Student Leaders in Sustainability Grant

The Student Leaders in Sustainability Grant is an initiative created by the New Albany Sustainability Advisory Board in their effort to support students who have creative ideas for sustainability projects in the city. Projects must align with the Board’s priorities on the topics of community waste reduction, renewable and solar energy, the natural environment, and community education and engagement.

Elgibility

Any New Albany resident in grades 6-12. Students may apply individually or with a group, as long as the group consists of majority New Albany residents. Groups may be student clubs, sports teams, religious youth groups, boy or girl scout troops, or similar.

Application Deadline

Grant applications must be submitted using the online grant application form by 5 PM on February 28, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an adult to help with the project? If so, who should that adult be?

All applicants must have an adult sponsor who will oversee the project and insure the coordination, safety, and completion of the project. Adult sponsors can be school staff or teachers, club or youth group sponsors, coaches, or an employee at the location where the project will be implemented (i.e. parks staff if the project will be implemented at a park). Adult sponsors should not be a parent unless they are also one of the previously mentioned examples.

What types of projects will be considered?

Creativity is encouraged! Any project related to the Board’s priorities will be considered. These priorities include the topics of community waste reduction, renewable and solar energy, the natural environment, and community education and engagement. Projects can be one day events or longer phased projects.

There are a wide variety of resources online that can help you identify good project ideas. Resources include:

When do projects need to be completed?

Projects must be completed by the end of the 2025 calendar year.

Are there opportunities to ask questions before submitting the online application form?

Yes! All applicants are invited to attend the February 12, 2025 regularly scheduled Sustainability Advisory Board meeting at 6:30 PM at Village Hall (99 W Main St, New Albany, Ohio 43054) to ask questions. There will be an item on the agenda to discuss project ideas with applicants and answer any questions.

If you are unable to attend this meeting date/time, you can send questions about the application process, project ideas, requirements, or anything else to Chelsea Nichols, Planner II, at cnichols@newalbanyohio.org.

Can I start my application online and finish it later?

Unfortunately, the application software does not have this feature. All applicants are encouraged to write their responses in a Microsoft Word or similar file and copy/paste all responses into the application at one time.

Can I edit my application after I have submitted it online?

Unfortunately, the application software does not have this feature. If you need to revise your answers after submitting, please contact Chelsea Nichols, Planner II, at cnichols@newalbanyohio.org.

When will grant recipients be notified of their award?

Grant recipients will be notified by the middle of March 2025. Students will then have the rest of the 2025 calendar year to implement their projects.

How will grant recipients receive their funding?

Grant recipients will work closely with city staff to have the city directly purchase the supplies needed to implement the project. This is why the “Requested Funds & Proposed Budget” question on the application is so important. Applicants must think through what materials they need for their project and create a detailed list with quotes for each item. These quotes can be screenshots from a website like Amazon, Target, or Home Depot, or you can reach out to businesses and request direct quotes for the items you need.

Do I need to receive permission from the schools or project site before I start?

Students should work with their adult sponsor to communicate with the school or a contact where they want to implement the project. Evidence of communication and support from the sponsor and/or project site contact should be included in the application.

Once a student or group is awarded grant funds, the city will provide the grant recipient with a project approval form that will indicate to the project site contact that the student has funding to implement their project. The student will then need to receive a signature from their project site contact to indicate they are approved to complete the project at the requested site.

Can I see the whole application before applying?

Yes! You can view the entire application here prior to submitting your application via the Google Form.

Where can I apply?

You can apply here.

How will proposals be evaluated?

Completed proposals will be evaluated using this rubric.

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