Donald Weesner Foundation
Yellow Bus Fund
The Weesner Foundation has graciously partnered with Wolf Ridge to provide transportation help to schools in need who want to attend Wolf Ridge, but face difficulty due to transportation costs. For more information, download Yellow Bus Fund.
Environmental Learning In Minnesota Grants
Two types of grants are available from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Environmental Education Advisory Board (EEAB) and the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education (MAEE). Additional information about these grants can be found at the MAEE website.
School Grants
are directed towards preK-12 students to provide financial resources (up to $3,000) for projects that may include field trips to environmental education providers, indoor/outdoor classroom activities, transportation costs, and/or supplies and materials for on-site environmental education projects. School Grant Guidelines, School Grant Application
GreenPrint Grants
provide financial resources (up to $20,000) for organizations, partnerships, and schools that implement projects that will forward the goals of the GreenPrint3, the most recent version of Minnesota's state plan for environmental education. GreenPrint Grant Guidelines, GreenPrint Grant Application
Plautz Family School Scholarships
Wolf Ridge School Trip Grants
The Michael and Gloria Plautz School Scholarship Fund. With the generosity and philanthropy of Michael and Gloria Plautz, Wolf Ridge is pleased to offer this annual fund for school scholarships. It is open to all school groups and all ages of students. Download Plautz Family School Scholarships.
Target Corporation
School Field Trip Grants
AAM President Ford W. Bell and Target officials recently collaborated to spread the word on the company’s expanded field trip grants program. For the 2008–2009 school year, Target is offering 5,000 field trip grants of up to $800 each—triple the amount offered last year—with no strings attached.
Applications for field trips between February 2009 and the end of the school year will be accepted online through Nov. 1. All educators, teachers and principals wishing to plan a field trip for students are eligible to apply, including previous grant recipients. Applicants must provide brief descriptions (no more than 2,000 words) of the field trip and its benefits, as well as a breakdown of expenses. Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials and supplies. Other criteria for selection of grant recipients include the field trip’s tie-in to the school’s curriculum and the number of students who will be involved. Successful applicants will be notified in January 2009.
Established in 2006, Target Field Grants enables educators to take learning outside the classroom. Last spring, the program awarded a total of $1.6 million to education professionals nationwide to fund 1,600 field trips. This year Target expects to award up to $4 million for field trips.
Jeffers Foundation Grants
Wolf Ridge-Jeffers Scholarship Grant Program
Wolf Ridge is managing a scholarship grant supplied by the Jeffers Foundation. The Jeffers Foundation is offering scholarship money for the next two years to K-6 schools that have not attended Wolf Ridge or another residential environmental learning center in the past two years or are in jeopardy of losing their current trip due to financial challenges. The scholarships will be up to a maximum of 50% of the trip cost. Download Wolf Ridge-Jeffers Partnership.
Jeffers Partnership Grants
Schools may also apply directly to the Jeffers Foundation for a Partnership Grant. Jeffers Foundation seeks to partner with schools and others that want to provide unique and meaningful experiences for elementary age students in the area of established principles of environmental education and stewardship.
In the Partnership Grant Program, Jeffers Foundation seeks to partner with other school districts, schools, communities, governmental agencies, businesses and other organizations to foster environmentally sound education for elementary age children. Jeffers Foundation seeks interested applicants wishing to submit Partnership Grant proposals in the following areas: Festivals, Community Projects, Staff Development Projects, Food Waste Reduction Programs, Summer and After School Programs, Other Environmental Education Projects.
See the “Jeffers Partners” page for a description of the many successful Jeffers Partnerships. To apply for a Jeffers Foundation Partnership Grant click the link to download the application form in MS Word Format: Jeffers Partnership Grant Application
The Jeffers Foundation is a Minnesota based organization whose mission is to provide young people with direct education experiences that teach the value of wise stewardship and preservation of natural resources for the sue and enjoyment of present and future generations. You can learn more about the Jeffers Foundation at jeffersfoundation.org
