The Schoolyard Habitat Grants program (it's been around since 1987) gets children learning outdoors while helping local wildlife. To date, over 250 elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as several colleges, have received grants totaling over $150,000. Thanks to the Division of Wildlife's (DOW) Wild Colorado Schoolyard Habitat Grants program, Colorado teachers and students have worked on wetland creations, xeriscaping, windbreaks, nature trails, and urban wildlife habitat projects, among many others, around their schools. Any Colorado educator trained in projects WILD, Teaching Environmental Science Naturally (TEN), Water Education for Teachers (WET), or Learning Tree (PLT) is eligible to apply for a grant of up to $1000 for a schoolyard habitat project.

Projects must be student-led and student-oriented as part of the qualifying criteria. Your students, with your guidance, develop a project that benefits wildlife and improves the aesthetic of your school—while giving them a hands-on understanding of local stewardship and environmental improvement. Students come to have an understanding of wildlife needs; ecosystem requirements, life cycles, trophic levels, and much, much more. While planning, implementing, and maintaining their project they will apply math and science knowledge, as well as exercise their critical thinking skills. Let their imaginations run wild in the outdoors while making a difference in your community for people and wildlife.

For more information, contact your Division of Wildlife regional education coordinator.

Wild Colorado Schoolyard Habitat Grants are made possible through support from the Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the Colorado State Forest Service.

1. If you have not already, take a Project WILD, Water Education for Teachers, Teaching Environmental Science Naturally, or Project Learning Tree workshop. (See the Teacher Workshop page for offerings.)
2. Download the application, review the requirements, and plan your project
3. Before submitting your application, please review to make sure all of the necessary information has been provided and you have obtained all of the necessary signatures. You may leave the signature for the Regional Education Coordinator blank—it will be signed after your application has been reviewed.
4. E-mail or mail your completed application to your Regional Education Coordinator

Grant applications are due by March 1st of each year, although applications may be submitted at any time. If your application is received after March 1st, it will be held for consideration during the next grant period. Decisions will be sent out by April 1st. 

• DOW Education coordinators, http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/EdContacts.htm
• Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation, http://www.cwhf.info/
• Colorado State Forest Service, http://csfs.colostate.edu/
• Planning a project, http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/TeacherResources/SchoolyardHabitatGrants/Pages/WILDProjectPlanning.aspx
• National Project WILD, http://www.projectwild.org/
• Teaching Environmental Science Naturally, http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/TeacherResources/TeachingEnvironmentalScienceNaturally/
• National Project WET, http://www.projectwet.org/
• Project Learning Tree, http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/project-learning-tree.html
• Teacher workshops, http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/TeacherResources/Workshops/WorkshopsCalendar.htm