Connie Saylor Johnson Wilderness Education Grant

The Connie Saylor Johnson Wilderness Education Grant is administered by the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to wilderness stewardship and education. Established in 2005, the foundation works to engage citizens and youth in preserving the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas across Idaho and Montana. In 2019, the foundation created this grant fund to honor Connie Saylor Johnson, whose lifelong work focused on connecting students and educators to wilderness experiences and stewardship practices. The grant reflects her legacy by supporting educational initiatives that foster appreciation and responsible use of natural ecosystems. The primary purpose of the grant is to provide incentive funding for educators and educational organizations to integrate wilderness stewardship into classroom or outdoor learning environments. Projects must demonstrate a clear commitment to advancing wilderness education, including creating or enhancing curricula, supporting professional development for educators, and fostering participant understanding of wilderness values. The grant emphasizes experiential learning and encourages programs that bring participants into direct contact with wilderness environments. Funding is available for a wide range of activities that support educational engagement with wilderness topics. Allowable uses include curriculum development, workshops or training programs, guest speaker engagements, and field-based experiences such as outdoor skills training or stewardship activities. Grant requests may be submitted for amounts up to 2000 dollars, and applicants are required to include a detailed budget outlining how funds will be used. There is no stated matching requirement, and funds are intended to directly support educational programming rather than administrative overhead. Eligibility for the grant is broad and inclusive, encompassing nonprofit organizations, institutions, individuals, and informal groups that can demonstrate a not-for-profit purpose. Eligible applicants must be based in Idaho, Montana, or Iowa and may include schools, museums, libraries, arts organizations, colleges, tribal governments, and local or county governments. Applicants are not required to hold formal tax-exempt status but must show capacity to manage the proposed project effectively and responsibly. The application process requires submission of a completed application form along with a detailed budget. All questions must be answered in full, and applications may be submitted electronically via email or through an online portal. Applicants may also request paper applications if needed. The submission deadline is October 31 each year, and applications must be received by that date to be considered. There is no mention of a preliminary application stage such as a letter of intent. Grant awards are typically announced and distributed in January or February following the application deadline. Recipients are required to submit a final report within 30 days after completing their project, along with a summary suitable for inclusion in the foundation newsletter. This reporting requirement ensures accountability and allows the foundation to share outcomes with its broader community. The program operates on an annual cycle, with applications opening prior to the October deadline each year and recurring funding rounds expected.