Common Fund Grants are designed for larger projects that have regional or statwide impact..
Priority Issues Grants are focused to assist secondary agriculture and Farm Business Management programs to improve student achievement.  These grants focus on academic integration, recruitment, retainment and transition, and finally, implementation of new or expanding agricultural education programs. They can also focus on preparing the future work force for agricultural education and agriculture careers. and encouraging a healthy local, national and international economy. These grants should promote agricultural, food and natural resource literacy initiatives across Minnesota in both formal and non-formal educational settings. 
Quality Program Grants are designed to help secondary, post-secondary and adult farm management programs deliver high quality agricultural education programs focused on seven National Quality Program Standards.

MAELC invites all non-profit organizations that work with agricultural education to apply for a Innovation Grant. Organizations eligible include schools, colleges, community organizations, FFA chapters, and 4-H clubs. Since its establishment, MAELC has provided over $2 million in competitive grants, scholarships, sponsored projects and awards. MAELC Grant applications are due November 15 and April 15. Common Fund grants are due May 15.

National FFA SAE Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Foundation), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), and National Wildlife Refuge Association, is pleased to solicit applications from organizations interested in initiating The Nature of Learning in their communities.  The Nature of Learning is the FWS National Wildlife Refuge System’s community-based environmental education initiative that seeks to:

• Use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues;
• Encourage an interdisciplinary approach to learning that seeks to enhance student academic achievement;
• Utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real world issues; and
• Involve a partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local businesses.

First year grants of up to $10,000 and second year grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to support education projects focused on the causes and effects of climate change on refuges and to build citizen science partnership programs. Proposals that incorporate this theme are preferred; however, it is not required.

Applicants must complete the on-line application form at www.nfwf.org/grantapplication. Program is suspended for 2012 due to federal funding.

CSREES requests applications for the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program. The grant is designed to promote and strengthen teaching programs in agriscience and agribusiness by enhancing curricula, increasing faculty teaching competencies, promoting higher education to prepare students for scientific and professional careers, incorporating agriscience or agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, facilitating joint initiatives among other educational institutions, and by responding to identified state, regional, national or international educational needs.

Eligible Applicants -- Applications may only be submitted by: (1) public secondary schools, (2) public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges, (3) institutions of higher education, or (4) nonprofit organizations (Attach IRS 501(c)(3) status under R&R ‘Other Project Information’, Field 11 Other Attachments).

All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov [http://www.grants.gov/]. If you plan to submit an application, be sure your organization is registered with Grants.gov [http://www.grants.gov/]. If you are not already registered, get registered now.  If you wait until the last minute to register, you may not be able to submit your application on time.

Submission due date - January 30, 2012. Late applications will not be accepted. Questions? Contact program manager, P. Gregory Smith (202)720-2067, [smith@csrees.usda.gov].