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infographic credit: Children & Nature Network
infographic credit: Children & Nature Network
GO for the G.O.L.D.!
2026-27 Georgia Outdoor Learning Demonstration Grants
2026-27 GOLD Grant - 5th Year
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Deadline: Applications accepted July 15 - through September 25, 2026
Grant awards to be announced by State Board of Education by Dec 2026 Grant funds availability: December, 2026 Project completion deadline: June 30, 2027 Eligible applicants: schools, school districts, non-profit organizations, or public agencies; project beneficiaries must be GA public school students Funded activities: professional learning for educators, schoolyard improvements, supplies for outdoor learning, and/or field trips Grant amounts: $500 - $5000 per grant; at least 18 grants to be awarded Grant-Writing Webinars: Aug 19th and Sep 8th 2026 |
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What's New this Year . . .
Non-profit organizations and public agencies that are awarded GOLD Grants will not be required to receive funding through a school district, as they have been in the past. Instead, they will be able to set up their own accounts in the GAORS grant portal system and draw down funds directly. Grantees will still be required to coordinate with the school district where students will be served.
What to do if you cannot access the Grant Application . . .
Non-profit organizations and public agencies that are awarded GOLD Grants will not be required to receive funding through a school district, as they have been in the past. Instead, they will be able to set up their own accounts in the GAORS grant portal system and draw down funds directly. Grantees will still be required to coordinate with the school district where students will be served.
What to do if you cannot access the Grant Application . . .
There are two major reasons why the grant application form may not open when you click on the link:
- Your school district or employer may have Google blocked. One solution is to try to access the application from another device or browser ~ even your phone.
- You may not be logged in to a Google account. This is necessary so the application form can save progress if not completed in one sitting, and to permit uploads of the budget and signature form. To solve this issue, please create a free Google account, sign into it, and then open the application. If you receive an error message that says "Sorry - Unable to Open the File at this Time - Get Stuff Done with Google Drive" please click on the "Learn More" link below the pop-up message, then click the blue 'Sign In' button, sign into Google or select Open in Google Drive, and then select the GOLD Grant application from the list and open it (or return to original link and click on it).
- If access to Google is blocked by your employer or you prefer not to create and use a Google account, you may use the Alternative GOLD Grant application by clicking the button below. No Google sign-in is required. Please note that this version of the application does not automatically collect email addresses, does not save progress, and does not allow uploads. The application must be completed in one sitting (or the form left open until completed) and documents must be linked instead of uploaded. It is recommended that the application responses be written and saved in a different document before copying and pasting into the application form, to reduce chances that work on a partially-completed application will be lost.
If you are still unable to access the application, reach out to this email address for assistance: [email protected]
GOLD Grant Writing Webinars Aug 19 and Sep 8, 2026
Keith Crandall and Renee Shirley-Stevens of the Georgia Department of Education and Karan Wood of the Environmental Education Alliance (EEA) will present grant-writing webinars for prospective GOLD Grant applicants on August 19 and Sep 8, 2026, at noon and 4:00pm each day. The webinars review grant selection criteria, project parameters, budgeting, and grant-writing. Click on a link below to register in advance.
Register for a webinar
A recording of the 2025 webinar, the slide deck that was presented, and answers to questions addressed during the webinar are shown below.
History of the GOLD Grant Program
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Legislative intent for the GOLD Grant program is explained in the Final Report of the bipartisan Senate Study Committee on Outdoor Learning, chaired by Senator Sheik Rahman. Committee Members included Lt Governor (then-Sen.) Burt Jones, Senator Jennifer Jordan, Senator Ed Harbison, and Senator Sally Harrell. The GOLD Grant program is managed by the Georgia Department of Education.
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The following report on the first three years of the GOLD Grant program offers insights into program successes as well as opportunities for improvement and expansion.
Frequently-Asked Questions (selected from previous grant rounds)
What is the "environmental education continuum" referenced in the grant application?
The "ee continuum" - shown in the graphic below - emphasizes that effective outdoor learning is more than educators imparting knowledge about the environment. It is an opportunity to engage students in observing real-world phenomena, conducting investigations, solving authentic problems, testing prototypes, and making a difference in the world.
How does the continuum relate to outdoor learning?
Children benefit from being outside, whether to play, explore nature, garden, hike, or participate in other outdoor activities. These experiences increase focus and attention, spark curiosity, and improve academic outcomes in every subject area. In addition, childhood nature connection and participation in student-directed projects can instill a lifelong conservation ethic. To learn about these documented benefits, check out research from Children and Nature Network.
The GOLD Grant program is especially interested in ways that natural elements in the schoolyard - including plants, trees, water, soils, and wildlife - can provide an ideal setting for student investigations and outdoor learning. The more actively students participate in learning: as explorers, investigators, problem-solvers, and project planners, the more competent and confident they become in making sense of the world. This process can be valuable for any subject area; has parallels to "three dimensional learning" as described in the Framework for K-12 Science Education; and aligns with the way that the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science are intended to be taught.
Children benefit from being outside, whether to play, explore nature, garden, hike, or participate in other outdoor activities. These experiences increase focus and attention, spark curiosity, and improve academic outcomes in every subject area. In addition, childhood nature connection and participation in student-directed projects can instill a lifelong conservation ethic. To learn about these documented benefits, check out research from Children and Nature Network.
The GOLD Grant program is especially interested in ways that natural elements in the schoolyard - including plants, trees, water, soils, and wildlife - can provide an ideal setting for student investigations and outdoor learning. The more actively students participate in learning: as explorers, investigators, problem-solvers, and project planners, the more competent and confident they become in making sense of the world. This process can be valuable for any subject area; has parallels to "three dimensional learning" as described in the Framework for K-12 Science Education; and aligns with the way that the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science are intended to be taught.
We applied last year but were not selected for a grant. Do we have to create a new application this year, or may we just re-submit our original application?
Yes, repeat-applicants may re-submit their applications from the 2025-26 grant round with a new signature form and updated contact information. See the "Resubmit" button above. The same review and score will apply for the new grant round. (To make any changes or be re-reviewed, the applicant must submit a new application instead).
I have a question about GaBOE District Map and GaBOE district in which project will be located. Does this application ask about my school location or where we are going on a field trip. My school is in (X) County. I want to take our kids to another county. Which county do I list?
Yes, repeat-applicants may re-submit their applications from the 2025-26 grant round with a new signature form and updated contact information. See the "Resubmit" button above. The same review and score will apply for the new grant round. (To make any changes or be re-reviewed, the applicant must submit a new application instead).
I have a question about GaBOE District Map and GaBOE district in which project will be located. Does this application ask about my school location or where we are going on a field trip. My school is in (X) County. I want to take our kids to another county. Which county do I list?
Please list the county in which your school is located.
Quick question -- our project is a workforce development internship for Title I students. It takes place from June 1 - July 31 -- since the program ends in July, are we not eligible? Or could we apply for funding for half the course of the program?
A project such as the one you describe would span fiscal years. Funds do not roll over from one year to the next . So no, a project that takes place next July would not be eligible but the June part of the project - if it could stand alone, could be eligible for GOLD Grant funds. AND if your school district policy allows payment in advance for goods or services from trusted vendors, GaDOE has no objection to this approach.
Does the grant writer need to be a school staff member? Or can a parent leader submit the grant?
The grant application can be written by a parent or volunteer but the superintendent or designee needs to sign the grant application terms and agreement, providing the name and contact information for the district financial officer.
Can funds be used to cover staff time and mileage to/from a school where professional development will take place?
Out of pocket expenses by educators who are attending professional learning can be eligible expenses if included in the grant budget.
Does the school have to be a title one school in order to be eligible?
No - schools do not need to be Title I to be eligible. However points are awarded for economic need as indicated by any of four indicators, including Title 1 status and rate of free or reduced price lunches.
In my county, the use of Google docs is not possible through our computers. I am working on this at home on my personal computer. Is there a way to complete the document on line to share with our administration prior to submitting to the state? I have not been able to find support through my technology dept.
You can review the questions in the application by opening the Preview document (which is in pdf format). Answers can be prepared separately and shared with administrators before pasting them into the google doc to submit the application. A Google-free version of the application is also available.
I wanted to know if the application is able to be saved on the site with out submitting to access along the way?
Yes, as long as you are logged into Google, the application will automatically save and can be completed in multiple sessions. The Google-free version of the application does not save progress nor allow uploads, but is possible to complete without signing into a Google account.
From the Con App side - Is this a federal funded grant or a state grant?
GOLD Grants are state funded - but most districts do not have a state grants specialist so the District federal grants person should be listed in the application.
With which school district should a RESA partner, if the RESA intends to provide services to multiple schools through a grant-funded project?
A RESA (as well as other public agencies and non-profit organizations) can apply directly for a GOLD Grant without receiving funds through a school district. Please list the RESA's (or agency's) financial staff person and have the CEO or executive director sign off on the application.
A district has already submitted an application on behalf of two partnering schools. May one of those schools also submit another application?
Yes, an application from the school would be accepted, despite being included in another application submitted by the district, assuming the applications seek funding for different projects. These applications would compete with each other - and one of the goals of the GOLD Grant program is to spread resources throughout the state - but it is theoretically possible that both could be funded (one: if it is the highest ranked in its state school board district, and the other: if it is one of the top-ranked applications state-wide, after one grant has been awarded in every state school board district).
A project such as the one you describe would span fiscal years. Funds do not roll over from one year to the next . So no, a project that takes place next July would not be eligible but the June part of the project - if it could stand alone, could be eligible for GOLD Grant funds. AND if your school district policy allows payment in advance for goods or services from trusted vendors, GaDOE has no objection to this approach.
Does the grant writer need to be a school staff member? Or can a parent leader submit the grant?
The grant application can be written by a parent or volunteer but the superintendent or designee needs to sign the grant application terms and agreement, providing the name and contact information for the district financial officer.
Can funds be used to cover staff time and mileage to/from a school where professional development will take place?
Out of pocket expenses by educators who are attending professional learning can be eligible expenses if included in the grant budget.
Does the school have to be a title one school in order to be eligible?
No - schools do not need to be Title I to be eligible. However points are awarded for economic need as indicated by any of four indicators, including Title 1 status and rate of free or reduced price lunches.
In my county, the use of Google docs is not possible through our computers. I am working on this at home on my personal computer. Is there a way to complete the document on line to share with our administration prior to submitting to the state? I have not been able to find support through my technology dept.
You can review the questions in the application by opening the Preview document (which is in pdf format). Answers can be prepared separately and shared with administrators before pasting them into the google doc to submit the application. A Google-free version of the application is also available.
I wanted to know if the application is able to be saved on the site with out submitting to access along the way?
Yes, as long as you are logged into Google, the application will automatically save and can be completed in multiple sessions. The Google-free version of the application does not save progress nor allow uploads, but is possible to complete without signing into a Google account.
From the Con App side - Is this a federal funded grant or a state grant?
GOLD Grants are state funded - but most districts do not have a state grants specialist so the District federal grants person should be listed in the application.
With which school district should a RESA partner, if the RESA intends to provide services to multiple schools through a grant-funded project?
A RESA (as well as other public agencies and non-profit organizations) can apply directly for a GOLD Grant without receiving funds through a school district. Please list the RESA's (or agency's) financial staff person and have the CEO or executive director sign off on the application.
A district has already submitted an application on behalf of two partnering schools. May one of those schools also submit another application?
Yes, an application from the school would be accepted, despite being included in another application submitted by the district, assuming the applications seek funding for different projects. These applications would compete with each other - and one of the goals of the GOLD Grant program is to spread resources throughout the state - but it is theoretically possible that both could be funded (one: if it is the highest ranked in its state school board district, and the other: if it is one of the top-ranked applications state-wide, after one grant has been awarded in every state school board district).
GOLD Grant Projects & Expenses
GOLD grants can be used for projects that engage students in outdoor learning, with expenses in any or all of these four categories:
1. Schoolyard Improvements
Get inspired to create outdoor learning spaces, using the CoOL Toolkit. Then check out the slide deck below for ideas about schoolyard improvements based on responses to a survey of Georgia teachers.
2. Supplies
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Putting tools, supplies, and equipment in the hands of students can have a powerful impact in terms of their capacity to conduct investigations, solve problems, and make sense of the world. For ideas about supplies that can strengthen your outdoor learning program, click on the link to the Outdoor Learning IdeaBook.
Note that this resource is a work-in-progress that will be extended throughout the school year. The referenced supplies are for illustrative and inspirational purposes only and are not endorsed or recommended by the Environmental Education Alliance or the Georgia Department of Education. |
3. Field Experiences
Field trips can be one-off events that are only tangentially connected to the curriculum. To increase their impact, consider these strategies:
This video provides an example of a multi-part field trip with lasting value. Students learned to use GPS devices when a non-formal education provider visited their classroom; and then traveled to a park where they used the GPS units to record locations where they removed invasive plants and collected the seeds of a native species. Back on campus, students grew the seeds in their greenhouse over the winter, and then returned to the park for a spring field trip where they planted the seedlings. Although the video features a different school, GOLD Grantees have completed projects that entailed removing and replacing invasive species with native plants near the Okefenokee Swamp.
- a series of field trips at different times of year (for the same students), or an immersive, multi-day field experience;
- pre- and post- field trip activities that extend and deepen learning, or collaboration between the field trip provider and teacher to integrate the field experience as part of a lesson unit;
- observation of a phenomenon and/or collection of data during a field trip, to be analyzed and investigated back at school;
- visiting an unfamiliar place to provide context for an ongoing investigation, or research a natural phenomenon or resource;
- learning an investigation protocol from an environmental educator or participating in a community science project that can be replicated in the schoolyard
This video provides an example of a multi-part field trip with lasting value. Students learned to use GPS devices when a non-formal education provider visited their classroom; and then traveled to a park where they used the GPS units to record locations where they removed invasive plants and collected the seeds of a native species. Back on campus, students grew the seeds in their greenhouse over the winter, and then returned to the park for a spring field trip where they planted the seedlings. Although the video features a different school, GOLD Grantees have completed projects that entailed removing and replacing invasive species with native plants near the Okefenokee Swamp.
In another example of a field experience with deep and lasting impact, these students raised trout eggs in the classroom; visited a stream to test various parameters and determine whether it would be an acceptable place to release the fish, based on their research about trout habitat and survival needs; and then returned to the site when the fingerlings were large enough to release. Although the video features a different school, a GOLD Grantee in north Georgia completed a similar project and invested in a "Labitat" that enables the project to be replicated year after year.
4. Professional Learning (PL) for Educators
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The extent of outdoor teaching preparation (including college courses and professional learning after employment as pK-12 teachers or non-formal educators) is a reliable predictor of program success and sustainability. Professional learning is available in person or online, for free or for a fee. Most of the courses and workshops focus on increasing an educator's comfort level teaching outside, although some also cover methods (instructional strategies), models, and measurable outcomes. |
START WHEREVER YOU ARE
The examples provided above are intended to offer inspiration and ideas. They may not be practical or relevant for your school at this time. Start wherever you are. Take stock of your assets and make the most of the resources you have. Create a plan to expand and extend your program in phases, so that each component is do-able without feeling overwhelming. Recruit support and celebrate each success along the way.
Remember that you do not have to be an environmental expert to teach effectively outdoors, when you focus on student-directed "three-dimensional learning." And fancy facilities are not a pre-requisite for nature exploration, schoolyard math and science, garden-based learning, history investigations, or outdoor reading.
Remember that you do not have to be an environmental expert to teach effectively outdoors, when you focus on student-directed "three-dimensional learning." And fancy facilities are not a pre-requisite for nature exploration, schoolyard math and science, garden-based learning, history investigations, or outdoor reading.
Lessons Learned about Outdoor Education . . .
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Over a ten year period during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Georgia awarded 1,000 small grants for outdoor learning. Hundreds of schools created outdoor learning labs and applied to Georgia Wildlife Federation for certification of Schoolyard Habitats. Georgia hosted the Urban Conservation and Education Initiative (UCEI) and four schools participated in SEER's Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning (EIC) model. The first Schoolyard Ecology & Greenspace Symposium was held in 2004, and continues as an annual event, known as the Outdoor Learning Symposium. More than 20,000 Georgia teachers and non-formal educators have been trained in Project WET, Project Wild, or Project Learning Tree.
A 2004 evaluation of outdoor learning in Georgia revealed that 40% of schools had abandoned their efforts, and 84% of those defunct programs lasted only during the year of grant funding. On the other hand, the 60% of educators who were still teaching outdoors had been doing so for an average of eight years. Investment in professional learning was the most effective predictor of the sustainability of outdoor learning. Another key factor was the extent to which outdoor learning was embedded in the school culture and curriculum. Schools that considered their campuses to be outdoor learning labs were more likely to engage students in active learning than those that constructed shelters or benches and labeled them "outdoor classrooms", leading to a change in concept and terminology. Outdoor learning spaces are now recognized to be any place in the schoolyard that provides opportunities for nature experiences, exploration, investigations, or problem-solving. |
Previous GOLD Grants
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Click for different layers --> (years of GOLD Grants)
Click down arrow on left side of chart and then click the name of a grant recipient to see project info
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<-- Click square to open a larger map
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GOLD Grants awarded for the 2024-25 School Year (Round 3)
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2024-25 Grant Applications at a Glance
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Why Teach Outside?
Benefits to Children and Teachers
Spending time in nature has positive effects on student well-being, from improved physical and mental health to increased interest, focus and engagement. Nature play and outdoor investigations can spark curiosity, increase interest in learning, deepen understanding, and enhance academic performance. Schoolyard nature experiences can also become the foundation for a lifelong conservation ethic.
The Georgia Standards of Excellence were designed to be taught by making real-world connections. Outdoor learning provides context for making sense of abstract concepts. Textbooks come to life and core ideas become tangible and relevant when students have the opportunity to explore the schoolyard, observe phenomena, make and test models, and conduct their own investigations. As students apply knowledge to solve authentic, local problems, they collaborate and communicate, explore careers, hone marketable skills, and gain confidence in their ability to make a difference in the world. It is that confidence - which researchers call 'self-efficacy'- that empowers and motivates students.
Benefits to the Environment
Schoolyard projects can improve the ecological health of the campus while demonstrating the effectiveness of student-designed interventions, innovations and sustainable practices, inspiring a new generation of environmental problem-solvers.
Evidence and Research for the Benefits of Outdoor Learning
Children and Nature Network has summarized some research findings in the infographics below. For more ideas about translating research into teaching practice, click this link:
Spending time in nature has positive effects on student well-being, from improved physical and mental health to increased interest, focus and engagement. Nature play and outdoor investigations can spark curiosity, increase interest in learning, deepen understanding, and enhance academic performance. Schoolyard nature experiences can also become the foundation for a lifelong conservation ethic.
The Georgia Standards of Excellence were designed to be taught by making real-world connections. Outdoor learning provides context for making sense of abstract concepts. Textbooks come to life and core ideas become tangible and relevant when students have the opportunity to explore the schoolyard, observe phenomena, make and test models, and conduct their own investigations. As students apply knowledge to solve authentic, local problems, they collaborate and communicate, explore careers, hone marketable skills, and gain confidence in their ability to make a difference in the world. It is that confidence - which researchers call 'self-efficacy'- that empowers and motivates students.
Benefits to the Environment
Schoolyard projects can improve the ecological health of the campus while demonstrating the effectiveness of student-designed interventions, innovations and sustainable practices, inspiring a new generation of environmental problem-solvers.
Evidence and Research for the Benefits of Outdoor Learning
Children and Nature Network has summarized some research findings in the infographics below. For more ideas about translating research into teaching practice, click this link:
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Environmental Education Alliance, Inc.
P.O. Box 801066 | Acworth, GA 30101 EEA does not does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its program , activities, or employment. For more information on EEA's non-discrimination commitment click here . Grievance officer may be contacted at [email protected] |