February 2010
This
Month's Features
Announcements
Resources
For Educators
Conferences and Workshops
Funding
Opportunities
This
Month's Teachers' Room Feature: Engaging Students through Citizen Science
In schoolyards, backyards, and classrooms throughout North America – and beyond – students of all ages become budding scientists by participating in citizen science projects. Visit
the Teachers' Room
This
Month's Family Room Feature: Light Up the House
Jump start your child’s enthusiasm for the gardening season by planting seeds indoors. Starting your own seedlings not only allows you to grow a wider variety of plants, it also extends your growing season— engaging your young gardeners long before they can put a spade in the soil. For a successful seed growing experience, we recommend setting up an indoor light system.Visit
the Family Room.
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Syngenta IPM in School Gardens Grant ~ Deadline: March 1, 2010
Syngenta is sponsoring the Syngenta IPM in School Gardens Grant to support educators using school gardens as a tool for teaching students about integrated pest management strategies in the garden and on farms. During 2010, four schools will receive grant packages valued at $1,250. Click here for more details.
Win a Community Fruit Tree Orchard~ Deadline: February 28, 2010
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is launching a groundbreaking new community fruit tree planting program and is currently accepting applications for 2010 orchard donations. The first 100 qualified applications received by February 28 will be
considered for a free FTPF orchard. Download the application at: www.ftpf.org/application.doc
Register Today for National Environmental Education Week, April 11-17, 2010
National Environmental Education Week (EE Week, www.eeweek.org) connects educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students’ understanding of the environment. Recognizing the importance of conserving both water and energy in order to protect the planet and reduce costs, and acknowledging the interdependence between water and energy, EE Week’s 2010 theme is Be Water and Energy Wise! Register for EE Week and join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students. You will receive certificates of participation, free online resources, information on professional development and funding opportunities, and access to discounts and special offers on educational materials for EE Week participants. Register today at www.eeweek.org/register.
2009 Scotts GroGood Campaign in Review
To encourage Americans to grow more of their own food, Scotts Miracle-Gro, along with its nonprofit partners the National Gardening Association, Garden Writers Association, Plant a Row for the Hungry, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Keep America Beautiful, initiated the GroGood campaign. The campaign asked all Americans to grow more food for themselves and others. To launch the GroGood campaign, Scotts Miracle-Gro donated 1 million pounds of produce to food banks nationwide and called on Americans to help by pledging to grow and donate an additional 1 million pounds of fresh produce to help feed those at risk for hunger. Click here for details.
Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program ~ Deadline: March 1, 2010
The Bonnie’s 3rd Grade Cabbage Program distributes free cabbage plants to third-grade classrooms whose teachers sign up to participate. This year 1,200,000 third graders will plant and take care of their own cabbage plants. Learn more about the program, which also awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each state, at the Bonnie Plants Web site.
School Garden Recipe Contest ~ Deadline: March 1, 2010
The GardenABCs Web site is holding a recipe contest for a new book by author Anne Nagro. Winning recipes will be included in the book and all submitters will be entered into a drawing to win a GloPanel 45® LED grow light. Click here for full details.
Green Thumb Challenge ~ Oct. 2009 – June 2010
This initiative of the Green Education Foundation calls on classrooms and schools to plant 10,000 indoor or outdoor gardens during the spring of 2010! GEF’s Web site provides gardening instructions; checklists for school approvals; plot location guidelines; container garden suggestions; funding resources; garden plans, vegetable and flower suggestions; and more. Summer student internships and community service programs will be available, along with an online professional development course for teachers.For more information visit http://www.greenthumbchallenge.org.
The Growing Classroom Training
To provide educators in your area with the tools for success, host a Growing Classroom Training. Presented by the Life Lab Science Program and the National Gardening Association, this two-day workshop is ideal for those interested in supplementing their existing science program with garden-based learning. Using The Growing Classroom activity guide for grades 2-6, you’ll experience hands-on activities, learn basic science concepts and gardening techniques, and develop management strategies for a school gardening program. Click here for more details.
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Garden Adventures: A New Garden Guide for Early Childhood Educators
This new book features 16 hands-on activities centered on 4 key questions: What is a plant? Where do plants come from? How do we take care of plants? Why are plants important? Each chapter includes horticultural teacher background information, interdisciplinary extension ideas, and a reproducible "family newsletter" describing an activity to complete at home. Equally suited for educators who are new to gardening and those who are experienced green thumbs, these inspired lessons will let you and your young students embark on a wonderful garden learning adventure. Click here for full details.
Sowing the Seeds of Wonder
This new book from Life Lab offers hands-on activities to engage preschool-age children in using all their senses to discover the joys of gardening. Young gardeners will develop a lifelong connection to the outdoors as they dig into the soil; observe birds, insects, and other critters in the garden; and enjoy the tastes of fresh fruits and vegetables they have helped to plant, harvest, and prepare. Click here for full details.
Our Shadow Garden
This children's book by Cherie Foster Colburn is the story of a special nighttime garden planted by a child and his grandfather for the child’s grandmother, who can no longer spend time outside in the sun. It includes educational how-to sidebars that can help you start your own garden, and features illustrations from the children of the Children's Cancer Hospital at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Learn more….
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Planning the Edible Harvest - Creating & Sustaining Your School Garden ~ February 27, 2010
A healthy, year-round school garden is a critical component of a vibrant nutrition education program. Join the Life Lab Science Program to learn how to effectively manage a school garden so that students can enjoy an edible harvest. This workshop provides essential tips and best practices for teachers who want to conduct garden-based nutrition education projects. Additional details at: www.lifelab.org/cde.php
Giving through Growing Workshops ~ March 25-26 and October 1-2, 2010
The American Community Gardening Association is hosting Giving through Growing workshops in Chicago (March 25-26th) and Washington DC (October 1-2nd) to train community members how to establish successful community gardening programs. For more information, contact the ACGA office at 877-275-2242 or info@communitygarden.org.
Sowing the Seeds of Wonder: Discovering the Garden in Early Childhood Education ~ March 27, 2010
This one-day workshop, located at the amazing Life Lab Garden Classroom in Santa Cruz, CA is designed to give you the opportunity to see the garden through the eyes of a young child. Learn to set up a garden space that will encourage children to explore, ask questions, and connect to the natural world around them. Discover activities to engage children’s curiosity and enthusiasm while introducing them to fundamental ideas in environmental science. Registration deadline is March 12th. Click here for more details.
Institute on Creating Sustainable Environments for Young Children ~ June 10–11, 2010
Sponsored by White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, this institute provides a place where early childhood practitioners and designers can learn about creating sustainable environments for children, both indoors and outdoors. It will take place at the Courtyard by Marriott Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. Registration is limited to 35 participants. Click here for details.
School Garden Teacher Training and Support Program ~ June 14-18, July 12-16 and August 2-6, 2010
Since 1997, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center's School Garden Program has trained over 450 teachers, principals, and core parent volunteers in 173 school garden programs in Northern California, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond. The foundation of the program is the five-day residential summer training which offers a combination of lecture, resource materials and hands-on sessions on organic gardening, permaculture, cooking from the garden, team building, garden design, fundraising, art in the garden, and more. Visit http://www.oaec.org/school-garden to apply for the program. All applications must be received by April 15, 2010.
2010 Ag in the Classroom Conference ~ June 24-26, 2010
This year’s conference, Pioneers of Ag…Sailing into the Future, will be held in Baltimore, MD. Visit www.agclassroom.org for more information.
18th Annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium ~ July 22-24, 2010
A valuable experience for all gardening educators, this year's conference in Pasadena, California will focus on the theme "The Vitality of Gardens: Energizing the Learning Environment." Registration will begin on April 1st. Click here for more details.
American Community Gardening Association Annual Conference ~ August 5–8, 2010
Mark your calendar! The 2010 ACGA annual conference will be held in Atlanta in August. Check http://www.communitygarden.org/ for upcoming details.
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Funding Opportunities (Listed chronologically by deadline date)
Project Orange Thumb® ~ Deadline: February 19, 2010
Started in 2003, the Project Orange Thumb grant program provides community garden groups with the tools and materials they need to reach their goals for neighborhood beautification and horticulture education. Click here for more information about this year's opportunities and application process.
New! Syngenta IPM in School Gardens Grant ~ Deadline: March 1, 2010
Syngenta is sponsoring the Syngenta IPM in School Gardens Grant to support educators using school gardens as a tool for teaching students about integrated pest management strategies in the garden and on farms. During 2010, four schools will receive grant packages valued at $1,250. Click here for more details.
2010 Mantis Award ~ Deadline: March 1, 2010
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 hospitals. Learn more here.
Captain Planet Foundation ~ Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31, 2010
Captain Planet Foundation provides funds for hands-on programs that promote understanding of environmental issues. Click here for details.
Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards ~ Deadline: April 1, 2010
The 2010 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards is designed to give national recognition and $5,000 in plants to community groups and organizations that are improving their local environments. The annual award, sponsored by Omaha-based Nature Hills Nursery, will be presented in April 2010 to groups and organizations that are literally “greening” their communities, parks, schools, and public spaces by planting trees, shrubs, and other plants. The Grand Prize-winning garden project will receive $2,500 in plants from Nature Hills Nursery. The First Prize winner will receive $1,500 in plants from Nature Hills Nursery, and the Second Prize winner will receive $1,000 in plants. The plant materials may contain any combination of trees, fruit trees, bushes and shrubs, perennials, and vegetable seeds that Nature Hills Nursery offers. Visit the Nature Hills Web site to download an application.
ING Unsung Heros Awards ~ Deadline: April 30, 2010
Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund innovative class projects. Three of those educators receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. Learn more.
Build-A-Bear Workshop® Giving Programs ~ Deadline: April, July, and October
Champ-A Champion Fur Kids grants for children’s health and wellness are awarded twice each year to programs with measurable outcomes that make the world a healthier and happier place for kids. Click here for more details.
Annie's Grants for Gardens ~ Deadline: Rolling
Annie's offers a limited number of small grants to community gardens, school gardens, and other educational programs that connect children directly to gardening. These funds may be used to buy gardening tools, seeds, or other gardening supplies. Click here for application 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.
Fruit Tree 101 ~ Deadline: Ongoing
This program of The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation brings fruit tree orchards to schoolyards, so students can make a positive environmental impact at their school, while creating a source of tasty snacks for decades to come. Click here to download an application.
Operation Green Plant - Free Seed Grants
America the Beautiful Fund's Operation Green Plant program is offering grants of FREE SEEDS (vegetable, flower, or herb) to encourage citizen efforts to protect and preserve America’s lands and resources. Shipping and handling fees for the first set of 100 seed packets is $14.95. Additional set(s) of 100 packets are available for $5 per set. Click here for more details.
Grant Wrangler
Find funding opportunities for K-12 schools, searchable by grade level, keyword, category, and deadline at http://grantwrangler.com/.
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