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Grants for Energy Schooling
by Susan Deschel
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Thanks to changing energies, technological advances, and the interests of private and public sectors, there is plenty of grant money available for schools to bring in new energy sources while teaching kids about energy at the same time. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and energy producing industries are interested in educating kids about energy, while using schools as catalysts for change.
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Government Funded Grants
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act makes money available to states to fund projects that involve energy conservation. In New York State for example, through the NYSERDA State Energy Program, funding is available for municipalities, K-12 public schools, state and city colleges and universities, hospitals and non-profits.
Through the U.S. Department of Energy, NYSERDA makes available over $49 million for eligible energy conservation projects, applied for competitively. Schools with creative ideas for integration with classroom projects are at an advantage to receive funding. Application information can be found on the NYSERDA website. Check your state's website for details, or go to Grants.gov to find your state.
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Private Sector Competitive Mini-Grants
Many energy producing companies in the private sector want to provide money for schools to implement lessons that prepare students to be future leaders in power industries.
Westinghouse Electric Company, for example, has the "N-Visioning a Brighter Future" grant program. This program funds science, technology and mathematics education at the middle and high school levels. Each winning applicant school is awarded $1,000 for a creative project idea involving energy, mathematics, technology or science. More information on the Westinghouse Company grant can be found on their website.
Conducting a simple Internet search can also turn up many of these grants using terms such as "energy grants for schools" or "school mini-grants & energy."
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Energy Sources for School Grants
Schools can also find funding to convert existing energy sources. Because schools consume such volumes of energy, and because they are situated amidst a surrounding community, investments in power generation are encouraged by energy producing industries.
Wind turbines for example, can provide enough energy to power a surrounding community with a Re-Driven 20 KW unit provided by EPS (Engineered Process Systems).
EPS makes grants available to offset the cost of installation, often close to $790,000 or better, reducing the cost by as much as 50 percent. Once they're installed, utility costs are also offset, further reducing investment costs. Schools who receive their power by one of the industry's five investor-owned utility companies are eligible to apply.
More grants for similar energy projects can be found using simple search terms, or by subscribing to grants databases such as the Foundation Center, http://foundationcenter.org or the School Funding Center, http://schoolfundingcenter.info.
