Applications for No Child Left Inside grants are not being accepted at this time. Additional grant phases will be announced in late 2022 or early 2023.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is excited to announce the continuation of the No Child Left Inside Grant Program.
Recent and emerging research indicates that students are increasingly disconnected from nature. Getting more people into the outdoors is crucial for the future stewardship of Minnesota's natural resources.
Purpose
The program aims to support and increase efforts to expand programming that connects youth to the outdoors. Funded by the 2019 Minnesota Legislature with additional funding from the 2021 legislative session, these grants are provided for:
“outdoor environmental, ecological, and other natural-resource-based education and recreation programs serving youth.”
(See 2019 Special Session 1, Chapter 4, Article 1, Section 3, Subd. 6)
Multiple phases
The NCLI grant program has multiple phases. Funded projects are listed below.
- Phase 1
Organization Project Location Grant Albany Area Fishing Team No Child Left Inside Grant Program Avon $5,000.00 Anoka-Hennepin School District #11 Andover HS Outdoors Adventures BWCAW field trip Andover $5,000.00 ARAA Outdoors (Anoka/Ramsey Athletic Association) Anoka/Ramsey Athletic Association Outdoors Program Ramsey $5,000.00 Bertha-Hewitt Elementary School Outdoor Learning Classroom Bertha $4,600.00 Buffalo Ridge Gobblers - NWTF Hoverball and StickIt Archery Set Marshall $3,000.00 Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota Prairie's Edge Exploration Backpacks Mankato $2,175.00 Chisago County Rivers are Alive, Aquatic Invasive Species Education for Students in Chisago County Center City $3,500.00 City of Duluth Parks & Recreation Connecting Youth to Nature by Snowshoeing Duluth $5,000.00 Community Education ISD #108 Exploring the Great Outdoors Norwood Young America $3,250.00 Compassionate Rochester MN and Diversity Council Bird Sleuth Explorer's Guide Class Rochester $770.00 Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa Youth Outdoors Saint Paul $5,000.00 Crosslake Community School No Child Left Inside Grant Crosslake $2,280.00 Dawson Boyd ISD #378 Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center Dawson $2,500.00 Dodge Nature Center Environmental Education Scholarships West Saint Paul $5,000.00 Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Scholarships for Outdoor Education Lanesboro $5,000.00 Farmington Area Public Schools Outdoor Learning Farmington Elementary Farmington $5,000.00 Farmington Area Public Schools Snowshoes Farmington Farmington $4,105.00 Goodhue County Education District Student Educational Adventures Program Red Wing $4,245.00 Great River School Fruit Trees for Water Quality Saint Paul $5,000.00 Higher Ground Academy K-12 Charter School Ice Fishing at Como Lake Saint Paul $5,000.00 Hopkins Public Schools Hopkins Preschool Nature Play Hopkins $5,000.00 Jordan Public Schools and Community Education Recreation Center Nordic Ski Equipment Packages Jordan $5,000.00 Kingsland Public Schools Kingsland Elementary School Outdoor Education Program Spring Valley $1,850.00 Kinship of Morrison County No Child Left Inside Grant Little Falls $4,000.00 Lakeville South Clay Target Team 2020 Spring Clay Target Season/ Trap and Skeet Shooting Lakeville $5,000.00 Marshall County Central Schools Nature Based Teacher Workshop Newfolden $5,000.00 Milaca High School Maple Syrup Production Milaca $4,600.00 Minneapolis Nature Preschool Minneapolis Nature Preschool Outreach Minneapolis $5,000.00 Minneapolis Public Schools South High School Trout in the Classroom Minneapolis $2,538.93 Minneapolis Public Schools Bryn Mawr/ Anwatin Elementary and Middle School Forest Minneapolis $5,000.00 Minnesota State University, Mankato Camp Maverick: Exploring the Great Outdoors Mankato $2,040.00 Minnesota Youth Ski League No Child Left Inside Minneapolis $4,500.00 Morris Area Schools ISD #2769 5th Grade ELC Trip Morris $1,002.00 North Lakes Academy Charter School Outdoor Learning at Our New School Forest Lake $5,000.00 North Shore Community School (NSCS) 2019 No Child Left Inside Mini Grants Duluth $3,527.50 NWCA Baudette Head Start No Child Left Inside Badger $3,200.00 Owatonna Public Schools McKinley STEAM Elementary School/ WCNA Owatonna $4,560.00 Park Rapids Area Schools No Child Left Inside Grant Park Rapids $3,200.00 Pedal Power MN Webster School Biking Minneapolis $5,000.00 Pillager Public School 40 acre School Forest and School Ground Cross Country Skiing Pillager $5,000.00 Pine Island Public School Environmental and Outdoor Education Pine Island $5,000.00 Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Youth Snowshoe and XC Ski Purchase Maplewood $4,920.00 Recreational Experiences Achieving Community Harmony (REACH) REACH's Youth Winter and Spring Survivor Programs Cloquet $5,000.00 Redwood Area Community Education Redwood Area Community Education Instructional and Safety Grant Redwood Falls $2,500.00 Regents of the University of Minnesota Expanding Winter Programming at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Minneapolis $4,990.00 Riverway Learning Community Charter School Outdoor Learning Space Winona $5,000.00 Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD #281 School of Engineering and Arts Kindergarten Golden Valley $3,000.00 Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD #281 Robbinsdale Area School Early Childhood Programs New Hope $555.70 Rockford Area Schools Rockford School Forest Explorers Rockford $1,400.00 Ruffed Grouse Society Rum River Chapter Upland Bird Camp Cambridge $850.00 Saint Paul School of Northern Lights No Child Left Inside Grant Saint Paul $5,000.00 South Washington County Schools Park High School to MN Landscape Arboretum Cottage Grove $5,000.00 St. Charles Public Schools St. Charles Trap Team St. Charles $2,500.00 St. Raphael Catholic School Environmental Field Trips Springfield $2,548.00 Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District Augmented Reality Sand Table Waite Park $5,000.00 The Friends of South High Foundation All Nations South High Minneapolis $5,000.00 Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation Youth Snowshoe Purchase Hastings $5,000.00 University of Wisconsin-River Falls TRIO Upward Bound at Washington Technology Magnet School Saint Paul $5,000.00 Upper Mississippi Academy UMA Hiking Co. No Child Left Inside Mini Grant Saint Paul $5,000.00 Total $233,707.13 - Phase 2
Organization Project Location Grant Albert Lea Schools ISD 0241 Targeting Outdoor Engagement Albert Lea $23,686.50 Anoka Hennepin Schools ISD 11 Winter Ecology and Fish Survey Anoka $11,550.00 Ardent Outdoor Group Big Fish and Fry High School Ice Fishing League West St. Paul $45,440.64 Bertha-Hewitt Public Schools ISD 0786 Sporting Clays Bertha $10,000.00 Cannon Falls Public Schools ISD 252 Cannon Falls Outdoor Education Block Cannon Falls $5,800.00 City of Anoka Youth Waterfowl Hunting Collaboration Anoka $10,500.00 Deer River Schools ISD 317 Gikinawaabi (He or she learns by observation) Deer River $49,938.00 Duluth Public Schools ISD 709 Outdoor Learning and Recreation at Recess and After School Duluth $25,000.00 Friends of the Mill District Four Seasons of Inclusion Minneapolis $48,120.00 Great River School Back into Nature: A series of natural experiences Saint Paul $7,750.00 Hancock Public Schools ISD 768 """Owls Outdoors""" Hancock $17,820.00 Headwaters Science Center (HSC) Science Centered Outdoors Bemidji $9,186.78 Hmong College Prep Academy Bass Fishing Club St. Paul $5,000.00 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Public Schools ISD 0775 Dry Fire Trap Simulator/ Garmin Trap Shooting Trainer Kerkhoven $7,079.99 Lower Sioux Indian Community Year-Round Dakota Youth Outdoors Program Morton $30,520.00 McGregor Public Schools ISD 4 All 4 Outdoors McGregor $5,000.00 Minneapolis Nature Preschool Pre-K as Incubator and Stimulator of Collaborative, Comprehensive Environmental Ed Minneapolis $44,785.00 Nashwauk-Keewatin Public Schools ISD 319 Spartan Angling Nashwauk $11,500.00 North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Public Schools ISD 622 Inclusion on North's Fishing Team North Saint Paul $6,900.00 Owatonna Public Schools ISD 761 OMS Outdoor Classroom Improvement Project Owatonna $9,472.00 Pelican Rapids Area Schools ISD 0548 Minnesota Climate Safety: enjoying the outdoors in rural Minnesota Pelican Rapids $6,204.26 Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center Establishing 4-Season Mountain Bike Programs at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center Spicer $12,000.00 Redwood Area Schools ISD 2897 Medicine Wheel Garden Redwood Falls $7,528.00 Rochester Public Schools ISD 0535 Pilot for Archery in Public School Physical Education Curriculum for Rochester Public Schools Rochester $13,525.00 Rochester Public Schools ISD 0535 Nature Connection Rochester $10,829.00 Saint Paul Public Schools ISD 0625-001 Humboldt Hawk Eyes Archery Hunting Club Saint Paul $8,280.00 Saint Paul Public Schools ISD 0625-001 Getting Hooked on the Outdoors Saint Paul $32,890.00 South Koochiching-Rainy River Public Schools ISD 363 Outdoors Arts and Crafts Class Northome $5,370.00 Special School District No. 1 (aka Minneapolis Public Schools) Learning Through the Seasons Minneapolis $35,250.00 St. Charles Public Schools ISD 0858 Explore More Outdoors St. Charles $5,000.00 St. Croix River Association A River for All Youth: Outdoor Education and Recreation at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway St. Croix Falls $49,999.00 Student Angler Organization Student Angler Organization Safety and Angler Participation Growth Ham Lake $49,000.00 Watertown-Mayer Public Schools ISD 111 Outdoor Adventures Watertown $12,365.00 While Bear Lake Area Public Schools ISD 624 Ice Fishing Club Field Day White Bear Lake $6,000.00 Total $639,289.17 - Phase 3
Organization Project Location Grant Ashby Schools - ISD 261 Wading Into New Opportunities Ashby, Battle Park $4,830.00 Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department Nature Play and Outdoor Education in North Country Park Bemidji $3,630.00 Brooklyn Center Middle and High School - ISD 286 Growing BCCS Brooklyn Center $5,000.00 City of Eagan Outdoor Exploration Eagan $4,000.00 City of Saint Paul Police Department Cops and Bobbers Garrison, St. Paul $5,000.00 Cloquet Public Schools - ISD 94 Cloquet High School PE and Adapted PE Archery Program Cloquet $4,325.97 Detroit Lakes Schools, Roosevelt Elementary - ISD 22 Exploring Through the Seasons Detroit Lakes $3,000.00 Duluth Area Family YMCA Harbor Highlands Winter Ready Duluth $4,993.00 Empowering Kids Perham Autism Outdoors New York Mills, Battle Lake $5,000.00 Frazee-Vergas Schools - ISD 23 ECFE/School Readiness Outdoor Classroom Frazee $2,200.52 Fridley Public Schools - ISD 14 Disc Golf Fridley $3,874.00 Friends of Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Crane Meadows Bird Walk Little Falls $3,520.00 Garlough Environmental Magnet School - ISD 197 Students Ski for Wellness and Science Learning at GEMS West St. Paul $5,000.00 Great River Greening Future Stewards Youth Program Minneapolis $5,000.00 Heritage E-STEM Magnet School - ISD 197 Ice Fishing Eagan $1,400.00 Hinckley–Finlayson Public Schools - ISD 2165 K-5 Environmental Education Initiative Sandstone $5,000.00 InSciEd Out Foundation Environmental Science InSciEd Out Byron $5,000.00 Lower Phalen Creek Project Stewarding Unci Maka: Connecting Indigenous Youth to the Tradition and Science of Protecting Grandmother Earth St. Paul $5,000.00 Metro Blooms Sustainable Landcare Training for Youths in North Minneapolis Minneapolis $5,000.00 Minneapolis Public Schools, Loring Elementary Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Experience Sandstone $5,000.00 Minnesota Trout Unlimited Fostering Environmental Stewardship Through Youth and Family Fishing Programs Minneapolis/St. Paul $5,000.00 Mother's Tutoring Academy Mississippi River Day Canoe Trip Minneapolis $5,000.00 Muslim American Society of Minnesota Exploration of Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve Lino Lakes $5,000.00 New Foundations Saint Peter / Grass & Roots Outdoors Project Let's G.O.! Get Outside! Saint Peter, Mankato $5,000.00 North Hennepin Community College Global and Cultural Studies 1970, Environmental Justice and Nature Immersion Babbitt $5,000.00 North St. Louis Soil & Water Conservation District Water Education Outreach Chisholm $4,000.00 North Star Community Rowing North Star Community Rowing, Youth Rowing Program Minneapolis $5,000.00 Operation No Limits Finding Fun and Food through Fishing Lino Lakes $3,900.00 Prairie Seeds Academy - Charter School 4126 Outdoor Recreation Brooklyn Park $3,800.00 Project Get Outdoors, Inc. (Project GO) Legend Hunters Winona $5,000.00 Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District Using Binoculars to Explore the Habitat/Ecosystems Within Restoration Projects and Native Plantings St. Paul, Shoreview, Roseville, Maplewood $5,000.00 River Bend Nature Center, Inc. Intro to Archery Faribault $2,000.00 Riverview Intermediate School - ISD 748 RIS Archery Sartell $3,500.00 Rochester Public Schools, Sports Biology/Environmental Awareness - ISD 535 JM OutdoorED Rochester, Kellogg $3,500.00 Shetek Lutheran Ministries Winter Adventure Day at Lake Shetek State Park Currie $4,760.98 Southside Family Nurturing Center Green Schoolyard / Outdoor Equipment and Materials Minneapolis $2,000.00 Star Lake Wilderness Camp Star Lake Wilderness Camping Cross Lake $5,000.00 STEAM Academy - Charter School 4270-07 Bicycle Program for East African Students in St. Paul St. Paul $5,000.00 Success Academy Bloomington - Charter School 4232-01 Archery for Bloomington Students Bloomington $3,500.00 Success Academy St. Cloud - Charter School 4232-02 Archery for St. Cloud Students St. Cloud $3,500.00 Three Rivers Park District Striding through Nature Brooklyn Park $5,000.00 Winona Outdoor Collaborative Riverway School Forest Environmental Education Winona $5,000.00 Wood Lake Nature Center Replace and Update Classroom Set of Cross Country Skis Richfield $5,000.00 Yellow Medicine East - ISD 2190 Prairie Smoke Environmental Learning Granite Falls $5,000.00 Total $190,234.47 - Phase 4
Organization Project Location Grant Advancement of Hmong Americans SEA Youth Ua Si Outside Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park $13,700.00 Agassiz Environmental Learning Center Outdoor Discovery at the Fertile Sand Hills Fertile $10,728.00 Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Department of Natural Resources Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Youth Nature Program Nett Lake, Cook $9,840.00 Friends of Pool 2 Kids Reach the River Newport $7,490.00 Hinckley–Finlayson Public Schools New Fishing Class and Advanced Physical Education Hinckley $19,866.00 Les Voyageurs Inc Explore The Outdoors St. Cloud, Tofte $10,000.00 Mankato Area Public Schools Nature-based Programming for the MAPS Center of Early Learning Mankato $25,000.00 Minneapolis Public Schools, Bryn Mawr Elementary Snowshoes & Science In The Forest Minneapolis $24,980.00 Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society Building Fishing Families Bemidji $7,070.00 New City Charter School Learning Expedition Gear Library and Field Work Minneapolis $6,401.95 Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center Accessible Outdoor Recreation Sandstone $24,467.00 Reach for Resources, Inc. Teen Explorers Minnetonka $14,884.00 Red Wing Environmental Learning Center Outdoor Adventure Club Red Wing $22,430.00 Star of the North Academy Introducing Children to Life Long Outdoor Activities East Bethel $15,011.04 Three Rivers Park District Fishing Immersion, Mentorship, and Outreach Maple Plain, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center $25,000.00 Urban Roots East Side Outside: Youth Outdoor Education, Conservation, and Recreation Saint Paul $25,000.00 Total $261,867.99
Future phases
The 2021 Minnesota Legislature provided $900,000 in additional funding to the DNR for the NCLI grant program.
Additional phases are expected to be announced later in 2022 and in early 2023.
If you wish to be notified of future phases of the No Child Left Inside Grant Program, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Add me to the contact list" or call 888-646-6367.
The DNR extends its thanks to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for the use of "No Child Left Inside."