EETAP States Program

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Your Proposal

Request for Proposal (RFP)

TO: State-Level* Environmental Education Leaders and Stakeholders

FR: The EE and Training Partnership (EETAP) States Program Council:
  • Greater Washington Urban League
  • Groundwater Foundation
  • National EE Advancement Project (managing partner)
  • North American Association for Environmental Education
  • Project Learning Tree
  • Project WET
  • Project WILD
  • WestEd Regional Education Lab
  • World Wildlife Fund
RE: Invitation to Submit a Proposal for the EETAP States Program

We are pleased to announce a two-year program to strengthen educator training in environmental education (EE) through capacity building. EETAP is looking for partners at the state level who are poised to build broad-based teams and work with the EETAP network to significantly advance your state's EE training program. Through the EETAP States Program we will provide up to $50,000 in seed funding in addition to organizational/leadership and EE professional development resources. EETAP is looking for state partners that can make rapid and notable progress towards strengthening your state EE program by September 2003. An initial grant of up to $25,000 will be available during the first year and up to $25,000 will be possible during Year 2. Applications will be due by August 31, 2001. The project will start October 1, 2001 and end September 30, 2003, with the possibility of continuation through 2005 based on project success and funding availability.

This Request for Proposal has been distributed to state level contacts for the Groundwater Foundation, National EE Advancement Project, National Urban League, North American Association for EE, Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, and the World Wildlife Fund. Please feel free to send this to and involve other EE leaders in your state. EETAP strongly encourages state leaders to work together and complete one coordinated proposal representing your state-level EE community. Because of limited funding, EETAP is conducting a competitive selection process for the EETAP States Program and will select up to eight states to participate and serve as models to advance comprehensive EE programs.

Funding for the EETAP States Program The EETAP States Program is a component of the larger Capacity Building initiative provided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education** under authorization of the National EE Act. Every three to five years, the National EE Act supports a major national consortium to advance educator training in environmental education. During 2001-2003, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was selected to manage a consortium called the EE and Training Partnership (EETAP) to increase and enhance educator training in EE. EETAP's national partners (see description of EETAP attached) have developed a series of activities to meet this need. EETAP's activities fall into five programmatic areas: 1) EE capacity building, 2) EE and education reform, 3) Diversity in EE, 4) EE professional development, and 5) Access and communication. The EETAP States Program merges all of the EETAP programmatic areas and looks to state EE leaders and stakeholders to be our partners in this project to strengthen training in EE. Specifically, EETAP is seeking states that can assemble a diverse and effective consortium of organizations to build on prior success in the development of comprehensive EE programs, work synergistically, and significantly advance training programs for EE.

* EETAP FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO U.S. STATES AND TERRITORIES. Other capacity building services will be available to Mexico and Canada. Please contact NEEAP to find out more.

Application Procedure

  1. Review the Request for Proposal including the program goals and objectives and expectations as well as the attached information about EETAP and Comprehensive EE Programs.
  2. Convene a team that will commit to developing and implementing a plan to strengthen your state EE training program.
  3. Appoint a Project Coordinator to organize your team's proposal. This person will be responsible for creating, editing and submitting your proposal to EETAP.
  4. Use the online EETAP States Program application web site to create drafts of your proposal and gather edits and input from your state team. The electronic application is located at: www.edgateway.net/eetapstates. Click here to view questions asked in the Application Form.
  5. Once your draft is in its final form, submit it to EETAP via the online application system.
  6. If for any reason you are unable to submit your application on-line, please contact Laura Dove in the NEEAP office at ldove@uwsp.edu or 715-346-4748.
  7. Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2001. States will be selected by September 14, 2001.

Project Goals and Objectives

Project Goal: To increase educator training in environmental education at the state-level through EE capacity building.

Objectives/Selection Criteria: The EETAP States Program Council will select states based on the applying team's ability to craft a proposal that reflects the objectives listed below.

Important Note: Objectives 1-3 contain components of comprehensive EE programs. State goals should focus on one to five of the components that are listed as examples, or similar state-level EE initiatives. Objectives 4-6 are priority crosscutting needs and opportunities in the field of EE. Competitive proposals will demonstrate how these objectives will be addressed in the selection of partners and in the development and implementation of your project plan.

State goals should reflect plans to achieve (or take significant steps to achieve) one to five of the Components of Comprehensive EE Programs listed in objectives 1-3 below:

  1. Components that directly support delivery of educator training in EE in states. Initiatives may include but are not limited to the following: coordinated teacher in-service and pre-service programs, training for providing EE professional development to classroom teachers, training for those providing EE to non-formal educators and training in EE for university faculty/teacher educators.
  2. Components that increase opportunities in educator training in states. These initiatives include but are not limited to the following: K-12 instruction requirements, EE learning objectives/outcomes, state assessments that include EE, EE correlations to state content standards, state EE curriculum guide and resource/model EE school programs.
  3. Components that make up the statewide infrastructure needed to support and sustain educator training. These initiatives include but are not limited to the following as long as they specifically include addressing educator training needs: EE master plan, EE board or advisory council, EE grants program, EE trust fund, EE office based in a state agency, EE center and/or regional offices, EE association, network of trained EE facilitators throughout the state and computerized networking and resource systems.

Applications should also demonstrate your team's commitment to address the following crosscutting needs and opportunities in the field of EE:

  1. Increasing diversity in the state EE leadership network and in providing programs that reach diverse audiences. This objective involves reaching beyond the established EE community to culturally diverse groups, urban communities, business communities, formal education associations, and other constituencies and institutions that have both a stake in environmental education and the resources and positions to help advance the field of EE.
  2. Linking state EE goals to education reform initiatives. This objective involves leveraging support for EE by partnering with education reform initiatives and stakeholders. Conversely, EE professionals and programs have much to offer the education reform arena whether in teacher training, school restructuring, guidelines, or testing. The successful proposal will demonstrate where these links can be made in the effort to strengthen state EE programs.
  3. Working synergistically with state and national partners. As the field of EE moves into the next phase of capacity building, we must all work "smarter rather than harder". EETAP is taking this challenge and asking state teams to be inclusive, increase and improve communication, set up efficient working structures and/or whatever else your team determines will assist you in the effort to create a synergistic project. Please demonstrate in your application how you will work synergistically in-state and with EETAP and other national partners (if applicable).

State Team Expectations

In addition to the above objectives, successful applications will demonstrate the teams ability to meet the following project expectations:

  • Form a collaborative team of broad-based stakeholders committed to the goals and objectives of this project.
  • Develop and implement statewide initiatives that directly and indirectly support the delivery and improvement of educator training.
  • Participate in leadership and organizational development opportunities such as leadership clinics and those offered at NAAEE conferences.
  • Submit updates, press releases and articles for publication in EETAP partner newsletters and EETAP newswire services.
  • Complete and submit timely reports on a biannual basis.

Team Roles

In order for national staff managing this project to most effectively serve teams, it will help us to have specific roles identified on state teams for organizational coordination, fiscal management and communications. At the same time, we want team configuration to serve the capacity building purpose of each state and its organizing structure. Therefore, please note that the roles suggested below are provided as examples. Feel free to create roles that best match the application you are submitting. However, please indicate which individual(s) will be responsible for the roles you determine.

  • Project Manager is the individual responsible for overall management, planning and implementation of the project, and is the liaison to the EETAP States Program management and communications structure
  • Communications Coordinator is the individual responsible for developing and coordinating updates for EETAP partners media sources and web services (such as completion of the application form and entries for the EETAP States Program on-line community).
  • Fiscal Agent is the individual and organization that will receive the grant funds and provide the accounting documentation including fiscal reports.
  • Evaluator is the individual who will take the lead responsibility for implementing the evaluation methods developed by the team to measure the impact of the project.

EETAP Support for States Selected-Services Available

Several activities are provided by EETAP that will support the development and delivery of your EE training efforts. The following summary of funding and services will be available to the states selected for the program. Application forms should demonstrate which EETAP services your team can utilize to achieve your objectives.

  1. Funding Opportunities
    EETAP will provide up to $50,000 for two years of project implementation. Your application should demonstrate how these funds will be used by your team over the two year period and what other resources you have available. (A budget worksheet is included in the application form) Additional support may be available in 2004-2005 depending on EETAP funding continuation.


  2. Services for planning, networking, leadership and organizational development, fundraising and promotion
  • State organizational follow-up NEEAP will provide organizational and leadership development services including: regular organizational follow-up regarding state plans and plan implementation, networking/mentoring/coaching support, an information sharing website, strategic planning training and support, and the matching of state needs to services.
  • Leadership Clinic for state teams A kick-off for teams is planned that will coincide with the NAAEE conference in 2001. In addition, a National Leadership Clinic will be held during 2002 and/or 2003.
  • NAAEE Affiliates Pre-conference workshop The workshop will unearth and analyze the barriers to discuss successful strategies for developing sustainable organizations. Models for sustainable organizations will be shared and each state/province will plot out how they will work towards sustainability.
  • Capacity building strand at NAAEE conference This strand will be a day in length and feature sessions and speakers on issues related to EE capacity building, and opportunities throughout the conference for participants to network and develop ideas and plans for strengthening EE.
  • EE Capacity building "toolkit" A kit will be provided in hard copy and on-line including a variety of documents and tools developed expressly for EE efforts. Included will be documents such as the Organizational Assessment Tool (OAT), the Leadership Clinic Planning Manual and other documents available from EETAP and partner organizations.
  • Promotion of EETAP States State partners will be asked to feature information and articles for distribution in the EETAP and States Program networks. EETAP will provide regular updates to those in the network regarding EE news and opportunities. An interactive web community is proposed that will feature pictures, plans and updates of participating states and national partners.
  1. Services for the development and delivery of EE educator training programs
    EETAP's Professional Development partners including Northern Illinois University (Project for EE Excellence), Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Project WET, and World Wildlife Fund are funded to provide directed assistance to the state teams selected for the EETAP States Program as well as others. Included are services such as training workshops in the EE Guidelines for Excellence, advanced training for workshop facilitators and coordinators, and assistance with correlations of national EE program providers and networks curriculum materials to education frameworks.


  2. Services to increase diversity
    Partners such as the Greater Washington Urban League, Project Learning Tree, Project WILD and NEEAP can provide training and referral in areas such as targeted urban training initiatives (PLT in the City and WILD in the City), bilingual correlations, cultural competency, and marketing and outreach to broad audiences and stakeholders.


  3. Services related to electronic communication
    EETAP is also funding partners such as EE Link (NAAEE) and WestEd Regional Education Lab to provide services specifically geared to the needs of states. These partners can assist state teams in the development of online searchable resource directories, online communities and calendars.

Eligibility for Funding

The requesting organization must be a state, local, or tribal government agency, college or university or a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Timeline

  • This is a two-year program that will begin October 1, 2001 and end September 30, 2003.
  • Applications are due no later than August 31, 2001 and state teams will be selected by September 14, 2001.
  • Four members of each team will have their travel funded to attend the EETAP States Program kick-off at the NAAEE conference in Little Rock, Arkansas from October 10-15, 2001.
  • Programmatic and financial reports will be due during February and August 2002-2003.
  • Based on the availability of funding the project may be extended to September 30, 2005.

Instructions for Submitting Applications

For the first time, EETAP is providing an on-line application submission process this year. Return to the Main Page to use the online Application Workspace to draft your EETAP States Program proposal.

The online system allows your state team to create a draft of your proposal via the Internet that can be viewed by your entire team. Team members can privately propose edits while viewing a draft of the document. The team's Proposal Coordinator will then incorporate these edits into the draft proposal. The on-line application system will also help EETAP partners as they review the applications. A final draft can be submitted directly to EETAP with just the click of a button.

If for any reason you are unable to submit your proposal on-line, contact Laura Dove at the NEEAP office at ldove@uwsp.edu, 715-346-4748.

The deadline for applications is August 31, 2001.

EETAP States Program
National Environmental Education Advancement Project
College of Natural Resources
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481

For more information contact the National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEEAP), the managing partner for this initiative at: neeap@uwsp.edu, http://www.uwsp.edu/neeap, or 715-346-4748.

Related Documents:

A Project of the EETAP Consortium www.eetap.org

**NOTE: In addition to providing funding for state capacity building under EETAP, EPA's Office of Environmental Education also offers funding for such efforts under their annual EE Grants Program. In the past, the number of capacity building proposals EPA has received has been less than expected given the interest in this area of the field of EE. Your team is strongly encouraged to apply for funding for FY 2002. The FY 2002 solicitation notice is expected to be released and available on-line in September 2001. Applications are usually due in November 2001. Additional information about this program can be obtained by accessing http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html.