BALTIMORE SCHOOLS

ENERGY CHALLENGE GRANT

2018- 2019 Academic Year
Applications due Weds, October 31, 2018 by 5pm

About the Baltimore Schools Energy Challenge Grant Program

From October 2018—May 2019 Civic Works’ Baltimore Energy Challenge (BEC) is seeking a maximum of
10 Baltimore City Schools to participate in the Baltimore Schools Energy Challenge (BSEC) and apply for a $1,000
grant for student-led energy conservation projects and awareness campaigns from January to April 2019,
utilizing the information from lessons taught by staff and Civic Works AmeriCorps volunteers. Each teacher
submitting the application will be the BSEC liaison (known as the Project Coordinator) and will implement
lessons and activities to be taught and/or facilitated by AmeriCorps members from BEC and Civic Works’ Building
Brighter Futures education program.

Teachers will submit budgets for the $1,000 grant for energy-conservation upgrades and/or awareness
campaigns, and a plan for how often they will use the AmeriCorps volunteers in their classrooms (twice/week,
once/week, or every other week). AmeriCorps participants will visit each school to assist in teaching
conservation education, green practices, and interactive activities, making an effort to tie into teachers’ lessons.
The goal is to enhance and inform teachers’ curriculum by approaching all topics through a lens of sustainability
and environmentalism.

All grantees will also compete in a contest whereby teachers and students will collaborate to propose
energy efficiency upgrades at their school that cost up to $5,000. Students will present their proposals in their
classroom to BEC and City Schools staff in late March 2019. By late April 2019, a winning school will be selected.
In the summer of 2019, City Schools will complete the proposed upgrades at the winning school. This contest
will replace the PowerDown contest of past years, which was increasingly difficult due to moving schools and
delayed utility data.

Applicant Qualifications
▪ All Baltimore City Public Schools are eligible to apply.
▪ Previous Energy Challenge grant recipient schools may apply.
▪ Each application must have a Project Coordinator who is a teacher, administrator, parent, or
volunteer at the school.
▪ The Project Coordinator commits to overseeing the internal planning, student gathering times, and
budget tracking for the project.
 ▪ The Project Coordinator records team progress, including saving receipts and taking pictures, and
submitting a report in May 2019.

Application Process
▪ Organize your students around the goals of the BSEC and include them in the decision-making
process for planning your project.
▪ Identify your Project Coordinator – a teacher, staff member, parent or volunteer.
▪ Schools may apply for no more than one Baltimore Schools Energy Challenge Grant.
▪ Carefully read the information on pages 2-4, and come up with project ideas.
▪ Complete the application on pages 5-7, print it out and have your school’s Principal and Project
Coordinator sign on the lines indicated.
▪ No later than 5pm on October 31, 2018, mail, fax or scan & email your completed application to
Adam Martin (emailed applications preferred):
o Email: amartin@civicworks.com
o Mail: 2701 Saint Lo Drive, Baltimore, MD 21213
o Fax: 410-366-1831
▪ Applications will be judged on projected impact, ability to reach as many students, teachers, staff,
and parents at the school, and feasibility.
▪ You will be notified of the status of your application by December 1. Please note that the Energy
Challenge grant is competitive and awards are not guaranteed.

Background
Energy use is a huge contributor to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Baltimore. The Baltimore
Energy Challenge (BEC), a division of local non-profit Civic Works, works with students and teachers to
make energy conservation a fun and rewarding part of life at school. Each school is assigned a two-member
AmeriCorps team to work with students and teachers on a regular basis. In addition, they will engage with
parents and community members to teach them how behavior changes can decrease their energy use and
save them money.

Energy-focused grants are offered to City Schools in order to:

✓ Provide students with the opportunity to become leaders in energy conservation.
✓ Educate and empower school communities to save energy.
✓ Spread the message of saving energy and money to a wider audience of parents, neighborhood
residents, businesses, and partner organizations.

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If your school’s application for an Energy Challenge grant is chosen:

● From January through May, your AmeriCorps team will come to your school on regular basis (as
identified in the application by the Project Coordinator and confirmed by BSEC staff) and teach a
pre-made curriculum on energy sources and production, and most importantly, how the students
can adapt habits and behavior to decrease their energy use. These lessons are a combination of
presentations, activities, and projects. Our goal is to maximize education to as many students,
teachers, staff and parents about using energy wisely.
● Your AmeriCorps team will also reach out to community organizations, faith-based communities,
businesses and neighbors to create a resounding message of energy conservation throughout the
community.
● You will receive $1,000 towards an energy-conservation focused project. Your AmeriCorps team
will work with you to spend the funds.
● Your AmeriCorps team will help you compete in a contest whereby teachers and students will
collaborate to propose one or more energy efficiency upgrades at their school that cost up to
$5,000. Students will present their proposals in their classroom to BEC and City Schools staff in late
March 2019. By late April 2019, a winning school will be selected. In the summer of 2019, City
Schools will complete the proposed improvements at the winning school. This contest will replace
the PowerDown contest of past years, which was increasingly difficult due to moving schools and
delayed utility data.
● Your AmeriCorp team will work closely with the Project Coordinator to keep everything on track
for a successful project completed on time.
Applicants must be willing to work with the Baltimore Schools Energy Challenge (BSEC) AmeriCorps
team to fulfill the following:

▪ Schedule a teacher/staff/volunteer training for those involved in the project regarding energy
efficiency and conservation. Training will be conducted by the AmeriCorps team.
▪ Decide which group(s) or class(es) of students will receive the curriculum offered.
▪ Plan times when the AmeriCorps will regularly be at your school to teach and to work on the grant
project and energy efficiency upgrades proposal (they might teach during the day, then meet with
students after school another day)
▪ At minimum, the AmeriCorps will meet with your students every other week (twice per month
minimum).
▪ Plan activities for teachers, staff and parents to sign the Baltimore Energy Challenge Pledge to make
their personal commitment to reduce their energy use at home and in the school (e.g. staff meetings,
PD Days, parent nights, after school tabling).
▪ Recruit students as Junior Energy Captains who educate others on positive energy use behaviors.

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Project Ideas
Listed below are examples of projects completed by previous year's’ Energy Challenge grant recipients.
Schools can pull from these ideas and build on them or craft a unique project. If you choose one of these
ideas, be specific as to how you would implement it at your school to adjust to your school’s needs and
available resources. The project presented as part of this grant should also include no-cost activities (some
are listed below).

▪ Retrofits: Students identified areas where energy upgrades were needed and assisted in the
purchase and installation of new energy-efficient items, such as power strips, window blinds, energy
efficient lights, and faucet aerators.
▪ Building Energy Efficient Equipment: One school built a wind turbine to power a radio. Others
assembled a solar powered oven to dry fruits and vegetables.
▪ Skits and Raps: Student wrote and performed skits and raps to share with the school at assemblies.
Funds were used for props.
▪ Field trips: Students took field trips to sites where energy was being used responsibly such as the
Maryland Science Center and its Power Up! exhibit, the Port Authority, or Real Food Farm.
▪ Energy Audits: On a regular basis, students and teachers identified where energy was being used in
the school and whether it was being used efficiently. Students handed out citations to classrooms
and offices using energy inefficiently. With the use of their audit, schools held contests between
classrooms to see who could lower energy use in their room the most. Students first learned about
standby or ‘vampire’ energy using a Kill-A-Watt meter.
▪ Energy & Recycling: Students learned about the connection between recycling and energy use.
▪ Videos: Students wrote, created and edited movies and Public Service Announcements promoting
energy conservation awareness that were shown to other students, teachers, staff and parents.
▪ Solar Cars: Students assembled solar cars and then took them outside to observe how the cars
moved using solar energy.
▪ Pizza Oven Box: Students created solar ovens using pizza boxes.
▪ Awareness Projects: Students made posters and literature about recycling, global warming, energy
conservation, and other issues related to environmental sustainability. Some posters were laminated
for long term use. Other students designed and had t-shirts printed with positive energy and
sustainability messages.
▪ Power Down Days: Schools turned off all or most electronics and lights one day or half day a week.
▪ End of Day Power Out: Students worked with teachers to ensure all equipment was unplugged at the
end of the day and with housekeeping staff to ensure all lights are turned out at the end of the day.

Have questions or need help?

Email Adam at amartin@civicworks.com or call 443-869-2614, ext. 201

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 2018-2019 Baltimore Schools Energy Challenge Grant Application

School Information

School Name:
School Number:
School Address:
Principal’s Name:
Principal’s Email:
Principal’s Signature (required):
Please provide a description of your school, including name(s) of the surrounding neighborhoods, grades
served, community partnerships, and any past projects dealing with sustainability:

Project Coordinator Information

The Project Coordinator is the teacher, staff member, or parent/community volunteer who will take the
lead in helping the school implement its project and develop/present its $5k contest proposal. This person
must be an adult. The Project Coordinator will be the point of contact for notification of funding, reporting
requirements, and special events and opportunities related to the program. The Project Coordinator is also
responsible for tracking expenses, maintaining spending records (receipts), and completing a report at the
end of the project.

Project Coordinator’s Name:

Project Coordinator’s Position at the School:
Project Coordinator’s Phone Number: school cell
Project Coordinator’s Email:
Project Coordinator’s Signature (required):
Are there other teachers or staff in your school who will participate in the project? If so, please provide
names, positions and contact information:

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Project Description
Please answer the following questions.
1. What will you title your school’s Energy Challenge Project (be creative)?
2. Describe your project: What will your students do with the funds you are requesting? How will they
be involved as energy leaders through the project? How will it decrease energy use and increase
sustainability at your school? Also include no-cost activities in your description.
3. How will your project spread the message of energy conservation through the school community to
as many people as possible?
4. What are the steps you will take to carry out your project?
5. What partners, if any, will you work with?
6. How often do you plan to have the BSEC AmeriCorps volunteers present at our school (twice/week,
once/week, or every other week)?
7. What are your anticipated outcomes for your project?

Project Timeline
Please keep in mind that schools may have to limit, but not cancel, some grant activities during testing. This
timeline will help guide the project so the project can be successfully completed.

Month Activities
January
February
March
April
May

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Budget
Please complete the budget form below. Total budget request per project may not exceed $1,000. Please list
the quantity, type of item, and cost or approximate cost of all items. List vendors if known.

Category Items Cost

Implementation $
(The tools you’ll need to carry out
your project)
Promotion $
(Informing other students or
members of your community about
the project. Examples include flyers,
banners, t-shirts, bumper stickers,
and bulletin boards)
Recording and Reporting $
(Documenting your work by print,
photo, video and/or other means)
Training and Research $
(Materials or other information
resources, including field trips fees)
Transportation $
(Getting to and from events or sites
needed to carry out the project;
typically the cost to rent a bus)
Other $
(If you expect other expenses, please
describe them here)
TOTAL $

Reporting Requirements
Before submitting an application, please read thoroughly the following reporting requirements.

▪ BSEC participants will complete a pre- and post-survey, which we will provide. If AmeriCorps
volunteers teach the BSEC curriculum only to a specific class/student group, only those participants
will need to complete the pre- and post-survey.
▪ At the completion of the project, a narrative report with an updated actual budget and receipts from
all funds spent must be submitted. A report template will be supplied and will include topics such as
final project description, testimonials from students and teachers involved in the project, the
number of students who were reached by the project, and potential next steps.
▪ The school will take photos of grant activities to supply to BSEC for use in promotional and
educational materials.

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Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about what’s happening to improve sustainability throughout City Schools?
Visit the City Schools’ Sustainability pages (www.baltimorecityschools.org/sustainability and
www.baltimorecityschools.org/internal_sustainability ), or contact Joanna Pi-Sunyer, Green Schools
Coordinator, at JPi-Sunyer@bcps.k12.md.us or 443-642-4542. You can also check out the Resource Guide
for Going Green in City Schools (http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/Page/26114) where you can find
partners and resources to support you. Here are a few particularly useful contacts to have on hand:

Help with recycling at your school: Trained volunteers to help with gardening projects:
Baltimore Department of Public Works Baltimore City Master Gardeners
Erin Klamic, Recycling Program Associate, Erin Mellenthin, Baltimore City Extension Master
erin.klamic@baltimorecity.gov Gardener Coordinator emelle@umd.edu
410-396-4511 410-856-1850 x121
https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/recycling-services http://extension.umd.edu/baltimore-city/master-
gardeners-1
Free trees and help with school tree plantings:
Tree Baltimore Small grants, giveaways of plants and other resources,
Charles Murphy, Program Coordinator and programs for environmental education and outdoor
Charles.Murphy@baltimorecity.gov learning:
410-458-7888 Parks and People Foundation
http://www.treebaltimore.org/ Sam Little, Environmental Education Manager
Sam.Little@parksandpeople.org
Connections to experts in the fields of environmental 410-448-5663 x128
health who want to work with students: www.parksandpeople.org
Maryland Environmental Health Network
Yinka Bode-George, Program Manager For information on citywide sustainability projects in
yinka@mdehn.org the communities and schools:
http://www.mdehn.org Baltimore City Office of Sustainability
Abby Cocke, Environmental Planner
Stormwater-focused educational programs and Abby.Cocke@baltimorecity.gov
resources, and a local plant nursery: 410-396-1670
Blue Water Baltimore www.baltimoresustainability.org
Michel Anderson, Outreach and Education Coordinator
manderson@bluewaterbaltimore.org
410-254-1577 x121
www.bluewaterbaltimore.org

Free visits for city schools, education on nutrition and

farming, internships for high school students:
Baltimore City Public Schools’ Great Kids Farm
James Koval, Farm Manager
jpkoval@bcps.k12.md.us
443-620-3453
www.baltimorecityschools.org/greatkidsfarm

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