At Whole Kids Foundation, we believe that if you give kids good choices, they will make good choices. And if you help them plant a seed, it will ignite in them a curiosity for fresh food for a lifetime. Stated simply: if kids grow food, they are more likely to eat it.
That is why we support school gardens and educational edible gardens. To date, we have granted over $200,000 to 107 educational edible gardens across Canada…and counting!
This Fall, apply for a 2016 School Garden Grant or Extended Learning Garden Grant from Whole Kids Foundation. This is an opportunity for a $2,000 grant to support an edible educational garden on the grounds of a school or a non-profit organization with children’s programming. The school or organization must support children in any grade ranging from K to 12. These funds can support a brand new garden or the continuation of an already existing one.
The online application will be available in Canada for both programs from September 1st-November 30th and grants will be announced in February.
For more information, visit our School Garden Grant page for schools or Extended Learning Garden Grant page for non-profit organizations. There you can get started with a copy of the application questions, FAQs, and other tools, including Grant Writing Tips compiled by our FoodCorps reviewers, and our School Garden Resource Center—written for schools but applicable to any type of educational edible garden!
We support all types of gardens from brand new to years old…from urban tower gardens to rural gardens that more closely resemble a farm but in addition to our eligibility requirements above these are the main factors we look for in all of our recipients:
- A thought out vision and plan for the garden to be a connection for children to fresh, healthy food-additional lessons on how to prepare these foods are an additional benefit.
- The support of your leadership-principal or executive director
- A plan for sustainability both in the physical maintenance of the garden, ie volunteers, and in funding or donations.
- Integration into the children’s curriculum or learning, as well as into their community: parents, other teachers, and neighbors.
- At least one main “garden champion”, preferably a group of champions who coordinate the garden. At one of these coordinators should have gardening experience or a plan to gain these skills.
- Involvement of at least one main “Community Partner”: a local business, organization, or gardening group that support your school garden in some fashion, such as with in-kind donations, garden expertise, or volunteers.
We look forward to supporting your efforts to grow healthy kids! For any questions at all, email gardens@wholekidsfoundation.org. To receive updates on this program and our other programs, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
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