RISE Eco Grants

What are Eco Grants?

Grades of Green Eco Grants are funding prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000 awarded to the most impactful teams from the RISE Climate Solutions Campaign. The most impactful teams will have their projects sent to a panel of experts in sustainability to decide the winners of Eco Grants each program year. Eco Grants are designed to be used to further a team’s environmental impact in their community!

How to use an Eco Grant

Purchase supplies needed for a project

Invest in infrastructure to green your campus

Educate your community

Market your project to further your outreach

How to Earn an Eco Grant

Step 1: Register your team
Register your team and a Grades of Green advisor will confirm your registration and provide you with next steps.
Register Now
Step 2: Complete the campaign
Complete all 4 campaign phases along with required phase forms.
Step 3: Submit outreach materials
Submit pictures, videos, etc. of your project by the Campaign deadline.

That’s it! Once you complete all of the eligibility requirements, your project will be evaluated by a panel of judges who will award those with the most meaningful impact!

Past Eco Grant Winners

LAcarGuy International Changemaker Grand Winner – $1,000

Matungu Community Development Charity
Nairobi, Kenya

Addressing large-scale issues of waste in their community, Team MCDC reduced 5,000 kgs of waste from the environment and educated students in local schools and across social media platforms. This ambitious team established 4 micro-gardens with the ability to feed up to 200 people monthly while planting 3,000 trees. Team MCDC also furthered their efforts by processing 5,000 kgs of organic fertilizer, which were used to plant crops and indigenous trees.

Environmental Impact Grand Prize – $1,000

Mary Bragg Green Team
Cerritos, California

The students at Mary Bragg Elementary School took on the ambitious feat of addressing multiple topics of the Climate Solutions Campaign. They managed sorting stations on their school campus, planted trees, held an E-Waste drive, encouraged alternative forms of transportation, participated in beach clean ups, and raised money for students in Africa. Mary Bragg also worked with a school in Nigeria, JSS Tudunwada, to learn more about their culture while fundraising money to beautify their community. They also were the recipients of the EPA Presidential Environmental Youth Award and the California Green Ribbon School Award.

Green Campus Leaders Award – $500

The Pear Tree Foundation
La Crescenta, California

This enthusiastic team set up composting stations across 3 elementary schools, in addition to their own campus. They also created an animated video to educate viewers on composting on school campuses.

Habitat Heroes Award – $500

Kishoka Youth Organization
Mombasa, Kenya

The Kishoka Team educated their community on the impacts of climate change. They planted 2,500 mangrove trees and collected waste, which they reused to construct buildings in their community.

Eco-Influencer Award – $250

Team University of Buea
Buea, Cameroon

Team University of Buea recovered 4.5 kgs of waste and educated their community members on the impacts of waste. Through appearances on national television, this driven team reached audiences of over 30,000 people.

Planet Protector Award – $250

For the Love of Frogs
Carlsbad, California

Justin S. has worked diligently to save acres of the Ecuadorian rainforest by participating in the Reserva letter campaign. He has collected over 1,500 letters and held a Raffle for the Rainforest that encouraged his classmates to join his mission.

Eco Innovator Award – $250

For the Greener Good from Mira Costa High School
Manhattan Beach, California

The students at Mira Costa High School decided to take on the topic of waste by educating their community and hosting multiple events. Their first event was a clothing swap to raise awareness about the harms of fast fashion and textile waste on the environment. This student-led team educated their school community about reducing textile waste while promoting sustainable fashion. Another event they hosted was a harbor clean-up event in which club members and friends took to the water on kayaks and paddle boards to clean up litter in the harbor.

Rookie of the Year Award – $250

Eco Crew from EDUSN International Digital School
Myanmar

Eco Crew was our first team from Myanmar that completed a social media/presentation campaign on how to reduce litter. This included many posts, videos, and graphics to express their care for the planet. They held multiple webinars about their initiatives and worked closely with other teams in the area.

2022-2023 Honorary Awards

Student of the Year

Cordelia O’Rourke
Crescenta Valley High School
La Crescenta, California

International Student of the Year

Ayuk Esame Marie Noel
Team IRIC
Yaounde, Cameroon

Facilitator of the Year

Kerry Flores
Mary Bragg Elementary School
Cerritos, California

International Facilitator of the Year

Dhanam Sivalingam
PSGR Krishnammel Nursery and Primary School
Coimbatore, India

Interested in Joining RISE?

Interested in making a different in your community? Sign up below!

Apply Here

Eco Grant Partners

LAcarGuy

Learn More

LA County Sanitation Districts

Learn More

SparkQ

Learn More

Terms of Earning an Eco Grants

  • Each participating team is eligible to win one eco grant per year.
  • Eco-grants are not guaranteed and will be awarded based on the discretion of Grades of Green.
  • Eco-grant funding should be used solely to implement or advance a climate solutions project.
  • Eco-grant winners will be required to report back on use of funds.

Isabella Lee
Multmedia Outreach & Operations Specialist

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, Isabella studied Psychology at UCLA with a focus on Digital Humanities and Community Engagement. A lifelong creative, she’s been drawing since childhood and has explored many forms of art—from painting and digital illustration to video editing. During college, Isabella discovered a passion for user experience design, which combined her technical skills with her love for thoughtful, people-centered problem solving. She gained hands-on experience in UX, website design, and project management through various academic projects and internships. Isabella is proud to support environmental education through Grades of Green, where she brings together her creativity and advocacy. In high school, her artwork was recognized in an international ocean awareness competition, and in college, she received an award from a UCLA student organization for a piece highlighting the connection between nature and mental health. Outside of work, Isabella enjoys reading, drawing, and finding inspiration in everyday moments.

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