Looking for a way to fund your outdoor or environmental education program? Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) grant provides funding to schools for programming that introduces under-served populations to environmental and conservation programs as well as TPWD mission oriented outdoor activities. CO-OP supports such activities as backpacking, hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, fishing, orienteering, geocaching, canoeing/kayaking and outdoor cooking.

The success of this program lies in the partnerships created between TPWD and grass-roots organizations who have already established a relationship with these identified targeted audiences; females, physically/mentally challenged,  ethnic minorities, low income and youth. 

CO-OP provides grants to tax-exempt organizations ranging from $5,000 to $40,000. This is a reimbursement grant program.  Recipients must purchase eligible items and submit proper documentation before being reimbursed.  Eligible organizations can apply to use these funds for programming expenses such as equipment, leasing transportation, staff, liability insurance, food, program materials, etc. 

Grant funds are NOT eligible for community festivals, indoor classroom only projects, facility construction projects, landscaping, multimedia projects, research projects, training only projects, or traditional sports/recreation programs such as baseball, basketball and soccer.

The next grant deadline is February 1, 2015. Grant information and the grant can be found online at https://tpwd-recgrants.fluidreview.com/ Grants must be submitted through the online system. Questions? Contact us at rec.grants@tpwd.texas.gov or at 512-389-8224.  

Texas Parks and Wildlife has wonderful classroom resources!  Here's one example.

All living things need water. Where does wildlife fit in the picture in Texas? Learn how wildlife uses water and, online, learn about the state of water resources in Texas.

Click on the picture for a direct link, and you'll also find:

Print "Every Drop Counts": Print and distribute a pdf of the article for classroom use.

Student Research Page: This web page is for your students, with links to activities, video clips and related web sites to guide students' research.

Background for Teachers: Learn more about this topic.

Vocabulary - definitions and context: These definitions include a context sentence to aid understanding.

Activities and Lesson Plans: From discussion questions to fun activities, try these supplements to your curriculum to engage students.

Project WILD Activities: Activities suited for this topic.