January 2020 Michigan School Garden newsletter

MICHIGAN SCHOOL GARDEN NEWSLETTER

January 2020

Happy New Year School Gardeners!  We have a new decade full of wonderful school garden opportunities!

 

Articles

Developing County Associations for School and Community Gardens

By John Diaz, Susan Tyler Webb and Catherine Campbell

 

Go to: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC27900.pdf

Garden Mini-Grant Opportunity for SE Michigan Schools

By Kaitlin Wojciak

 

Oakland, Wayne and Macomb county schools have until Feb. 24 to apply for a Southeast Michigan School Garden mini-grant that could provide up to $1,500 for schools and early care and education sites to support garden programming during the 2020 grant year.

 

With funding provided by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan State University Extension will award approximately 15 grants for schools or early care and education sites that are planning or implementing school garden programming. Grant awards will range from $500 - $1,500. In addition to funding, grantees will receive training, technical assistance, and connection to a network of peers. The grant year is from March 30, 2020 – March 29, 2021.

 

The mini-grant program offers planning and implementation grants to schools or early care and education sites located in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. The application must be submitted by an employee of the school or early education site affiliated with the garden.

 

Planning grants help schools and early care and education sites that are in the beginning phases of creating a school garden. Planning grantees will create a school garden action plan and form a school garden team by the end of the grant period. Implementation grants help schools and early care and education sites that are ready to establish a school garden or will expand their school garden program. Implementation applicants must have a school garden team. Implementation grantees will create a school garden sustainability plan to maintain the garden and activities beyond the grant period.

 

Visit the Southeast Michigan School Garden Mini-grant page for more details regarding

the grant program, eligibility, and requirements. Applications are due Feb. 24 at 5 p.m.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/community_food_systems/school-gardens/school-garden-mini-grants

 

For schools located in Detroit, MSU Extension is partnering with local organizations, which currently provide support to school gardens, including the Detroit Public School Community District's Office of Nutrition and Keep Growing Detroit to avoid duplicative efforts and maximize resources available to schools. We encourage schools to connect with these organizations (links below) and consider the resources offered before applying for this grant. We hope this grant will offer opportunities to complement these resources and contribute to sustainability of the network of resources available in the City.

• Detroit Public School Community District's Office of Nutrition
  
  
• Keep Growing Detroit
  
  
  Michigan State University (MSU) Extension helps people improve their lives by bringing the vast knowledge resources of MSU directly to individuals, communities and businesses. For more than 100 years, MSU Extension has helped grow Michigan's economy by equipping Michigan residents with the information that they need to do their jobs better, raise healthy and safe families, build their communities and empower our children to dream of a successful future.
  
   
  
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School Garden Grant Information

• Southeast Michigan School Garden Mini-grant – Due Feb. 24, 2020
• Applications are available at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/community_food_systems/school-gardens/school-garden-mini-grants
  
• With funding provided by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan State University Extension will award approximately 15 grants for schools or early care and education sites that are planning or implementing school garden programming in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties.
  
• American Honda Foundation - Due dates three times per year current cycle due on Feb 1
• Schools, nonprofits classified as 501(c) (3) s and private or public schools (elementary and secondary) are eligible.
• Award range: $20,000 - $75,000 for one year
• Captain Planet Foundation ecoSolution Grant – Current cycle open from Sept 15 - Jan 15
• Schools, nonprofits and other organizations classified as 501(c) (3) are eligible
• Projects must: support solution-oriented, youth-led projects that result in real environmental outcomes; be based in the United States; only support direct project costs.
• Award range is between $500 - $2500.
• The Home Depot Foundation – Community Impact Grants currently open
• Schools and 501(c) (3) organizations are eligible.
• Awards are up to $5,000
• The Home Depot also has opportunities to match donations from local stores with nonprofits. Follow this link for more information on how to request a match. 
• Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation
• Public schools are eligible
• Awards from $5,000 - $25,000
• Visit this link to answer preliminary questions and learn more.
• Salad Bars to School Grant
• Any district or independent school participating in the National School Lunch Program is eligible to apply. To qualify for a Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools grant, applicants must offer the salad bar as part of the reimbursable meal served in your district.
• Schools use the award (approximately $3,147 value) to implement salad bars as part of their daily meal program
• For more information and to apply, follow this link.
• The top five program awards will be a grant package worth $2,100. An additional 20 grant packages worth $500 will be awarded.
• Learn more and apply here
• Youth Micro-grants through Karma for Cara Foundation – Rolling deadline
• Youth under age 18 who are working on a community service project (including school and community gardens).
• Awards are between $250 - $1,000.

School Garden Educational Opportunities

• SAVE THE DATE !!  Starting and Sustaining a School Garden will be held on Friday,  May 1, 2020 at the MSU Tollgate Education Center – stay tuned for registration information.

 

• Community Groundworks Workshops & Courses  http://www.communitygroundworks.org/resources/workshops-and-courses

 

• Chicago Botanic Gardens Teacher Programs https://www.chicagobotanic.org/education/teacher_programs

 

• Michigan Organic Food and Farming Allliance (MOFFA) Intensives
• For more information and Register at:  moffa.net/oi-2020.html
• Saturday, January 11th, 2020 for a one-day in-depth learning experience. Registration begins at 8 am and sessions begin at 9 @ Plant and Soil Sciences Building, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 
• $85 for MOFFA members and $115 for non-members.  The registration fee covers six hours of learning, lunch, breaks, all printed materials, and a great chance to network with fellow farmers and gardeners from across Michigan.  Parking is free at the Plant and Soil Sciences Building. 
  

• MSU Extension Master Gardener Programs
  
  • MSU Extension Master Gardener Training Courses are typically offered starting in January, March and August in several locations around the state.
  https://www.canr.msu.edu/master_gardener_volunteer_program/join-us/upcoming-extension-master-gardener-trainings

• MOFFA (Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance) Educational Opportunities
• http://www.moffa.net/educational-opportunities.html  LOTS of organic farming workshops and conferences in Michigan
• National Farm to Cafeteria Conference April 21-23, 2020 in Albuquerque, NM
• For more information visit http://www.farmtoschool.org/our-work/farm-to-school-cafeteria-conference

• North American Association of Environmental Educators Professional Development
• http://naturalstart.org/resources/professional-development

• National School Garden Network Best Practices Webinar series – usually FREE https://sites.google.com/site/nationalschoolgardennetwork/networking
  

• Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition Professional Development:  Partners in place-based education  http://semiscoalition.org/professional-development/

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Kristine Hahn

Michigan State University Extension Educator

Community Food Systems

Oakland County Office

1200 Telegraph Rd. #26E

Pontiac, MI 48341

248-802-4590

MSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.  Michigan State University programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status.

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