Go MAD – and Make a Difference

Local schools and childcare centres are being encouraged to apply for a MAD Green Grant to help them ‘Make a Difference’ to the environment.

Available through Council’s Environmental Levy, MAD Green Grants fund projects that engage young people to learn how to connect with, protect and make a difference to their precious local environments.

Successful applicants will deliver projects over the entire school calendar year providing opportunities for schools and centres to design, deliver and measure environmental projects onsite or at a nearby location.  The grants are worth up to $2,000 each.

“We’d encourage students and educators alike to be bold and creative when developing their project ideas,” said Andrew Davis, Council’s Sustainable Living and Community Programs Coordinator. “Last year, 14 schools received grants totalling over $21,000. The projects they came up with included creating native bush tucker gardens, school wide recycling and plastics pollution education programs, establishing native bee hives and creating habitat for native wildlife.

“MAD Green Grants is a fantastic opportunity for local schools and centres to make a difference and empower the next generation of young leaders.”

To be eligible, projects must involve children in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the project and inspire positive behaviour change in the broader school community. All projects will need to incorporate a simple before and after survey.

Eligible projects will:

Enable schools to promote more efficient use of resources and improve the quality of the local environment; Nurture knowledge, values and behaviour in young people that supports environmental sustainability; Encourage and support environmental sustainability outcomes in school communities; and Deliver environmental sustainability outcomes aligned with the MyCoffs Community Strategic Plan.

Applications for the MAD Green Grants close at 5pm on Monday, March 25 2019. Application forms and guidelines can be found on Council’s website.

Anyone interested in making an application and needing further information is invited to the Sustainable Schools Network meeting on February 20. To RSVP for that meeting, or for general grant enquiries, please email Council’s Sustainable Living Program Officer or call 02 6648 4643.