2021 Applications for Funding Due April 30 

New York Sea Grant, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), today announced funding is now available for projects that engage youth under the age of 21 and address local watershed challenges and New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda priorities. A total of $200,000, up to $25,000 per project, in New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants will be awarded. 

“These grants provide a unique and critical opportunity for the next generation of New York’s Great Lakes stewards to become directly involved in learning about and developing smart solutions to address local watershed challenges,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “DEC looks forward to continuing to partner with New York Sea Grant to implement the solutions that will protect and enhance the Great Lakes for generations to come.”   

“We are excited to see applications for innovative projects that include New York’s Great Lakes’ region youth in activities that will increase their awareness and knowledge of environmental and conservation issues,” said New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, PhD, JD, Ithaca, N.Y. 

Educational institutions including, but not limited to, public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, not-for-profit organizations, county and local government or public agencies, municipalities, and regional planning and environmental commissions are eligible to apply. Projects can include outdoor and in-classroom education, hands-on training, and formal and informal educational settings. 

Applications are due by April 30, 2021; instructions are online at http://www.nyseagrant.org/glsmallgrants. For more information, contact New York Sea Grant at 315-312-3042. 

New York Sea Grant administers the New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program in partnership with DEC. This small grants program is funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. For more information on New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda, go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/91881.html. More information on New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants projects and other New York Great Lakes-related information is available at http://www.nyseagrant.org/nygreatlakes. 

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program. Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has promoted coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the state's marine and Great Lakes resources. New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices in Buffalo, Newark, and Oswego. The public can connect with New York Sea Grant at http://www.nyseagrant.org and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.