Overview
The Water Smart Grant is a grants program open to teachers conducting classroom projects about caring for water for grades 4-6. Classrooms must be part of a school in a Cal Water service area. Teachers apply for a $250 grant, explaining their proposed project, and are notified within 30 days of their grant status. If they become a grant recipient, teachers are asked to submit only a short follow-up on the project to Cal Water. This program is not a competition, but offers a low-barrier entry to project-learning within the classroom and is a wonderful opportunity to tackle local water issues with your students.
Eligibility
Eligible teachers must:
- Teach grades 4, 5, or 6
- Teach at a school within a Cal Water service area - Check Your Address!
- Conduct a classroom project focused on caring for water (conservation, quality, supply, etc.)
Participating Students:
- Are still eligible to participate in A Splash of Creativity and other Tap Into Learning offerings.
The Program Year:
- The Water Smart Grant program is considered to run from July 1st - June 30th.
- If a teacher receives a grant, they cannot apply for another grant until the next July 1st or after.
The Application
Interested teachers may apply for a grant by submitting a completed application form. A teacher can apply multiple times per year, but may only receive one grant per program year.
Each grant application will be confirmed by email to the teacher at the email provided in the application.
Applications are accepted all year.
The Grant
Grant Recipients will be selected by a California Water Service Representative.
If selected for a grant, the submitting teacher will receive a $250 giftcard for use on their project. The giftcard will be sent enclosed in a letter, which shall detail the due date of follow-up materials. Approved grant requests will be distributed within 30 days of approval.
Follow-Up Materials
After receiving grant funds, participating teachers have 30 days to submit back project materials. These follow-up Materials include a 1-page coversheet and photos.
The cover sheet consists of:
- A teacher reflection (150-500 words)
- Up to five student quotes (150-500 words)
The Photos:
- The teacher is asked to submit photos of the project and/or participating teacher.
- Students should not be included in the submitted photos.
- Photos and coversheets will be submitted online through the Cal Water Tap Into Learning site.