Lake Champlain Basin Program to Support Large Education and Outreach Initiatives

Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with NEIWPCC, will fund large education and outreach projects that help members of the public better understand and take action to protect Lake Champlain and its watershed. 

Projects should support the Informed and Involved Public goal outlined in the LCBP’s management plan Opportunities for Action. Grant activities can include communications materials and public programming for a variety of audiences including children and adults. Previously funded work has included publications and exhibits, school and camp programs, community outreach initiatives, and field-based learning and stewardship opportunities. 

Approximately $400,000 in funding is available to support projects. Grants between $15,000 and $50,000 will be awarded. Funding for small education and outreach projects, which may receive up to $15,000, is also currently available through a separate Request for Proposals. 

“Engaging the public is a core part of our mission,” said Mitzi Johnson, NEIWPCC Division Director of Lake Champlain Programs. “We look forward to supporting creative community engagement initiatives that grow public understanding and stewardship of our watershed.” 

Selected projects will be supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, and in partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Proposals must support work within the Lake Champlain watershed. 

Proposals are due at 5:00 p.m. EST on January 11, 2027. An informational webinar will be offered on November 18, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (register here). Awarded research projects are targeted to begin work in January 2028. 

More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.    

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The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.