NCR-SARE's 2025 Youth Educator Grant “Call for Proposals” is now available with information about how to apply for this funding.
Youth Educator Grant projects provide opportunities for youth educators in the North Central Region to teach young people about sustainable agriculture (farming and ranching that is ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible). Educators use the grants to encourage young people to try sustainable practices and see sustainable agriculture as a viable career option.
The maximum amount for grants is $6,000, and a total of approximately $90,000 is available for this program.
Application and Deadline
NCR-SARE is accepting online submissions for the Youth Educator Grant Program. More information about the online submission system can be found in the call for proposals.
Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at https://northcentral.sare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Youth-Educator-Grant/
Proposals must be received online or in the NCR-SARE office by mail or email by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
Attend a Youth Educator Grant Program Webinar
A webinar for the Youth Educator grant program will take place at 4pm Central on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. We will cover details about the grant and hear from past grantees. NCR-SARE intends to record the meeting and post it online here. Register for the webinar online at: https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ak6P3DmxQFOJBX-owvXN7A.
About the Youth Educator Grant Program
Youth Educators have tackled a wide range of projects over the years, from starting school gardens to hosting teen internship programs on farms.
There are many high-quality sustainable agriculture education programs already happening in the North Central region – far more than this grant program can fund. The Youth Educator program aims to fuel and share progress within sustainable agriculture education. This grant funds sustainable agriculture education efforts that are either (a) innovative overall or in their setting, or (b) significantly expanding or improving an existing program.
Outreach to other Youth Educators is an important part of this grant. When grantees share what they learned through their projects, they help create a ripple effect that will encourage their peers. This outreach can be simple but powerful, and help other educators feel more equipped to teach about sustainable agriculture.
You can find more information about sustainable agriculture at http://www.sare.org/ and in the Youth Education Topic Room at: https://northcentral.sare.org/resources/resources-for-youth-education/.
New this Year: Online Office Hours!
Liz Brownlee will be hosting a series of online informal Q&A sessions for potential applicants. Bring your questions; big or small, someone else is probably wondering about the same question. The dates and times for these sessions are listed below:
- Wednesday, Oct 9, from 7-8pm Central.
Register at: https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ttfSFsDLRrK-1b87k-IPIA - Wednesday, Oct 16, from 4-5pm Central.
Register at: https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JRzVyKNXTH-2KQcvTYTCqg - Wednesday, Oct 23, from 12-1pm Central.
Register at: https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6PWXQvM-T2OycRr5a3Y5NA
Questions
Applicants with questions can contact Liz Brownlee, Youth Educator Grant Program Coordinator, at brow7263@umn.edu or (812) 405-5681. Applicants should also contact Liz Brownlee if they need a hard copy or an email version of the call for proposals. We revise our calls for proposals each year, so be sure to use the most recent call.
Each state in SARE's North Central Region has one or more State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to potential grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at https://northcentral.sare.org/state-programs/state-coordinators/