed as a continuation and expansion of a proven local education partnership, meant to deepen youth engagement, increase park relevancy and inclusion for nearby communities, and build stronger ties with regional school systems through repeated, high-quality educational contact.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, education, energy, environment, natural resources, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Education Programs and Teacher Workshops with Riverway Area Schools- SACN" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 02, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $165,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for NPS NOIP20AC00368

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: