Natural Resource Stewardship Career Pathways Grants
Parks California is proud to launch the “Natural Resource Stewardship Career Pathways” Pilot Grant Program.
By working with community organizations and partners across California, we can help strengthen the state parks system to ensure that the parks are stewarded for generations to come. To meet the pressing challenges faced by our landscapes, we need more trained stewards, at all professional levels and across the state to implement climate resilient solutions. To grow and strengthen our workforce, we seek to increase access and broaden career pathways to reflect the rich diversity of California’s growing population. Bringing diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and Indigenous knowledge into landscape stewardship builds strength and resilience to the treasured places we share. Through this grant program, we seek to support and learn from natural resources training and career development programs across the state that also share our commitment to create opportunities for all in the environmental stewardship field.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
For this first round of pilot funding, we looked for proposals that addressed the following criteria:
- Provide job training skills, mentorship, and/or career exposure in the natural resources field
- Provide programming to participants from traditionally underrepresented communities
- Currently collaborate with California State Parks for natural resources training/workforce development program implementation
- Have active 2021 summer or fall program offering
- Show interest in participating in peer-exchange with other grantees and Parks California to share best practices and identify key barriers and opportunities for strengthening and building more pathways to natural resource careers in parks. Commitment includes participating in two 90-minute workshops in summer and fall 2021.
- Preference will be given to proposals that are also actively participating in regional landscape stewardship collaboratives or networks
The application period is now closed. Thanks to those that have submitted proposals. The list of final awardees will be announced in May 2021.
2021 GRANT CYCLE AND IMPORTANT DATES
| Grant Guidelines Released | Monday, February 1, 2021 |
| Informational Grant Proposal Webinar | Parks California hosted a webinar on February 11, 2021 to discuss Natural Resource Stewardship Career Pathways Pilot Grants goals and address common questions regarding the application process. View the recording here. |
| Proposals Due | Friday, March 12, 2021 at 5pm PST |
| Grant Awardees Notified | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
| Grant Agreements Due | Friday April 16, 2021 |
| Grant Awards Received by Awardees | Friday April 30, 2021 |
| Final Awardees Announced | May, 2021 |
| Grantee Welcome Call (1 hr) | TBD, May 2021 |
| Peer Exchange Workshop (1.5 hr): | TBD, August/September 2021 |
| Peer Exchange Workshop (1.5 hr): | TBD, October/November 2021 |
| Final Report Due | January 31, 2022 |