2025-2026 Coastal Roots Service Learning Award Application

The STEM Library Lab Service Learning Program is sponsoring a pre-packaged affiliation with the LSU Coastal Roots Program. Service-learning ties academic content to relevant, hands-on community service.

The overall goal of the LSU Coastal Roots Native Seedling Nursery Program is to assist students in developing an attitude of stewardship toward our natural resources and to explore strategies for sustaining our coastal ecosystems within a constructive active learning opportunity. The following program objectives support this goal:

1. Conduct an on-going school-based nursery program growing native Louisiana plants.

2. Involve students in a hands-on habitat restoration planting where students plant their crop of school-grown seedlings.

3. Inform teachers and students about critical environmental issues such as ecological stewardship, coastal land loss, habitat restoration and conservation, while learning basic science and horticultural concepts and skills.

The service learning program adheres to the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) definition and standards of Service Learning. The application deadline for the 2025-2026 school year is May 2, 2025, with grant announcements to be made in August 2025. Policies and Requirements for the Service Learning Program are available below:

Policies and Requirements

For more information about The Coastal Roots Program, visit www.lsu.edu/coastalroots/. If interested in participating in the program, prior to submitting this application, please contact Dr. Pam Blanchard at 337.739.8506 or PamB@lsu.edu to ensure that you fully understand the program and willing to fully participate in the program.

Contact the Service Learning Manager, Maria Landrum, at maria@stemlibrarylab.org or 504.517.3584, ext. 3 with any questions about the service learning program.

In addition to completing this web form, you will be required to upload the following completed and signed documents before submitting your application:

School Name*

Address*

School Street Address

Street Address Line 2

City, State, Zip Code

Parish*

School Phone Number*

School Principal*

School Website Homepage*

School Principal's Email Address*

example@example.com

Grant Writer Name*

Grant Writer's Title*

Is the grant writer also the teacher implementing the plan?*

YesNo

Grant Writer's Work Email Address*

example@example.com

Grant Writer's Summer Email Address*

example@example.com

Grant Writer's Summer Phone Number*

Primary Teacher Managing the Project (if different from the grant writer)

Teacher Summer Phone Number

Teacher Work Email Address

example@example.com

Teacher Summer Email Address

example@example.com

Collaborating Teacher(s) Names*

Collaborating Teacher(s) Email Address(es)*

example@example.com

Collaborating Teacher(s) Phone Number(s)*

Please enter a valid phone number.

School Facilities Director*

First NameLast Name

Primary School Populations*

School Type*

PublicPrivate

Grade level of students executing the project. Check all that apply.*

Will a non-mainstreamed class of SPED students be executing the project?*

YesNo

Class subject(s) in service learning project. Check all that apply.*

How many students are participating in the project?*

How many individuals will be impacted by the service?*

Which of the following describes your project?*

New – The first time your school is applying for the program AND/OR the first time your school is applying for this project.Continuing – Applying for funds to carry out the same project as the previous school year AND funded by the Service Learning Program.

If you checked the "continuing" box, what adjustments or improvements are you making this year?

Project Title*

Please list the academic benchmarks/objectives/standards of the project for each applicable grade level and subject. Be specific about how the service connects to your curriculum.*

For more information about the IPARD cycle (seen above), review this NYLC document.

Funded programs must follow the IPARD (Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration) model developed by National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC). How will you introduce the NYLC definition of service learning and the IPARD cycle to students?*

Youth voice is an important component of service learning. For more information about youth voice, review the documents on youth voice here.

Provide examples of youth voice, or the student decision-making and leadership opportunities that are woven into your service learning project.*

The following websites provide Coastal Roots lesson plans or relevant lesson plans for the subject area:

Louisiana Sea Grant - https://www.laseagrant.org/education/projects/coastal-roots/lessons/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - https://repository.library.noaa.gov/gsearch?ref=docDetails&type_of_resource=Instructional%20Materials
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act Program - https://lacoast.gov/new/ed/curriculum.aspx
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority - https://coastal.la.gov/resources/educational-resources/

Describe your lesson plan(s) for step 1 of IPARD, Investigation. Include how will you include the root causes of the community need in your lesson plans.*

Describe the assignments you will use to evaluate student work related to the project.*

Examples of acceptable reflection exercises are available here.

Step 4 of the IPARD cycle is Reflection, but reflection should occur at least three times -- during pre-service, service, and post-service periods, and exercises should vary throughout the project. Samples of reflection are a required component of the grant reporting. Which reflection techniques will you use with students?*

Examples of demonstration techniques are available here.

Describe your plan(s) for step 5, Demonstration. How will students showcase their work to the school community, service partners, and others?*

When will you begin the investigation phase (Step 1 of the IPARD model) of the project? Format as Month and Year (e.g. - October 2025).*

When will you begin the planning and preparation phase of the project? Format as Month and Year (e.g. - October 2025).*

When will you begin the action phase of the project? Format as Month and Year (e.g. - October 2025).*

When will you begin the demonstration phase of the project? Format as Month and Year (e.g. - April 2025). *

Amount Request*

$0-500$500-1000$1000-2000$2000+

Will the students be doing any fundraising to support the costs of this project?*

Additional Comments

Upload Principal's Approval Form*

Upload Budget Proposal Form*

Upload Teacher Commitment Form*

Math Challenge CAPTCHA

2025-2026 Coastal Roots Service Learning Award Application

School Information

Demographics

Eligibility

About the Project

Project Timeline

Budget Proposal