Thanks to the generosity of Creek Week sponsors, SACC is able to offer grants of up to $500 to help teachers use a local creek as an outdoor classroom or otherwise integrate creek studies into the curriculum.

THERE IS NO APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE MINI GRANT. PROJECTS MUST BE COMPLETED AND A REPORT SUBMITTED WITHIN A YEAR OF THE GRANT AWARD

• Submit a project description with cost estimates to saccreeks at gmail dot com
• You will be notified within a month. A grant agreement will need to be signed.
• Local resources that may be helpful:  SACC Dipping Into Creeks Mini Curriculum –                   Sacramento Splash – Effie Yeaw Nature Center

Why Teach Children About Creeks?
Creeks naturally attract children of all ages. They are just about the right size body of water for easy exploration. With flowing water, wooded banks, a variety of wildlife – combined with a ready-made fascination – local creeks are an ideal resource for teaching science concepts.

Using creeks as outdoor classrooms provides concrete associations between students and their natural world. Understanding how human activities alter our environment in positive and negative ways allows students to become informed participants in their own futures. According to the State of California Department of Education, “research shows that environment-based education improves students’ academic performance and test scores, reduces discipline and attendance problems, and increases their ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts.”

Purpose of Sacramento Area Creeks Council (SACC) Mini-grant Program
The purpose of the mini-grant program is to encourage teachers to educate students about their local creeks and the many benefits they provide, including abundant aesthetic, recreational and ecological values. It also provides incentive to give students an outdoors, hands-on experience that takes their learning to a more concrete and meaningful level.