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The Green Partners environmental education grant program provides funding and support to organizations to implement projects that empower residents to make environmentally friendly choices and take environmentally friendly actions.
We recently concluded an evaluation of the grant program that allowed us to reassess goals, analyze project outcomes, check alignment with community needs and county goals, and look for efficiencies in program management.
The evaluation process
Through the evaluation, we heard from current and past grantees, past applicants, community groups, grant managers from other programs, and Hennepin County staff.
Feedback was collected through surveys, a public meeting, interviews with organizations that we don’t currently have a relationship with, and staff meetings. Staff also reviewed and collected information from program records and grantee project reports.
Read the Green Partners evaluation: feedback report and program recommendations (PDF) for a detailed summary of the feedback we received and the corresponding program changes being recommended.
Recommended changes and follow-up survey
Through the evaluation, we identified about 20 changes to make to the Green Partners program. Review all of the recommended changes (PDF).
Then, tell us what you think by answering our short seven question survey. The survey will be open until June 15.
New website and education materials available
 Emerald ash borer, an invasive tree pest that attacks and kills ash trees, is the biggest current threat to our tree canopy. There are over 1 million ash trees in Hennepin County, and 100 percent of them are threatened by the emerald ash borer. Most residents live within 15 miles of an infested ash tree, which means they should be taking steps now to determine if they have ash trees on their property and how they are going to manage them.
Spread the word
Hennepin County created a new website and education materials to help residents learn about emerald ash borer and their options for managing ash trees. Find the website at www.hennepin.us/ashtrees, and help spread the word using our article, social media posts, images and ash tree identification video, which are available to download from our environmental education web page, under current campaigns.
On April 30, about 100 students from around the metro area took part in the metro area Envirothon at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Eighteen teams representing eight high schools and middle schools
competed to prove their environmental
knowledge in the topics of aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and current events.
 Teams from Hopkins took first and second, advancing to the state competition, while Minnetonka High School, Hopkins Middle School and Rockford Middle School all brought a strong contingent of engaged and enthusiastic teams.
A team from Hopkins High School won the state Envirothon in May, advancing to nationals in Idaho in July where they'll compete for scholarships.
Learn more about Envirothon and see how you can get involved next year!
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MPCA Environmental Assistance Grants
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is offering grants to Minnesota residents, organizations, businesses, and institutions who are doing work in several focus areas. One of the focus areas is environmental education, in which the MPCA aims to support environmental education and community engagement projects that raise awareness of and increase participation in preventing local water or air pollution or address environmental health concerns.
Projects demonstrating innovation and those benefitting communities with higher concentrations of low-income residents and people of color will be rated higher. Approximately $500,000 of total funding is available. Applications must be received no later than June 26. Learn more and apply.
Environmental education resources
Youth recycling education kit now available
 We recently created a new education kit focused on engaging youth in learning about recycling, and it is now available for community groups to reserve. The kit helps educators explain the importance of recycling, reuse, and waste reduction. It focuses on the natural resources items are made out of and what is and isn’t recyclable. The kit includes props, books, digital presentations, videos, and activities. This kit is appropriate for elementary and middle school ages. Learn more about the kits that are available and reserve one today.
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New articles on hosting a green graduation party, living green at the cabin, the 3 Rs of furniture, and cleaning up litter
The following new articles are available from Hennepin
County’s Choose to Reuse
website and Clean Water Minnesota.
Share these through your communication channels to inspire
your audiences to take action to protect the environment.
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Green Cabin Living: Learn how to continue your ecofriendly habits from your home away from home all summer long.
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Green Graduation Party: Get tricks and tips for hosting a graduation party with minimal waste.
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The 3 Rs of Furniture: Learn how to reduce your furniture waste, reuse old furniture, or repurpose items to give them new life.
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Couple tackles litter: Get inspired by one Minneapolis couple who improve water quality, create community, and beautify public spaces by picking up trash on their daily walks.
SciGirls training on gender equitable STEM teaching
There is still room in PBS' SciGirls upcoming GO GREEN Educators’ Workshop on Saturday, June 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Golden Valley Library. The workshop is a chance to learn about gender equitable
teaching strategies using media and STEM-based activities to empower youth ages 8 to 12. Learn more and register now.
Last change to register for the AASHE Sustainability, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workshop
The Association for
the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) inclusion
workshop is for faculty, administrators, staff and student activists of all
disciplines as well as community organizers, city officials and planners who
wish to integrate sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion into their
campus, curriculum and departments. During the three-day
workshop, participants will become familiar with approaches to recognizing the
interconnections of sustainability, diversity and equity.
The event will take place at North Hennepin
Community College in Brooklyn Park from June 20 to 22. Registration ends June
8. Learn
more and register.
U of M Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative webinar series
The University of Minnesota Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative is offering monthly webinars on various forestry topics for natural resource managers, landowners, and educators.
The next webinar on Tuesday, June 19 will focus on the Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis, conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, that provides annual information on the extent, character, and condition of urban trees and forest. This tool has been used in Minneapolis starting in 2017.
Learn more about the upcoming webinar and all webinars in this series.
The following organizations are being funded through the Green Partners environmental education program. These groups have been busy engaging their audiences in taking action to protect the environment. For more information about Green Partners grants, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Black Storytellers Alliance
 The Black Storytellers Alliance engaged youth ambassadors in learning about water protection, recycling, and composting. Youth met once a week to do hand-on activities, such as composting and picking up trash in and around the Karamu Communal Garden. Youth also decorated rain barrels that will capture rain from the roof of the neighboring Ames Elk Lodge building. The project engaged youth and adults from historically marginalized communities in north Minneapolis. Youth ambassadors educated community members at Earth Day, the Karamu Garden opening, Juneteenth, Family Day, Fit4Fun, and National Night Out. They also created and presented a play at Sumner Library in north Minneapolis with the help of a playwright.
Cycles for Change
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 Cycles for Change employed seven high school aged youth to learn
bicycle repair, go on bike rides, speak to their neighbors at local community
events about bicycling, and learn about transportation policy. Youth
provided bicycle mechanic support at Cycles for Change's Open Shop, where community members can drop
in and access free bike repair. Youth
also had the unique opportunity to support Cycles for Change in building out a new bike shop when the organization relocated their Minneapolis shop. Youth helped
vision the space, plan the layout, and participate in the physical buildout of
this new bike shop.
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