15 South Carolina Schools Win $29,350 in Grants

Schools seeking funding for student-led environmental projects can look to this annual state program as an option.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Aid

Photograph of a slow blackwater creek through a coastal marsh edge, with a weathered wooden footbridge and cypress knees in soft morning light. — Fifteen South Carolina schools, including three in Beaufort County, shared $29,350 in state Champions of the Environment grants for student-led environmental projects. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services awarded Champions of the Environment grants totaling $29,350 to 15 K-12 schools for student-led environmental projects. Three Beaufort County schools, including Cross Schools, Daufuskie Island Independent School and Red Cedar Elementary School, are among the recipients.

Why it matters

The grants provide direct funding for student-run environmental work at public and independent schools across South Carolina, offering a source of project money that schools can apply for each year. The program has run since 1993 to encourage students to protect the state's air, land and water.

Fifteen schools shared $29,350 in Champions of the Environment grants administered by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. The 2026 winners were recognized for projects on pollinator gardens, habitat restoration, resource conservation and environmental monitoring.

The players

South Carolina Department of Environmental Services

The state agency that administers the Champions of the Environment grant program for K-12 schools in South Carolina.

Cross Schools

A Beaufort County school that received a Champions of the Environment grant in 2026.

Daufuskie Island Independent School

A Beaufort County independent school that received a Champions of the Environment grant in 2026.

Red Cedar Elementary School

A Beaufort County elementary school that received a Champions of the Environment grant in 2026.

The details

Schools are selected based on student involvement, effective use of grant funding, community outreach and partnerships. The grants fund student-led projects that promote environmental stewardship, so a school's application centers on what students plan to do and how the money will be spent. Because the program is administered by the state agency each year, schools interested in future cycles would follow the Department of Environmental Services' announcements for application details.

1993: The Champions of the Environment program was established.
2026: Grants were awarded to 15 schools for their winning projects.

Education Landscape

Small state-administered grant programs like Champions of the Environment give K-12 schools access to funding outside tuition and general budgets, a niche that has operated in South Carolina since 1993. The program's annual cycle places student environmental work within the state's broader set of school-based aid opportunities.

Schools that want to pursue student environmental projects can look to the state's annual Champions of the Environment cycle as a possible funding source for future years. Families and educators interested in applying should ask their school's administration or the Department of Environmental Services about the timing of the next application window.

The takeaway

Small state grants like the Champions of the Environment program can fund hands-on student projects that cost schools little of their own budget. Educators at South Carolina schools may want to ask their administration whether a future cycle of the program is worth applying for.