Climate action funding

Clean Climate Action Grants are available to classes across Nova Scotia of grades pre-primary to 12. Youth may apply individually, as a class, or even as a school.  

Projects must take place within Nova Scotia.   

Youth must have a teacher or other adult mentor (age 19+) identified in the application process. This individual will be responsible for receiving funds, supporting youth actions, and communicating with Clean on project activities.  However, we highly encourage youth to take the lead on project applications with their mentor’s support!  

 Single classes can apply for a maximum of $500 towards their climate action project.  

Projects that combine classes, or take a school-wide approach, can apply for a maximum of $1000 towards their climate action project. 

There is no minimum application amount.

Yes! Youth-led climate action projects can be wonderful opportunities for cross-curricular learning and achieving Nova Scotia’s Essential Graduation Competencies.

Across different grade levels and courses, youth-led climate action projects can help meet specific curriculum outcomes related to environmental science, sustainable development, citizenship, and social action. 

Here are some examples of youth-led climate action projects that you could take on with the help of a Clean Climate Action Grant!  

• Plant a pollinator meadow in your neighborhood or on your school grounds using plant species that are native to Nova Scotia.  
• Reduce the need for single-use items by purchasing reusable cutlery, dishes, mugs, or hand towels for your school.
• Plant a traditional medicine garden for the benefit of you and your community! 
• Host a clothing swap, start a mini thrift store at your school or teach other youth how to up-cycle old textiles (such as clothing, sheets, and towels) into useful new items. 
• Organize a local food showcase where you cook a community meal for your school or neighborhood featuring local, in-season food items grown here in Nova Scotia.  
• Create beautiful artwork with climate-related messages to spread awareness in your community. Paint a mural (with permission) on the side of a local building or host an art show. 
• Make a ‘zine’ about climate action and the environment. Work with friends & classmates to gather creative entries for your zine, like art, poetry, recipes, creative writing and photos. 
• Purchase public transit passes and host an event to promote public transportation. You could teach others how to use transit safely and ride the bus or ferry together as a group. 
• Set up outdoor compost bins in your school yard or an indoor vermicompost (worm composting) system at your school to turn food waste into rich soil for gardening. 
• Lead a nature walk, group bike ride or other outdoor recreation activity to help people in your community connect with nature and learn about active transportation.  

mplementing the climate action project as possible, including the application process! The degree of youth leadership on the project will depend on the age and maturity of the youth involved.   

Elementary-aged children can help brainstorm project ideas, vote for their favourite and think through the project steps. They can also be highly involved in the hands-on implementation of the project. The adult mentor may need to submit the online application and develop the project budget.   

Junior high and high school-aged youth may come up with their own project ideas, think through the steps required and write their own draft responses to the application questions. Support and advice from the adult mentor may be required for creating the budget and finalizing the application responses.    

Youth, with the support of adult mentor(s), can apply for a Clean Climate Action Grant on their own, or on behalf of their class. If the applicant’s idea is bigger than just their class, they may bring classes together, or even get their whole school involved!  

Youth are required to find a teacher, community leader or other adult mentor (age 19+) to help organize and oversee the climate action project. If the climate action project is approved, money will be sent to the teacher or mentor involved.

Two rounds of funding will be offered this school year:
Round 1 – Application deadline: October 31, 2025
Round 2 – Application deadline: February 20, 2026   

If a project is not selected in the first round of funding, we encourage applicants to reapply in the second round of funding. Don’t forget that we can help by providing feedback on applications!

The application process is as follows: 

1. Start brainstorming! Help youth brainstorm their climate action project ideas and decide whether to apply individually, in small or large groups (such as their class, multiple classes, or their school). 

2. Draft your application. Help youth draft their application responses using the application guide linked below. Applications will be graded based on these categories:  

• Title & contact information                                                           10% 

• Detailed description of youth-led action                                    30% 

• Project benefit & local community impact                                 20% 

• Action plan steps                                                                             20% 

• Budget                                                                                               20% 

With your application, you’ll be asked to show a list of the items that you plan to buy and an estimated cost for each item. Youth are encouraged to make this budget with support from their teacher or adult mentor. Grant money can only be used for purchases that are directly related to your project. Some items that you cannot spend money on include salaries or professional services, event attendance fees and subscriptions. Clean Foundation may ask you about some of the items outlined in your budget to make sure they’re project related.  

3. Submit your proposal using the online Clean Climate Action Grant Application Form. Only one application is needed per project!

Note: If using the online application form is a barrier for you for any reason, or you would like to submit your application in a way not supported by this form (such as a drawn plan, a video application, or other) please contact youth@cleanfoundation.ca and we’ll help you submit your application in a different way.

4. Wait for approval. While we’re looking at your application, we may reach out to you with questions or to give feedback. After submitting your proposal, you can expect to hear back from us within 1-3 weeks after the application deadline. 

Successful projects: 

If your project is chosen, funds will be sent to the teacher or mentor who’s supporting the project. 
The next step is to start your climate action project! When you do, document your project with photos, videos, artwork, or written reflections – this will be useful when completing your project report. 

Submit your project report to Clean Foundation by Friday, June 19. 2026.  

Your project report should include: 

1. A short description of your action project and the impact that it had 
2. Photos (3-10 recommended)  
3. Comments or quotes from youth participantsWe can’t wait to see and hear about your awesome community actions! If you would like this information in a separate document, please access our Application Guide PDF! 

If you have further questions about Clean Climate Action Grants, please reach out to youth@cleanfoundation.ca.  

We’d be happy to schedule a 30-minute virtual meeting with you to provide more information about the program, talk through your project ideas and offer advice for your application. 

Book a virtual meeting →