November News Items

Announcements
Resources For Educators
Upcoming Conferences
Funding Opportunities

Announcements

NEW! Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Awards!
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.

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AHS National Children & Youth Garden Symposium Call for Proposals ~ Dec. 15
American Horticultural Society’s 15th annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium titled “Widening the Circle” will be hosted by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's Public Policy Programs July 19-21, 2007 in Chaska, MN. They have recently released their call for proposals for educational sessions. Click here for more details.

New Guide: Gardens for Learning
Gardens for Learning is a comprehensive guidebook from the California School Garden Network that provides a strong foundation to support the growing school garden movement. The guide was developed by a team of experienced garden educators, nutritionists, state officials, and other garden experts. This is a must-have resource for anyone looking to enhance learning through the use of gardens in schools and other community settings. You’ll find it online at the California School Garden Network Web site.

Bonnie Plants Announces 3rd Grade Cabbage Program
The 3rd Grade Cabbage Program is FREE to all 3rd graders and schools in the United States. In spring, students will receive plants that produce"oversized" cabbages — they can reach more than forty pounds and be bigger than a basketball! Teachers choose a class winner based on size and maturity of harvest and submit a nomination form to Bonnie Plant Farm. One lucky third grader in each state will be picked to win a $1000 scholarship. Once you enroll the class in the program, Bonnie Plant Farm will contact you and deliver the number of plants you request. Visit here for paper or electronic enrollment forms.

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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)

Captain Planet Foundation ~ Deadline: December 31, 2006
Committed to supporting hands-on environmental projects for young people, the foundation provides grants from $250 to $2,500 to school and community groups. There are four quarterly proposal deadlines per year. Visit the foundation's Web site for guidelines and a proposal form.

NEW! Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Awards! ~ Deadline: January 15, 2007
See announcement above.

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.

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 Return for 2007 & 2008!
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. Applications will be available very soon, so stay tuned to our Grants Page for details!

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.