Youth Climate Action Grants applications are now open. Register for an information session and submit an application by October 31, 2025. 

 

The Youth Climate Action Grants provides funding to TDSB and TCDSB student-led projects, activities and events that:

  • educate and engage students, families and/or community members on climate actions
  • help Toronto achieve its GHG emissions reduction goals by 2030
  • align with the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy for net-zero emissions by 2040

Grant funding up to $1,000 is available. This funding program is a partnership between the City and the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Key Dates

  • October 1, 2025: Request for Funding applications open

Apply

  • October 16 and 21, 2025: Information Sessions

Register for an Information Session

  • October 31, 2025: Deadline to submit a Request for Funding application
  • November 28, 2025: Full grant application deadline
  • January 2026: Funding decisions announced
  • June 2026: Completion of approved project (preferred)

Priority will be given to projects completed before the last day of the current school year; however we will consider applications for projects that will be completed within one year. 

Key dates are subject to change.

The Youth Climate Action Grants are open to all TDSB and TCDSB student-led groups consisting of two or more students from grades JK to 12. A TDSB or TCDSB staff member must serve as the project supervisor.

Eligible Applicants

Student-led groups, including:

  • classroom projects
  • school clubs and teams
  • student councils
  • student groups that partner with parent councils
  • student-teacher collaborations

Ineligible Applicants

  • individual students
  • teachers (without student collaboration)
  • multiple groups from the same classroom
  • principals and vice-principals
  • TDSB or TCDSB Facility Services, Administration and Trustees
  • for-profit businesses
  • grant making organizations
  • TDSB or TCDSB approved vendors
  • community organizations
  • registered charitable organizations and/or non-profit environmental organizations
  • school groups allied with political parties

Eligible Projects

Eligible grant projects must;

  • be created and delivered by TDSB or TCDSB students
  • satisfy an objective of the grant program:
    • educate and engage students, families and/or community members on climate change and climate actions; and/or
    • reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto
  • take place within the boundaries of the city of Toronto
  • follow TDSB or TCDSB rules, for example, using approved educational programming partners
  • have TDSB or TCDSB permission, for example, permission to build a garden
  • provide permission from the school Principal

Examples of eligible projects:

  • activities that enhance the existing school curriculum 
  • education campaigns (for example, waste reduction, energy conservation, active transportation) 
  • repair events (e.g., bikes, clothing, electronics)
  • exchange or swap events (e.g., clothing, books, toys, sports equipment)
  • educational videos
  • field trips specific to the grant objectives (must be a shared cost)
  • guest speakers
  • organize a community climate event
  • repair events (for example, bikes, clothing, electronics) 
  • social media campaigns
  • sustainable transportation events (for example, bike rodeos, idle-free vehicle blitz)
  • school ground revitalizations (for example, food gardens, outdoor classrooms)
  • workshops, demonstrations and group activities provided by TDSB approved environmental partners

Ineligible Projects

Examples of projects the City will not fund include:

Step 1: Submit a request for funding

  • Starting October 1, apply for grant funding using our quick and easy online application form.

Apply

  • The application form asks you to share information about your group, school and your grant project idea, and only takes 5-10 minutes to complete.
  • The main contact person (teacher or lead student) for the proposed project should complete the application.
  • Secondary students are encouraged to submit their own applications with support and guidance from their TDSB or TCDSB project supervisor.
  • Download a preview of the Request for Funding Form (please note, questions are subject to change). You can use this document to help plan, brainstorm and organize your project ideas and submission.
  • If you have questions or requests for accessibility supports, accommodation and/or a different application format, please contact us

Step 2: Get feedback about your project idea

  • City and school board staff will review Step 1 funding applications.
  • Feedback will be provided by email.
  • Additional guidance may be provided by phone or in-person, if required.
  • Project idea is deemed eligible to proceed will be directed to Step 3 (this is not a guarantee of funding).

Step 3: Submit a full grant proposal

  • Full grant proposals require a work plan, costed budget and other supporting documents.
  • Feedback that was provided in Step 2, should be used to prepare your full proposal.
  • Full grant proposals must be submitted before the deadline date.
  • Funding decisions will be announced in January 2026.

Step 4: Application review and project approval

  • Step 3 full grant proposals will undergo a technical review by Environment, Climate & Forestry Division staff to confirm all eligibility requirements have been met.
  • Projects deemed eligible will then be assessed by a Review Committee comprised of staff from the City of Toronto and TDSB or TCDSB.
  • The Review Committee is responsible for funding decisions.
  • The Review Committee may ask for additional information to assist in the review, assessment and monitoring of your application.
  • Successful grant recipients will be notified of the approved grant funding amounts. 
  • Applicants that accept the funding offer will enter into an agreement with the TDSB or TCDSB. Additional information about the funding award process and the agreement will be provided at that time.
  • Projects that are deemed not ready to proceed will be encouraged to reapply to a future grant application cycle.

    Budgets cannot exceed $1,000. Funding can only be used for the direct delivery of the proposed project. If you are unsure if an expense is eligible, please contact us.

    Type of Expense Eligible Items

    We encourage the hiring of Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving staff, consultants, labourers, interpreters and translators, and encourage supporting local, Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving businesses for eligible purchases.

    Materials/Tools/Equipment
    • project supplies – paper, pens, poster boards, markers, paint
    • raw materials – wood, soil, screws
    • rentals or small equipment purchases
    Events/Workshops
    • speaker fees
    • training supplies
    • space rental or permit fees for event/activity space
    • communications and promotion of events (e.g. flyers, posters, design, printing)
    • food and refreshments (no bottled water) for participants (up to 25% of total grant request)
    People/Labour
    • skilled labour (for example, hiring a contractor to build a garden box) (up to 25% of total grant request)
    • professional consultant fees (for example, design, translation, communications) (up to 25% of total grant request)
    • honouraria for voluntary services (for example, guest speakers or ceremonial duties) (up to 25% of total grant request)
    • volunteer and participant expenses (for example, food, transit, personal protective equipment)
    Education/Awareness Materials
    • signage
    • books (subject to school board approval)
    • instructional kits
    • camera film

    Type of Expense Ineligible Items
    Materials/Tools/Equipment
    • promotional items that could contribute to waste (for example, swag and buttons)
    • rental/purchase of combustion engine vehicles (for example buses or taxis) or any other gas-powered equipment (for example, gas generators), and gasoline or any other fuels
    • chicken wire, composters (TDSB)
    • tablets and other electronics such as computers
    • air conditioners, HEPA air filters or HVAC-related items
    Events/Workshops
    • educational programming (for example, workshops, seminars, presentations) provided by organizations that have not been approved by the TDSB or TCDSB.
    • catering, alcohol or cannabis
    • fundraising drives
    • pre-existing school projects and/or events (for example, annual fun fairs)
    • disposable items (for example, single-use plastics, bottled water)
    People/Labour
    • fees and expenses for memberships, conferences, travel, personal vehicle use and parking
    • salaries, hourly wages and income-generating activities for staff/group members
    • prizes and thank you gifts (e.g. gift cards) as a form of volunteer appreciation or compensation
    • honoraria/stipends for non-approved roles
    • disbursement of funds to provide additional grants, rebates, or incentives to other parties
    Personal Benefits & Organizational Operating Costs
    • costs associated with the regular operation of your group or club, such as computer equipment, software, phones, internet, accounting services, insurance, utility bills etc.
    • deliverables that will result in a significant increase in school board operating or capital costs (for example, air conditioners, HEPA air filters or HVAC-related items)
    • religious activities/services, political activities, donations to charitable causes, lobbying or advocacy on behalf of for-profit entities
    • routine maintenance, emergency repairs or major capital improvements (for example, cricket pitches, artificial turf, solar installations, playground renovations)
    • paid advertising campaigns in newspapers, etc.
    Outdoor Activities
    • beautification, maintenance or landscaping repairs (for example, ornamental gardens, pathways)
    • playgrounds, furnishings, fencing, armour stone, water-bottle refilling stations
    • pollinator gardens (for example, plants, garden materials and supplies), visit PollinateTO Grants
    • tree or shrub planting, visit Urban Forestry Grants & Incentives for funding opportunities
    • ecological stewardship, such as removal of invasive species
    • litter cleanups and tools, visit Clean Toronto Together for support
    • outdoor composting projects
    Other
    • projects already approved for funding, including those funded by other City of Toronto grant programs
    • research or scientific studies
    • unspecified “miscellaneous” items

          Upon project completion, grant recipients must submit the following;

          1. Final Report: We want to hear about your project! Please include photos, testimonials and other items to show the impact of your project and evidence of completion.
          2. Final Budget Summary: Report the actual costs of your project

          An online Final Report form will be provided to grant recipients when they are ready to submit their final report and budget summary.

          The Youth Climate Action Grants team may request a site visit to see your project and speak with project participants about their grant experience.

          • Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until available funding is exhausted.
          • Applications submitted online will receive an immediate acknowledgment.
          • Applications submitted by email will receive an acknowledgment by email within five days of its receipt, sent to the email addresses provided in your application.
          • Please complete the application in full. We will not process incomplete applications.
          • Submit only one application per group or classroom. If more than one project is submitted by the same group or classroom, the City will review the submission that was received first.
          • There is no limit to the number of grant applications that can be submitted from a school as long as the applications are from different groups or classrooms and are different climate action concepts.
          • You cannot receive more than one City of Toronto grant for the same project. 
          • Restrictions may apply to past grant recipients to ensure equitable distribution of remaining funds.
          • Applications must comply with the City of Toronto's Community Grants Policy.
          Year Ward School Board Climate Action
          2024 4 Annette Street Junior and Senior Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 4 Annette Street Junior and Senior Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2023 4 Annette Street Junior and Senior Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 22 Beverley Glen Junior Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 11 Bloor Collegiate Institute TDSB Energy Conservation
          2023 19 Bowmore Public School TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 2 Broadacres Junior School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 14 Bruce Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 11 Central Toronto Academy TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 11 Clinton Street Junior Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 20 Courcelette PS TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2023 19 Crescent Town Elementary School TDSB Climate Change Learning
          2024 19 Crescent Town Elementary School TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 19 Earl Haig Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 19 East York Collegiate Institute TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2023 24 Eastview Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 2 Etobicoke Collegiate Institute TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 9 Fairbank Memorial Community School TDSB Environmental Education
          2023 18 Fisherville Senior Public School TDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2023 17 Forest Manor Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 21 General Crerar Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2023 16 Grenoble Public School TDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2024 25 Highland Creek PS TDSB Waste Reduction
          2023 4 Humberside Collegiate Institute TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 3 Karen Kain School of the Arts TDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2024 4 Keele Street Public School TDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2024 4 Mountview Alternative Junior School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 22 North Bridlewood JPS TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 10 Oasis Alternative Secondary School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 10 Ogden JPS TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 9 Ossington/Old Orchard Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 20 Regent Heights PS TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 19 Secord Elementary Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 19 Secord Elementary Public School TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2023 17 Seneca Hill Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 22 Sir Ernest MacMillan SPS TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 22 Sir Samuel B Steele Junior Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 16 Three Valleys Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 6 TDSB (at Humber River Hospital) TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 3 Twentieth Street Junior School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 1 West Humber Junior Middle School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2023 14 Wilkinson Junior Public School TDSB Environmental Education
          2023 24 Woburn Collegiate Institute TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 24 Woburn Collegiate Institute TDSB Environmental Education
          2023 17 Zion Heights Middle School TDSB Environmental Education
          2024 17 Zion Heights Middle School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 3 Father John Redmond CSS and Regional Arts Centre TCDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2024 4 James Culnan Catholic School TCDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 8 Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 8 Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Environmental Education
          2024 8 Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 8 Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 8 Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 9 Loretto College School TCDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 8 Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Environmental Education
          2024 1 Monsignor Percy Johnson Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 20 Neil McNeil High School TCDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 19 Notre Dame High School TCDSB Environmental Education
          2024 20 Saint John Henry Newman Catholic High School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 8 St. Charles Catholic School TCDSB Environmental Education
          2024 7 St. Basil the Great College School TCDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 7 St. Francis de Sales Catholic School TCDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2024 24 St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 24 St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 14 St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School TCDSB Waste Reduction
          2024 4 St. Pius X Catholic School TCDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2024 24 St. Richard Catholic School TCDSB Environmental Education
          2022 23 Anson S. Taylor Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 11 Beverley School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2022 23 Burrows Hall Junior Public School TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2022 14 Cosburn Middle School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 12 Davisville Jr. Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2022 12 Davisville Jr. Public School TDSB Sustainable Transportation
          2022 12 Davisville Jr. Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2022 17 Forest Manor Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 7 Derrydown Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 12 J.R. Wilcox Community School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 3 Karen Kain School of the Arts TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2022 12 McMurrich Junior Public School TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2022 6 Northview Heights Secondary School TDSB Environmental Education
          2022 17 Seneca Hill Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 17 Seneca Hill Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2022 6 STRIDES TDSB Environmental Education
          2022 16 Victoria Park Collegiate Institute TDSB Biodiversity Conservation
          2022 24 Woburn Junior Public School TDSB Waste Reduction
          2022 24 Woburn Junior Public School TDSB Local Food and Food Gardens
          2022 24 Woburn Junior Public School TDSB Waste Reduction