Get Outside Bus Receives $1,000 Grant from the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education
A $1,000 Environmental Education Grant from MAEOE funded instructor travel, field materials, and summer training for educators across Michigan.
MILWAUKEE, WI - September 29, 2026
Get Outside Bus has been awarded a $1,000 Environmental Education Grant from the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE, pronounced “MAY-oh”). The grant supports training and development resources for a diverse community of outdoor educators. It equipped a range of programs that trained community leaders and educators from across Michigan (and beyond) this past summer.
Putting the Grant to Work in the Field
MAEOE's mission is to support, inspire, and empower a diverse network of individuals with a passion for environmental and outdoor learning, and the organization funds Environmental Education Grants for programs that expand access to outdoor and environmental learning across Michigan. Get Outside Bus works to connect community leaders to resources, coaching, and support that make educational experiences accessible.
“MAEOE's support did two very tangible things beyond covering our costs,” said Micah Leinbach, Executive Director of Get Outside Bus. “It got an instructor onto Isle Royale who couldn't otherwise have been there, and it put waterproof clipboards and night sky charts directly into people's hands, so the outdoor skills we're teaching become tools they can actually use out in the field, not something read out of a binder afterward. Both point in the same direction: more leaders, from more communities, equipped to run this work themselves.”
Funds went directly into instructional materials. Highlights of the purchase included:
- Waterproof clipboards for training
- Instructor travel costs
- Outfitting the entire Get Outside Bus fleet with night sky “constellation kits”
While these resources will be used on countless collaborative outdoor and environmental education projects, three efforts this year were uniquely impacted.
Seeing Stars
“I've always brought along a star chart,” said Micah Leinbach, Executive Director at Get Outside Bus. He explains that participants have told Get Outside Bus that learning to locate the North Star - historically used for wayfinding along the Underground Railroad - is often a night time highlight on a program. “Now every program will have one, no matter the trip.”
Star charts are now a regular feature of a Get Outside Bus night, with laser pointers (safely) flashing into the night as participants learn to name, identify, and track constellations over time.
Outdoor Inclusive Leadership Certification
The grant also supported Get Outside Bus's own Outdoor Inclusive Leadership Certification, a week-long training that moved through campgrounds and state parks in early-to-mid June.
27 educators, youth workers, and community leaders attended, many arriving by bus and carpool from across Michigan. Attendees came from organizations including the University of Michigan's Adventure Leadership program, Detroit Outdoors, Conner Prairie, Centro Multicultural in Pontiac, Audubon, Owl Beach Michigan, Clarkston Community Schools, as well as organizations outside of Michigan.
Isle Royale For All
In late May and early June, the grant helped fund a multi-day program on Isle Royale National Park, led by Color Out Here and The Joy Trip Project as part of their Isle Royale For All initiative, which brought a group of roughly 14 educators of color to the island. Get Outside Bus provided transportation and field support alongside the two lead organizations, and MAEOE funding covered airfare that got a Get Outside Bus instructor onto the island to support the group for the full program. Grand Valley State University and West Michigan public media outlet WGVU joined as documentation partners, with WGVU producing a feature on the initiative.
About Get Outside Bus
Get Outside Bus (formerly Bus for Outdoor Access & Teaching, or BOAT) partners with community organizations across the country to expand access to meaningful experiences. Rather than leading programs directly, Get Outside Bus provides coaching and resources to trusted Community Leaders. Leaders design and run programs for the community they already know and serve. Learn more at getoutsidebus.com.
“Both point in the same direction: more leaders, from more communities, equipped to run this work themselves.”
— Micah Leinbach, Executive Director
Media Contact
Micah Leinbach, Executive Director
micah@theboatbus.com
(414) 803-7080