🌱 ECAP Awards Grants to Five Schools for Climate Stewardship Projects
Students across Vermont and New Hampshire are taking action to create more sustainable schools and communities through the 2026–27 ECAP School Grant Program!
With generous support from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Wellborn Ecology Fund, the Equitable Climate Action Program (ECAP) has awarded $19,400 in grants to five schools to support student-led, place-based climate stewardship projects.
From composting and waste reduction to energy conservation, outdoor learning, and student leadership, these projects show how environmental stewardship can grow from the creativity and commitment of local educators, students, and community partners.
We're excited to introduce this year's grant recipients and share a glimpse of what's ahead!
🌿 Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School — $5,000
ECAP Educator Leader:Â Katy Jenkins
Even the youngest learners can make a difference! Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School is launching a climate action project that combines hands-on environmental education with sustainable improvements to its school.
Students will explore energy conservation through interactive kits and workshops with NHEEP, participate in a school-wide energy walk, and help identify opportunities to save energy. The school will also introduce locally sourced, upcycled art supplies through RePlay Arts, install solar-powered lighting, and develop take-home projects that encourage families to practice sustainability together.
Throughout the process, children will become environmental investigators, helping shape the actions their school takes next.
🍎 Bernice A. Ray School — $5,000
ECAP Team:Â Leslie Connolly, Lynn Cutting, Michelle Landry, Angela Hotvet, and Bob Stone
At the Ray School, cafeteria food scraps are becoming a valuable resource for learning and growing!
Building on last year's work, the school is putting its new three-bin composting system into action with support from Cat Buxton and the Upper Valley Super Compost Project.
Students across grade levels will explore the food-waste hierarchy, learn the science of composting, and discover how food scraps can become nutrient-rich soil for their school garden. Older students will take on leadership roles, helping maintain the system, balance compost ingredients, and determine when bins need turning.
The ultimate goal? A sustainable, student-managed composting program that connects the cafeteria, classroom, and garden.
🌎 Woodstock Elementary School / Mountain Views — $5,000
ECAP Team:Â Alyssa Castellini and Jacquelyn Thomason
What if every student, from PreK through sixth grade, had the opportunity to participate in a meaningful climate stewardship project?
That's the vision guiding Woodstock Elementary's work this year!
Building on last year's efforts, educators are developing a school-wide approach to climate stewardship that grows alongside students.
PreK–Kindergarten: Improving the accessibility and sustainability of their outdoor classroom and trail.
Grades 1–4: Exploring projects focused on caring for local places, reducing waste, growing food, observing wildlife, and living sustainably.
Grades 5–6: Investigating water, flooding, and the local impacts of climate change through place-based learning.
Students will collaborate with an impressive network of community partners, including the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Vermont Energy Education Program, Billings Farm & Museum, RePlay Arts, KidsGardening, Montshire Museum, and New Hampshire Academy of Science.
By the time students finish sixth grade, the hope is that they'll have years of experience taking meaningful action and a lasting understanding that they have the power to make a difference.
♻️ Stevens High School — $1,100
ECAP Educator Leader:Â Leslie Peabody
How much trash does a high school generate in a single day? Stevens High School students are about to find out!
Through a student-organized Trash on the Lawn Day, Environmental Science, Physical Science, and Biology students will collect, sort, and analyze the school's waste.
They'll use their findings to create informational posters, present recommendations to the school community, and establish measurable waste-reduction goals.
By repeating the project over time, students hope to track progress, improve waste-sorting practices, and reduce the amount of trash heading to landfills.
It's a powerful example of students using real-world data to inspire change in their own school.
🌻 Woodstock Union High School/Middle School — $3,300
ECAP Team:Â Abbie Castriotta, Kat Robbins, and Janis Boulbol
At Woodstock Union, students aren't just participating in stewardship projects. They're helping design and lead them!
Through the Stewardship Action Project class, students will use systems thinking to identify community needs, develop solutions, and apply for mini-grants to bring their ideas to life.
The grant will also support improvements to the school's CRAFT portfolio and reflection process, helping students document their experiences, recognize their growth, and create meaningful portfolios they can share with colleges and future employers.
The CRAFT Leadership Council will play an important role in designing and facilitating this process, with new stipended leadership opportunities giving students an even greater voice in shaping the program.
This project highlights the power of combining student leadership, community partnerships, and authentic opportunities for action.
🌟 Celebrating Climate Action in Our Schools
These five projects reflect what makes ECAP so special: educators and students working together to address real challenges in the places they know and care about.
Whether it's preschoolers investigating energy use, elementary students turning food scraps into compost, or high school students designing solutions to community challenges, each project helps young people develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make a difference.
Congratulations to our 2026–27 ECAP grant recipients! We're grateful to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Wellborn Ecology Fund for making these opportunities possible, and to the dedicated educators, students, and community partners bringing these projects to life.
We can't wait to see what you accomplish this year and share your stories along the way!
Stay tuned for updates as these exciting projects take shape!