December News Items

Announcements
Resources For Educators
Upcoming Conferences
Funding Opportunities

Announcements

New GrowLab Feature on Kidsgardening.org
Want to learn more about our GrowLab indoor gardening program? Visit our new GrowLab feature page for an overview of the GrowLab curriculum, sample lessons, correlations to the National Science Standards, spotlight articles on classroom that use the program, and a brand new "Let's Talk GrowLab" message board!

Job Opportunity: REAL Schools Initiative
The REAL Schools Initiative is seeking an Executive Director to provide program leadership and to expand efforts on a national scale. RSI is a grassroots nonprofit organization based in Fort Worth, Texas focused on supporting elementary schools as they design, install, and sustain outdoor classrooms and gardens. Their goals are to enhance student learning, create safe outdoor spaces for counseling young children, and encourage family and community involvement in schools. Click here to download the complete job description.

Take a Survey, Qualify to win $500!
A national education nonprofit is seeking input from practicing educators, and all who take their survey earn a chance to win a $500 grant that can be used for classroom materials or education programs. And each qualified peer you refer to the survey, you earn another chance to win the $500 grant! There is no advertising involved with this survey, and no personal contact information will be shared. Following selection of the grant winner, all contact information will be discarded. The deadline for completing the survey is December 31, 2006. Click here to participate.

Plants for the Planet
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is launching a major worldwide tree planting campaign, and your school or youth group can help! The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign encourages individuals, communities, business and industry, nonprofit organizations, and governments to enter pledges to plant trees. The objective is to plant at least one billion trees worldwide during 2007. Enter your pledge here

Plan a Green Event for the 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
When Congress passed The King Holiday & Service Act in 1994, it designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. The King Day of Service encourages people from all walks of life to use their day off from work or school to donate their time in their communities. The objective of the Day of Service is to bring people together who may not meet under normal circumstances; to find ways to break through barriers that have divided us in the past in order to achieve a common goal; and to recruit year-round volunteers for ongoing community projects. Click here for more information

Research Update: Teaching Nutrition in the Garden
Researchers from Texas A&M investigated the effectiveness of a summer garden program to teach health and nutrition, and results were published in the October-December 2006 issues of HortTechnology. Although there were no significant differences in participants’ attitude scores toward fruit and vegetables after participating in the nutrition program, researchers found that children’s knowledge about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables significantly improved, and the participants reported eating healthier snacks.

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Recommended Web sites for Kids
My First Garden is a colorful interactive Web site for kids that walks them through the steps of planning and planting (and the reasoning behind them), from determining the amount of sun your site gets to reading a seed packet. Students can download garden journal pages and planning forms and use the “encyclopedia” to choose their plants. They’ll also find creative container gardening ideas and solutions for tough garden sites. My First Garden was developed by University of Illinois Extension to introduce 4th graders to gardens.

At Planet Plant, kids can take virtual tours around the globe to learn about fascinating endangered plants. Every month a new plant representative tells the story of a fellow plant at risk – where it grows, the role it plays in the ecosystem, how humans have used it through history, and so on. When kids complete the tour and take a quiz, they accumulate points (that translate into dollars) to donate to a plant conservation organization. Planet Plant is designed for kids aged 9-12.

Online Junior Master Gardener Game
This online game based on the JMG curriculum challenges students to answer a variety of basic gardening questions in a Jeopardy-like format. Click here for more information and a link to the game.

Edens Lost and Found Teacher Guide
Download video clips and the Teachers' Guide for Edens Lost and Found, a multi-part PBS series highlighting practical solutions to improve the environment and quality of life in cities, for ourselves and future generations. Click here to download

Treasure Hunt with the Munch Crunch Bunch
This new story/activity book provides a smorgasbord of fun as it teaches children about healthy food choices. It contains 45 fruit and vegetable riddles, or “foodles,” and invites children to play detective on food shopping trips. It's a healthy foods treasure hunt that’s easy, entertaining, and educational. Click here for more information.

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Upcoming Conferences

3rd Annual National Farm To Cafeteria And Food Policy Conference ~ March 16-19, 2007
From Cafeterias to Capitol Hill: Growing Healthy Kids, Farms and Communities. Join hundreds of farm to cafeteria and food policy enthusiasts in Baltimore, MD to share experiences, and get the latest, up-to-date info on institutional purchasing from both the organizing and policy perspectives. A major focus of the conference will be issues related to the Farm Bill, including farm to cafeteria and beyond. On Monday, attendees will have the opportunity to visit with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill. For more information and registration details, visit the Community Food Security Web site.

Save the Date: 3rd Annual Growing a Green Generation Conference ~ March 17, 2007
Attention early childhood educators: this conference, sponsored by the Child Study and Development Center (CSDC) at the University of New Hampshire Durham campus, is geared to help you use plants and the garden as a context for teaching. Hands-on workshops show you how to enrich kids' learning experiences with meaningful curriculum investigations, develop community and relationships within and outside of the school setting, and more. You'll leave inspired to incorporate gardening into your own school year round! Registration opens December 15, 2006. For information about the 2006 conference, visit the UNH Web site.

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Funding Opportunities (Listed chronologically by deadline date)

Toyota TAPESTRY Grants ~ Deadline: January 18, 2007
Looking for funds to implement an innovative science project? The Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Teachers program awards fifty $10,000 grants and at least 20 mini-grants of $2,500 to K-12 educators of environmental science, physical science, and science and literacy programs. For more information, visit the NSTA Web site.

Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Awards: Deadline Extended to February 1!
Kids eat better, develop positive attitudes towards fruits and veggies, and learn important life skills when they grow and prepare these healthful foods themselves. Our new award, sponsored by Wild Oats Markets, Inc., will help children do just that! Each award package includes gardening supplies, kitchen equipment, curricula, and a cooking lesson/demo by a local member of Les Dames d’Escoffier. The award is open to programs in eleven North American cities/regions – please visit here for full details and an application.

America’s Anniversary Garden Contest ~ Deadline: February 1, 2007
In 2007 the oldest permanent American settlement, Jamestown, Virginia, will celebrate its 400th birthday. To commemorate this event the Junior Master Gardener program is offering a national school garden competition. Applicants can win curriculum, supplies, and cash to create an America’s Anniversary Garden at their schools. Visit here for full details and an application.

2007 Mantis Awards ~ Deadline: March 31, 2007
Mantis sponsors this award program in support of charitable and educational garden programs that enhance the quality of life in their host communities. NGA will select 25 gardens to receive a Mantis Tiller/Cultivator. We welcome applications from all nonprofits; past winners include community gardens, schools, ministries, colleges, master gardening groups, and hospices. Learn more here.

" Remember Me" Rose School Garden Awards ~ Deadline: February 28, 2007
Thanks to a new sponsor, All America Rose Selections, we will once again offer this award to help 20 schools establish rose gardens to commemorate the events of September 11th. Beyond their commemorative significance, each garden will also be a catalyst for education in conflict resolution and mediation skills, preparing students to seek and achieve fair and peaceful solutions. For details and an application, visit here.

2007 Hooked on Hydroponics Awards ~ Deadline: September 30, 2007
Classroom hydroponics offers eager students loads of opportunities to explore concepts across the curriculum, from biology to economics. Our generous sponsors are giving more schools the opportunity to enjoy these benefits by doubling the number of award packages for 2007 to 24! Winning programs receive a compact hydroponics package that includes everything required to grow plants successfully indoors. This award is sponsored by the The Grow Store in conjunction with the Progressive Gardening Trade Association. To learn more and download an application, visit here.

Outdoor Classroom Grant Program ~ Deadline: Rolling
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, International Paper, and National Geographic Explorer! classroom magazine have partnered to create an outdoor classroom grant. The goal is to provide schools with additional resources to improve their science curriculum by engaging students in hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom. All K-12 public schools in the United States are welcome to apply. Visit the Lowe's Web site for more information.

Grant Wrangler Funding Directory
Grant Wrangler is a free grants listing service that makes it easy for teachers to find funding. To see the full list of funding opportunities, and to subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter, visit the Grant Wrangler Web site.