GRANT ELIGIBILITY:

LEAP Grants are available to B.C. High Schools for:

• Science courses.

• Courses with a focus on environmental learning.

• Career courses focused on providing students with opportunities in environmental/conservation sciences.

AMOUNT ELIGIBLE:

• Grants up to $5,000

Overview

For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact education@hctf.ca1-800-387-9853 ext. 4 or 250-940-9786 | © HCTF Education

LEAP into Conservation!Leadership environmental action project grants for B.C. High Schools

LEAP into conservation with your high school science students through place-based learning projects that focus on B.C.’s biodiversity and provide opportunities for:

• Real world field-based experiences in conservation.

• Student learning of scientific practices.

• Citizen science opportunities.

• Providing opportunities for work experience focused on conservation-related careers.

• Leadership or conservation career skills development.

• Connecting to local conservation projects or issues.

LEAP grants must meet the following criteria:• Support an inquiry of a B.C. biodiversity topic or issue.

• Focus on a conservation or stewardship place-based project.

• Engage or partner with a community group, stewardship group, professional biologist and or other science professional.

• Provide students with real-world science and or field-based skills e.g. analyzing data; writing a short report; problem solving; designing an experiment; etc.

• Provide students with at least 3 outdoor field experiences in nature.

• Communicate about the project with others.

• Highlight career(s) in conservation or environmental science.

• Demonstrate student leadership in environmental learning e.g. mentoring or working with younger students in the district, communicating about their project, initiate school sustainability projects, engagement in data gathering; community education; hosting community event; creating a video about a local concern or issue.

Example projects:

• Inquiry projects related to a local issue e.g. water quality, pollution, species distribution, identifying sensitive habitat zones.

• Monitoring projects such as mapping numbers of a species across habitat types e.g. GLOBE, Bioblitz.

• Citizen science e.g. Frogwatch, Freshwater Watch, Wildlife Watch etc.

• Working with a biologist(s) in restoration, monitoring or inventory projects.

• Supporting removal of invasive species, reintroduction of indigenous species.

• Leading younger students in outdoor field science explorations.

For more ideas and links please check the LEAP Grant website.

Eligible items to be covered under this grant:• Transportation costs for field trips.

• Field equipment for project work.

• Field leaders for training sessions or mentoring with projects.

• TOC costs and or time to support teachers in planning and preparing for projects.

• Training sessions or workshops for teachers and students in science protocols or practices e.g. Stream Keepers, Wetland Keepers, etc.

Successful Grant requirements:• Applicants will have one full school year to

complete the project.

• School or school District must be able to accept the grant and manage.

• Complete a case study report(s) and summary of expenses for project.

• Provide student reflections shared through reporting and or multi-media.

• Provide photos and or video uploaded to Vimeo or Youtube.

• Complete an online evaluation.

For more information and resources, visit hctfeducation.ca or contact education@hctf.ca1-800-387-9853 ext. 4 or 250-940-9786 | © HCTF Education