Grant-Funded Programs for the 2026–2027 School Year
Our calendars are now open for the entire school year!
Please review the information and eligibility requirements below carefully, as some requirements may have changed. New opportunities are added as grant funding becomes available to Inside the Outdoors.
Important: We strongly recommend waiting to register for a program until you receive confirmation of your grant application status. Once your program is approved, our contract process with your district begins. After the district contract is signed, your school is bound to the terms and conditions.
Questions? Contact Inside the Outdoors at insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us or (714) 708-3885.
Elementary School Grants
Water Education School Programs | Grades K–5
Program Type: Traveling Scientist
Eligibility: Eligible elementary schools in Orange County
Funded by: Municipal Water District of Orange County and the Family of Orange County Water Providers
These grant-funded programs engage students in hands-on investigations of water use, conservation, water quality, stormwater, and other challenges affecting Orange County’s water resources.
Kindergarten | Ricky Raindrop’s Water Helpers Training Day
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: K-ESS3-3; K-2-ETS1-1
Young learners become water helpers as they investigate challenges related to water use, water quality, stormwater, and infrastructure. Through hands-on activities, students explore how water professionals protect Orange County’s water and discover ways they can help care for water at home and school.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
1st Grade | Ricky Raindrop’s Water-Saving Coaches
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: 1-ESS3-1
Students become water-saving coaches as they investigate how families use water at home. Through hands-on activities, they compare everyday water-use choices and use evidence to recommend simple ways families can conserve water.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
2nd Grade | Ricky Raindrop’s Pollution Solution
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: K-2-ETS1-3
Students become storm drain engineers as they investigate how pollution can enter Orange County’s waterways. They test storm drain designs, compare results, and use evidence to determine which solutions are most effective at keeping pollution out of local waterways.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
3rd Grade | Ricky Raindrop’s Designs for Drought Challenge
Program Format: Grade-Level Assembly
Standards Supported: 3-ESS3-1
Students become water conservation specialists as they investigate ways schools can reduce the impacts of drought. Through hands-on challenges, they compare water-saving technologies and rainwater-capture designs and recommend solutions that can help schools and communities conserve water.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
4th Grade | Designing a Water-Wise School Garden
Program Format: Grade-Level Assembly
Standards Supported: 4-LS1-1; 3-5-ETS1-2
Students take on the role of landscape designers as they investigate how plant structures and adaptations influence water use. They examine different plant traits and use evidence to recommend plants for a water-wise school garden.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
5th Grade | Ricky Raindrop’s Rainwater Challenge
Program Format: Grade-Level Assembly
Standards Supported: 5-ESS2-1; 3-5-ETS1-2
Students become stormwater engineers as they investigate how rainwater moves through different surfaces. Using hands-on models, they compare infiltration and runoff and use their evidence to recommend materials that can reduce standing water and better manage rainwater.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
Scientists of the Sewers | Grade 5
Program Type: Traveling Scientist
Eligibility: Orange County schools
Funded by: Orange County Sanitation District
Crazy Colossal Clogs
Standards Supported: 5-ESS3-1; 3-5-ETS1-1
Students investigate how fats, oils, grease, and non-biodegradable items can create massive sewer clogs known as fatbergs. Through hands-on activities, they explore Orange County’s sanitation system and use criteria and constraints to design solutions that help prevent clogs and protect local water systems.
Scientists of the Sewers Fifth Grade Grant Application
Submit an application to confirm your school’s eligibility.
Middle & High School Grants
Water Education School Programs | Grades 6–12
Program Type: Traveling Scientist
Eligibility: Eligible middle and high schools in Orange County
Funded by: Municipal Water District of Orange County and the Family of Orange County Water Providers
These grant-funded programs challenge students to investigate real-world water issues, analyze evidence, develop solutions, and explore the work of professionals who protect and manage Orange County’s water resources.
6th Grade | Wonders of Water: Watersheds
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: MS-ESS3-3
Students join a watershed monitoring team to investigate a fictional community water-quality challenge. They collect and interpret data, identify potential sources of pollution, and explore how scientists, engineers, and water providers work together to protect community water resources.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
7th–8th Grade | Waterville’s Hazard Mitigation Challenge
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: MS-ESS3-2
Students become water professionals as they investigate how natural hazards can affect a community’s water resources. Working in teams, they develop a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan that considers effectiveness, environmental impacts, cost, and community needs.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
9th–10th Grade | Waterville’s Runoff Challenge
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: HS-ESS3-4; HS-ETS1-3
Students become members of the fictional Waterville Water Agency and evaluate solutions for managing stormwater runoff. Through hands-on modeling, they consider environmental, engineering, and community tradeoffs and use evidence to recommend a solution.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
11th–12th Grade | Orange County Water Investigators
Program Format: Classroom Presentation
Standards Supported: HS-ESS2-2; HS-ETS1-3
Students investigate real Orange County water challenges such as PFAS, drought, or saltwater intrusion from the perspective of a water professional. They analyze evidence, develop recommendations for local water providers, and explore careers involved in protecting and managing the region’s water supply.
2026–2027 Application: Coming soon
Scientists of the Sewers | Grades 6–12
Program Type: Traveling Scientist
Eligibility: Orange County schools
Funded by: Orange County Sanitation District
Middle School | Scientists of the Sewers
Standards Supported: MS-ESS3-3; MS-LS2-4
Students investigate a mock contamination incident at a wastewater treatment plant while exploring the important role microorganisms play in the treatment process. They test water samples, identify the source of a contaminant, and design solutions to minimize its impact on the treatment system and local water resources.
Scientists of the Sewers Middle & High School Grant Application
Submit an application to confirm your school’s eligibility.
High School | Scientists of the Sewers
Standards Supported: HS-LS2-7; HS-ESS3-4
Students investigate how Orange County’s wastewater treatment process can become more sustainable. Through hands-on testing, they evaluate solutions for reducing the water content of biosolids to decrease transportation needs, greenhouse gas emissions, and the environmental impacts of wastewater treatment.
Scientists of the Sewers Middle & High School Grant Application
Submit an application to confirm your school’s eligibility.
Free Classroom Resources
Project Zero Waste Curriculum | Grades TK–12
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Orange County teachers
In partnership with: OC Waste & Recycling
Project Zero Waste is a free curriculum from the Orange County Department of Education’s Inside the Outdoors program and OC Waste & Recycling.
Through hands-on, inquiry-based lessons, students explore waste reduction and sustainability, develop problem-solving skills, and identify ways they can take action at school and in their communities.
Request Project Zero Waste Curriculum Access
To receive Project Zero Waste curriculum materials, please complete the interest form below.
Request Project Zero Waste Curriculum Access
