| Environment Canada's (EC) EcoAction Community Funding Program (EcoAction) is well placed to foster environmental literacy by funding community-based environmental projects. The purpose of this research was to examine how this government funding program may foster environmental literacy. Thirty-six interviews were conducted with individuals involved in EcoAction. EC staff and leaders of EcoAction-funded projects indicated that fostering environmental literacy through EcoAction projects is important to them. Community members gained environmental literacy competencies, particularly empowerment, from participating in EcoAction projects. Projects which included environmental successes, long-term, hands-on participation, positive mentors, and youth had the most significant impacts on environmental literacy. However, defining environmental literacy as a goal of the EcoAction program, updating EcoAction forms to reflect this goal, increasing the maximum funding time to three years, hiring more education specialists, and placing more emphasis on fostering environmental attitudes, empowerment and sensitivity would increase the potential of the program to foster environmental literacy. |
