Funding Eligibility

When open, the NESTA Planet Stewards program is available to all formal and informal educators working with elementary through college-age students, as well as the general public.

Preference is given to:

• Educators actively working in pairs or groups.

• Educators proposing projects that engage multiple classrooms, grade bands, entire schools, or multiple schools.

• Educators with organizational leadership roles, skills, or other activities that give the applicant an advantage in completing their project.

• Projects engaging partners external to the submitting educator’s school or organization, especially partners that provide tangible in-kind support.

• Projects designed/with plans to persist beyond the federal funding period.
  
  

Individuals who have previously been awarded funds by NOAA Planet Stewards may submit applications for funding to carry out stewardship projects in subsequent years. The proposed projects must be significantly different from previously funded projects, or significantly expand the scope or impact of a previously funded project (e.g., involve significantly more/different types of students and/or members of the community, increase the quantitative impact of their project, etc.).

If an educator currently completing a stewardship project would like to apply for funding for the subsequent year, a progress report demonstrating significant progress in a current project is required.

Funding Conditions

NESTA Planet Stewards funds are only allocated to a school, a school district, a not-for-profit organization, or institution affiliated with the educator applicants. Funds are not allocated directly to educators.

Project funds are disbursed to support the implementation of stewardship projects and must be directly applied toward resources and activities leading toward the successful completion of the identified project.

Funds cannot be used for:

• Salaries (except for substitute teachers in formal education settings).

• Costs associated with educators’ own attendance at professional conferences or personal professional development (including transportation/lodging/fees).

• Overhead costs.