River Relief

May 1, 2016

Grants support Missouri River Education and Action

Missouri River Relief will be awarding $22,750 to eight organizations in three states through the "Missouri River Action Team Mini-Grant" program. 

This mini-grant program is focused on supporting projects that will expose people to, increase knowledge about and change people's perception about the Missouri River. It's part of an Environmental Education grant that Missouri River Relief received in 2015 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The funds for the mini-grants are from the EPA. 

We received a wide variety of great proposals. Proposals were scored by a team of 13 reviewers from 4 states. It was a tough decision! Here's the final award receipients and a short description of their project - 

Boonslick Heartland YMCA - "Big Fish, Big Tales and the Big Muddy: Missouri River Community Art Project in Boonville, MO" - 

• The YMCA will be partnering with artist Holly Hughes for a multi-layered project involving Missouri River education, stream cleanups and public art. 

Earth's Classroom - "Curriculum Design for Paddle MO"

• These outdoor education specialists will enlist Missouri River experts to design an educational experience as part of a four day canoe trip for 150 participants from Hermann to the Mississippi River in partnership with the Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition. 

Mississippi River Water Trail Association - "Leave No Kid on Shore (LiNKS): Missouri River Youth Paddling Program"

• This organization will be partnering with Big Muddy Adventures to design a big river canoe apprentice program with local youth focused on the Missouri River and its Confluence with the Mississippi River. 

Kansas City Art Institute - "Missouri River Experience"

• Professor Steve Snell will work with Healthy Rivers Partnership to take art students on several motor boat and canoe trips on the Missouri River through downtown Kansas City, inspiring a public exhibit focused on the importance of the river to Kansas City. Check out another of Snell's student projects, the "Brush Creek Film Festival" here. 

Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education - "Teaching the Missouri River" 

• KACEE will use their extensive network of educators and teachers to spread a new Missouri River curriculum through Kansas schools near the Missouri River. 

Burroughs Audubon - "Wings Over Weston and the Iatan/Weston River Corridor Important Bird Area"

• Bringing the importance of the Missouri River as a migratory corridor into schools north of Kansas City. 

Friends of the Missouri National Recreational River - "Yankton Area Events"

• Supporting a Missouri River Clean-up event and a Missouri River Education Festival in Yankton, SD. 

Little Blue River Watershed Coalition - "Missouri River Watershed Festival"

• Supporting an outdoor Missouri River watershed festival at Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City. 

This project has been funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement number 97749201 to Missouri River Relief.