Water Quality Education Grant Program

MARC, on behalf of the regional Water Quality Education Committee, requests proposals from individuals and community groups to implement education activities, events or projects designed to promote actions that will improve water quality in the Kansas City area.

Based on the 2009 survey results, the committee desires to continue its focus on educating citizens about stormwater as a primary source of water pollution and about actions that individuals can take to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater that enters our lakes, rivers and streams.

Grant program overview

This grant program is designed to improve public understanding about the negative impact that stormwater runoff has on our local rivers and streams by providing funding to individuals and community groups to utilize in developing their own educational activities, events and projects.

Individuals, non-profit organizations and community groups are eligible to apply for grant funding under this program. Government entities and religious organizations are not eligible to apply for funding.

Grant funds must be used to support activity and/or event planning, project implementation and associated costs. Selected proposals must address at least one of the water quality education goals set out below.

Grant program goals

This grant program funds educational events, activities and projects (collectively called "projects") related to reducing stormwater runoff and decreasing pollution of area creeks and streams. These projects should promote behavior changes that will lead to decreased stormwater runoff and improved water quality in area creeks and streams. Projects should address at least one of the following goals:

Provide public education about the adverse impacts of stormwater runoff and water pollution
Promote policies and management practices that individuals or communities should implement to reduce stormwater runoff and water pollution
Implement on-the-ground projects designed to reduce stormwater runoff and water pollution in area creeks and streams

Eligible projects

A wide range of potential projects may be eligible to receive assistance. The list below illustrates possible projects. Projects that are not on the list are welcome; this list is provided for informational purposes only.

Watershed celebrations
Adult education and outreach
School/community rain garden/rain barrel projects
Stream buffer plantings or restoration projects
River/lake/stream clean-ups
School-based water quality educational activities or programs
Pet waste education/bag dispenser and signage installation
Neighborhood water quality improvement activities or projects

Projects that reach a large number of people and projects that last for an extended duration of time are encouraged. This year, the committee is particularly interested in projects that are focused on adult education and /or behavior change.

Funding levels

Funding for Projects may vary, but will not exceed $5,000 per project; most awards will be in the range of $2,000 to $3,000. A total of $15,000 is available for financial assistance. Grant funds will support no more than 50% of the proposed project budget (e.g. a 50% match will be required). The Committee reserves the right to partially fund projects.

Past grant recipients are not guaranteed funding in this grant program. Grant recipients will be required to furnish general liability insurance and other insurance as determined by MARC to be appropriate for the project.

Timeline

Projects must be completed no later than December 31, 2010. Special permission may be granted for an alternative timeframe upon timely request to MARC. Once a Project is selected to receive funding, MARC will work with the applicant to finalize a letter agreement based upon the scope of work, budget and schedule submitted by applicant and approved by MARC.

Issue Request for Proposals on January 25, 2010
Proposals due February 22, 2010
Awardees announced March 15, 2010
Project completion December 31, 2010

Proposal submission and selection process

Proposals for funding should be submitted by Monday, February 22, 2010 to:

Jillian Hishaw
Mid-America Regional Council
600 Broadway, Suite 200
Kansas City, MO 64105

Proposals must be submitted as a Word document. All proposals must be submitted electronically to jhishaw@marc.org. Proposals should be three to five pages in length and should address all of the items listed in the Proposed Evaluation Form which is included in this request as Attachment B. Please include an individual’s contact name, phone number and email address.

A review committee comprised of Water Quality Education Committee members will evaluate proposals and recommend Project recipients to the full committee for final approval. Previous grant performance, including reporting history, will be taken into consideration for those applicants who are past grant recipients. Committee members will be using the Proposal Evaluation Form (found in Attachment B of the grant packet) in their selection process.

Final report

The applicant shall submit to MARC a final report within 60 days of Project completion that includes:

Synopsis of event
Digital photos of activities
Describe lessons learned (challenges)
Identify the number of participants/volunteers
Evaluation of Project’s success

For additional information regarding this request for proposals, please contact Jillian Hishaw at jhishaw@marc.org or (816) 701-8280. Please see Attachment C in the grant packet for further grant reporting details.

Program funders

Grant funds are administered by Mid-America Regional Council. The program is funded by local municipal contributions.

Full grant packet

2009 grant recipients

Stone Lion Puppet Theatre ($4,000)
The Stone Lion Puppet Theatre is a professional non-profit theater company that educates youth in low-income areas about the environment through the art of puppetry. The theater's newest production, Down the Drain, focuses on teaching kids about water quality and stormwater runoff at local community events, festivals and school assembly shows. Grant funds will go towards the recording of the original score, painting the set, creating the puppets and hiring the performance cast.
Green Works in Kansas City ($4,000)
Green works, a local environmental education non-profit, will teach high school students from the Green Impact Zone about green solutions, native landscaping, water quality and more. Greenworks' curriculum consists of an extended twelve-week learning program that includes visual and hands-on activities designed specifically for individual students. Activities include planting a rain garden, water filtering experiments, water quality testing of an urban lake or stream and tours of area water and wastewater treatment facilities. Grant funds will pay for staff expenses, transportation and materials.
Barstow School ($3,000)
The Barstow School anticipates installing two rain gardens on the school campus during summer and fall 2009. One of the rain gardens will be the focal point of a seven-week summer class during which students will learn about runoff and water quality. The second rain garden will be installed by students, faculty and teachers in a highly visible location to attract public interest. In the fall, the school will host a ribbon-cutting event that will include student presentations explaining rain gardens' water quality value. The grant will fund the purchase of plant material and mulch.
Science Pioneers ($4,000)
GLOBE is a worldwide, hands-on school-based science and education program that supports students, teachers and scientists as they work closely with NASA and the National Science Foundation on inquiry-based environmental investigations. Through partnerships with Youth Friends, Science Pioneers, UMKC, NASA and various other local watershed and educational entities, urban and rural science teachers will receive stream water monitoring training, certification and a kit to conduct testing on local waterways in Missouri and Kansas. Teachers will be trained on how to enter data on the GLOBE Web site. This program will allow science teachers to engage students in meaningful water quality education and promote positive behavior changes that will lead to decreased storm water runoff and improved water quality in area creeks and streams. The WQEC grant will cover the cost of the monitoring kits.
Washington Wheatley Neighborhood Improvement Association ($2,400)
The Washington Wheatley Neighborhood Association (serving the area between 18th and 27th Street in Kansas City, Mo.) will install a rain garden on a brownfield vacant lot located at 24th & Prospect Ave. Students from Crispus Attucks Elementary School and Phillis Wheatley Elementary will assist in the design and installation of the rain garden during the summer school session. Grant funds will be used to purchase plant material, soil amendment and mulch. The rain garden will be a focal point for educational trainings and workshops for neighborhood schools and others in the years to come.
West Branch Sni-A-Bar Creek Watershed Consortium ($1,500)
The consortium will host two water festivals during summer and fall 2009 to educate area residents about the impending stormwater, water quality and erosion problems in the area. Grant funds will support the water festivals and pay for the printing of educational materials about water quality and watershed management.
Little Blue River Watershed Coalition ($600)
The Little Blue River Watershed Coalition will host the 2009 Missouri River Watershed Festival on October 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will focus on educating middle school students in the Kansas and Missouri school districts about water quality with hands-on activities and visual entertainment from 30 exhibitors. This year's festival will take place at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kan. This event typically reaches over 800 to 1000 students.
Weston Cottage Garden Club ($500)
The Weston Cottage Garden Club will collaborate with the city of Weston and the West Platte R-II School District on installing a rain garden and an educational sign in Benner Park. Through a new curriculum component in the West Platte Schools District, 7th grade science and math classes will learn about the taxonomy of native plants and the cost and planting dimensions of the rain garden. Students will be responsible for the garden maintenance.

For additional information regarding this Grant Program please contact Jillian Hishaw at jhishaw@marc.org or (816)701-8280