GOLD Grants 2023-24

GOLD (Georgia Outdoor Learning Demonstration) Grants

A second year of GOLD Grants has been allocated by the Georgia state legislature. These grants arose from a bipartisan Senate Study Committee on Outdoor Learning, which determined that all Georgia students would benefit from opportunities to learn outside.

GOLD Grants are managed and administered through a collaboration between Georgia Department of Education and the Environmental Education Alliance, Inc. The first year of funding (2022-23) provided 18 grants. A list of those projects is posted at the bottom of this web page. 

GOLD Grant Application OPEN until December 1, 2023.  Apply Now! 

Application Form  (complete form in one sitting or come back to it and continue at another time)

Application Preview  (advance through pages without responding to required questions)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible Applicants

Schools, school districts, non-profit organizations and public agencies are eligible to apply. Non-school applicants need to provide outdoor learning experiences and partner with one or more schools. Individual educators may submit applications though the principal (or CEO) must also be suuportive.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

Eligible outdoor learning projects may include:

• Professional learning for teachers
• Schoolyard improvements
• Student supplies and / or
• Field trips to natural areas (or in-school field trips)

It is not necessary to include more than one category of eligible activity in an application. 

AMOUNT OF GRANTS

Grants may range from $500 - $5000 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Grants will be awarded based on geographic distribution and - within each part of the state - selection criteria including the following:  impact (depth of learning experience or number of student beneficiaries); learning goals; experience and interest level of applicant; partnerships; evidence of effective planning including recognition of school assets and project challenges; extent of student need as evidenced by Title 1 status of school or % student eligibility for free and reduced price lunches; lack of nearby parks and environmental education opportunities; reasonableness and detail of budget; likelihood of project continuation after the grant; and demonstrated understanding of best practices in outdoor learning. Innovative projects and approaches are also valued. 

Reviewers from the Georgia Department of Education, the Environmental Education Alliance, Inc. and other sources will review and score applications. All eligible applications will be reviewed at least twice and scores averaged. There is a conflict of interest recusal process and guidelines for all reviewers. Final grant decisions will be made by the Georgia Board of Education. All applicants will be advised of their status within two weeks after the Board's decision. Those who are not funded may receive information on the review of their application.

GRANT SCHEDULE

Grant applications will be due by mid-October 2023, reviewed and ranked by early November, and considered by the State Board of Education at the December 2023 meeting. Funds will be deposited to school districts' Consolidated Applications (ConApps) for use in spring 2024. Note that grants for applications submitted by non-profits and public agencies will be funded through a partnering school district. 

Previous Applicants

Previous grantees must wait one grant cycle before reapplying for a difference project. In light of the number of high-quality applications that were not selected during the first grant round due to limited funds, previous applicants may request that their original application be reconsidered without resubmitting the form OR may revise their application and resubmit for the same project. 

Special Note to Previous GOLD Grant Applicants

• GOLD Grant awardees must wait one funding cycle before applying for a different (or expanded) project.
• Previous GOLD Grant applicants who were not funded in the first round may choose to have their original applications reconsidered by emailing [email protected].  Alternatively, previous applicants may revise and resubmit or completely change their applications. 

Congratulations to the following schools and organizations
awarded GOLD (Georgia Outdoor Learning Demonstration) Grants 
from the Georgia Department of Education
in Spring of 2023

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• Eligible Applicants: Schools, school districts, public agencies, and non-profit organizations that provide outdoor learning opportunities for students in GA
• Eligible Projects:  Professional learning, schoolyard improvements, student supplies, and field trips 
• Grant Amounts: $500 - $5000
• Initial Grant Deadline:  January 12, 2023
• Grant Award Timeline:  State Board of Education approved a grant docket in March for spring projects

• Criteria and Selection: Applications had to demonstrate need, benefits, and impact of proposed projects.  Reviewers' scores were averaged and each application ranked. The State Board of Education considered recommendations and the top scoring applicants were selected in each part of the state,.

Note: The initial grant round was very small - just enough for one grant to be awarded in each part of the state. As a result, many excellent applications did not receive grants due to lack of funds.

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