No Child Left Inside grants

A youth fishing education program

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is excited to announce the creation 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, 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)

The new grant program will have multiple phases. Phase 1 mini grants were available in October 2019. That phase now is closed but you can view a list of grants awarded.

Phase 2 grants

Phase 2 grants consist of larger grant awards with a more extensive application process, competitive review and longer project timeframes. These grants have a minimum request of $5,000 and a maximum request of $49,999.

No match is required for Phase 2 grants but the amount of match provided by applicants will be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

The Phase 2 grant application deadline was 2 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. That phase now is closed and applications for Phase 1 and 2 are no longer being accepted. You can view a list of Phase 2 grants awarded.

Future phases

The 2021 Minnesota Legislature provided additional funding to the DNR for the No Child Left Inside Grant Program. We are working on plans for new phases of grants for fall or winter of 2021 with projects likely able to start in spring and summer of 2022.

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.

Next step

The DNR extends its thanks to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for the use of "No Child Left Inside."

Organization	Project	Location	Amount
Albany Area Fishing Team	No Child Left Inside Grant Program	Avon	$5,000
Anoka-Hennepin School District #11	Andover HS Outdoors Adventures BWCAW field trip	Andover	$5,000
ARAA Outdoors (Anoka/Ramsey Athletic Association)	Anoka/Ramsey Athletic Association Outdoors Program	Ramsey	$5,000
Bertha-Hewitt Elementary School	Outdoor Learning Classroom	Bertha	$4,600
Buffalo Ridge Gobblers - NWTF	Hoverball and StickIt Archery Set	Marshall	$3,000
Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota	Prairie's Edge Exploration Backpacks	Mankato	$2,175
Chisago County	Rivers are Alive, Aquatic Invasive Species Education for Students in Chisago County	Center City	$3,500
City of Duluth Parks & Recreation	Connecting Youth to Nature by Snowshoeing	Duluth	$5,000
Community Education ISD #108	Exploring the Great Outdoors	Norwood Young America	$3,250
Compassionate Rochester MN and Diversity Council	Bird Sleuth Explorer's Guide Class	Rochester	$770
Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa	Youth Outdoors	Saint Paul	$5,000
Crosslake Community School	No Child Left Inside Grant	Crosslake	$2,280
Dawson Boyd ISD #378	Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center	Dawson	$2,500
Dodge Nature Center	Environmental Education Scholarships	West Saint Paul	$5,000
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center	Scholarships for Outdoor Education	Lanesboro	$5,000
Farmington Area Public Schools	Outdoor Learning Farmington Elementary	Farmington	$5,000
Farmington Area Public Schools	Snowshoes Farmington	Farmington	$4,105
Goodhue County Education District	Student Educational Adventures Program	Red Wing	$4,245
Great River School	Fruit Trees for Water Quality	Saint Paul	$5,000
Higher Ground Academy K-12 Charter School	Ice Fishing at Como Lake	Saint Paul	$5,000
Hopkins Public Schools	Hopkins Preschool Nature Play	Hopkins	$5,000
Jordan Public Schools and Community Education Recreation Center	Nordic Ski Equipment Packages	Jordan	$5,000
Kingsland Public Schools	Kingsland Elementary School Outdoor Education Program	Spring Valley	$1,850
Kinship of Morrison County	No Child Left Inside Grant	Little Falls	$4,000
Lakeville South Clay Target Team	2020 Spring Clay Target Season/ Trap and Skeet Shooting	Lakeville	$5,000
Marshall County Central Schools	Nature Based Teacher Workshop	Newfolden	$5,000
Milaca High School	Maple Syrup Production	Milaca	$4,600
Minneapolis Nature Preschool	Minneapolis Nature Preschool Outreach	Minneapolis	$5,000
Minneapolis Public Schools	South High School Trout in the Classroom	Minneapolis	$2,539
Minnesota State University-Mankato	Camp Maverick: Exploring the Great Outdoors	Mankato	$2,040
Minnesota Youth Ski League	No Child Left Inside	Minneapolis	$4,500
Morris Area Schools ISD #2769	5th Grade ELC Trip	Morris	$1,002
North Lakes Academy Charter School	Outdoor Learning at Our New School	Forest Lake	$5,000
North Shore Community School (NSCS)	2019 No Child Left Inside Mini Grants	Duluth	$3,528
NWCA Baudette Head Start	No Child Left Inside	Badger	$3,200
Owatonna Public Schools	McKinley STEAM Elementary School/ WCNA	Owatonna	$4,560
Park Rapids Area Schools	No Child Left Inside Grant	Park Rapids	$3,200
Pedal Power MN	Webster School Biking	Minneapolis	$5,000
Pillager Public School	40 acre School Forest and School Ground Cross Country Skiing	Pillager	$5,000
Pine Island Public School	Environmental and Outdoor Education	Pine Island	$5,000
Ramsey County Parks and Recreation	Youth Snowshoe and XC Ski Purchase	Maplewood	$4,920
Recreational Experiences Achieving Community Harmony (REACH)	REACH's Youth Winter and Spring Survivor Programs	Cloquet	$5,000
Redwood Area Community Education	Redwood Area Community Education Instructional and Safety Grant	Redwood Falls	$2,500
Regents of the University of Minnesota	Expanding Winter Programming at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve	Minneapolis	$4,990
Riverway Learning Community Charter School	Outdoor Learning Space	Winona	$5,000
Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD #281	School of Engineering and Arts Kindergarten	Golden Valley	$3,000
Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD #281	Robbinsdale Area School Early Childhood Programs	New Hope	$556
Rockford Area Schools	Rockford School Forest Explorers	Rockford	$1,400
Ruffed Grouse Society Rum River Chapter	Upland Bird Camp	Cambridge	$850
Saint Paul School of Northern Lights	No Child Left Inside Grant	Saint Paul	$5,000
South Washington County Schools	Park High School to MN Landscape Arboretum	Cottage Grove	$5,000
Special School District No. 1	Bryn Mawr/ Anwatin Elementary and Middle School Forest	Minneapolis	$5,000
St. Charles Public Schools	St. Charles Trap Team	St. Charles	$2,500
St. Raphael Catholic School	Environmental Field Trips	Springfield	$2,548
Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District	Augmented Reality Sand Table	Waite Park	$5,000
The Friends of South High Foundation	All Nations South High	Minneapolis	$5,000
Thomas E. & Edna D. Carpenter Foundation	Youth Snowshoe Purchase	Hastings	$5,000
University of Wisconsin-River Falls	TRIO Upward Bound at Washington Technology Magnet School	Saint Paul	$5,000
Upper Mississippi Academy	No Child Left Inside Mini Grant	Saint Paul	$5,000
		Grand Total	$233,707

Organization	Project	Location	Amount
Sunrise Park Ice Fishing Club, White Bear Lake Area Schools	Ice Fishing Club Field Day	White Bear Lake	6,000.00
Watertown-Mayer High School Ag Department	Outdoor Adventures	Watertown	12,365.00
Nashwauk High School	Spartan Angling	Nashwauk	11,500.00
Blaine High School - Outdoors Adventures Program	Winter Ecology and Fish Survey	Blaine	11,550.00
Pelican Rapids Area Schools	Minnesota Climate Safety: enjoying the outdoors in rural Minnesota	Pelican Rapids	6,204.26
All Nations - South High School	Learning Through the Seasons	Minneapolis	35,250.00
Student Angler Organization	Student Angler Organization Safety and Angler Participation Growth	Ham Lake	49,000.00
Hancock Public School	Owls Outdoors	Hancock	17,820.00
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Public Schools Claybusters	Trap Shooting Training	Kerkhoven	7,079.99
City of Anoka	Youth Waterfowl Hunting Collaboration	Anoka	10,500.00
Humboldt High School	Humboldt Hawk Eyes Archery Hunting Club	St. Paul	8,280.00
Hmong College Prep Academy	Bass Fishing Club	St. Paul	5,000.00
St. Croix River Association	A River for All Youth: Outdoor Education and Recreation	St. Croix River Valley	49,999.00
Deer River High School	Gikinawaabi (He or she learns by observation)	Deer River	49,938.00
St. Charles Public Schools	Explore More Outdoors	St. Charles	5,000.00
Owatonna Middle School	Outdoor Classroom Improvement Project	Owatonna	9,472.00
Northome School	Outdoors Arts and Crafts Class	Northome	5,370.00
Ardent Outdoor Group	Big Fish and Fry High School Ice Fishing League	West St. Paul	45,440.64
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center	Establishing 4-Season Mountain Bike Programs	Spicer	12,000.00
Minneapolis Nature Preschool	Pre-K as Incubator and Stimulator of Environmental Ed	Minneapolis	44,785.00
Friends of the Mill District	Four Seasons of Inclusion	Minneapolis	48,120.00
Redwood Valley High School Agricultural Education Dept.	Medicine Wheel Garden	Redwood Falls	7,528.00
Cannon Falls Public Schools	Cannon Falls Outdoor Education Block	Cannon Falls	5,800.00
Lower Sioux Indian Community	Year-Round Dakota Youth Outdoors Program	Morton	30,520.00
Stowe Elementary School	Outdoor Learning and Recreation at Recess and After School	Duluth	25,000.00
Rochester Public Schools	Archery in Public School Physical Education Curriculum	Rochester	13,525.00
Headwaters Science Center	Science Centered Outdoors	Bemidji	9,186.78
Albert Lea Community Education	Targeting Outdoor Engagement	Albert Lea	23,686.50
Murray Middle School	Getting Hooked on the Outdoors	Saint Paul	32,890.00
North High School - North Fishing Team	Inclusion on North's Fishing Team	North Saint Paul	6,900.00
McGregor Public School	All 4 Outdoors	McGregor	5,000.00
Great River School	Back into Nature: A series of natural experiences	Saint Paul	7,750.00
Bertha-Hewitt School	Sporting Clays	Bertha	10,000.00
Rochester Alternative Learning Center	Nature Connection	Rochester	10,829.00
		Grand Total	$639,289.17