Upcoming Events
Funding & Financial Sustainability Solution Session
In this Solution Session, we’ll dive into to school garden challenges regarding funding and financial sustainability.
We’ll start with an overview of the SGSO Network’s Promising Practices resources on funding and then divide into breakout rooms based on the scale of your school garden programs (do you support 1 school garden or 50?) . In these breakout rooms, we’ll do a round robin, allowing anyone who wants to share a challenge related to funding school gardens and making them financially sustainable. If you’d like support on a challenge, please come ready with specific questions to ask…and if you’d like to offer solutions, get them ready to share!
All webinars are recorded, shared after the webinar and archived on our website. Check out the archive and all upcoming webinars at https://www.sgsonetwork.org/webinars/
National Farm to School Month
National Farm to School Month is celebrated in all 50 states in in October. Join us and other schools and organizations across Louisiana in recognizing the importance of farm to school through activities, lesson plans, good local food, and fun!
We want YOU to celebrate with us by pledging to do at least one farm to school activity in October. Visit https://bit.ly/3lrnuOa to take the challenge and choose your activity!
Louisiana Farm to School Photo Contest
Until October 31st, you can join us and submit photos representing one of the three themes listed below and be entered to win a prize! Finalists will be selected for each category and the winners will be voted on through our Facebook page. Submit your photos at https://forms.gle/eGpXQNhs5mJ5q6X56 and show us your best, most engaging farm to school moments from the cafeteria, school garden, or classroom!
FREE Windowsill Greenhouse Kit Registration
Sign up for our second round of FREE Windowsill Greenhouse Kit is open! The kit includes red leaf lettuce and red chard seeds, 72 pellets, plastic dome and tray, and plant markers. SIGN UP HERE: http://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2gDDZ6rohB1sOqO
Funding Opportunities
Big Green JumpStart
The Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Grant presented by Little Seeds and Kids Gardening is designed to support youth garden programs interested in preserving and creating pollinator habitat to help rebuild declining pollinator populations. In 2021, eighteen programs will be awarded a check for $500 to support the d
Schools who already have a garden, are teaching in the garden or have plans to do so soon, and need more funds to engage more kids in outdoor learning can apply for this exciting new opportunity! Educators who meet the following guidelines are encouraged to attend the Big Green Jumpstart webinar for more details:
- Your school has a garden, and you want to do more with it.
- Your school is planning for or has already identified ways to teach in the garden, right now.
- You need more funds to engage more kids in more outdoor learning.
COVID-19 GEN YOUth COVID-19 Emergency School Nutrition Funding
GENYOUth is providing grants of up to $3,000 per school to supply much-needed resources for meal distribution and delivery efforts to get food to students during COVID-19. From soft-sided coolers, bags and containers for individual servings, to protective gear for food service sanitation and safety, this equipment will help ensure our children continue to receive the nutritious meals they need. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis. Apply here.
National Education Association Foundation Grants
Student Success Grants, offered by the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation, are for projects that help students learn how to think critically and solve problems in order to improve student learning. Learning & Leadership Grants, offered by the NEA Foundation, are for professional development opportunities for individuals or groups. Grants are available to current members of NEA who are educators in public schools or public institutions of higher education. Preference is given to proposals that incorporate STEM and/or global learning into projects, which can include farm to school activities. Two levels of funding are available: $2,000 and $5,000. Apply for a Student Success Grant here or a Learning & Leadership Grant here.
The Bee Grant
The Bee Cause Project empowers students, teachers, and community members to experience the wonder, ingenuity, beauty, and power of the honey bee. Join the network of passionate educators, beekeepers, and community leaders in building the buzz for integrating bees into STEAM education. Learn more about the Bee Grant and apply here.
Clif Bar Family Foundation Small Grants
The Clif Bar Family Foundation awards small grants for projects focused on one of five priority areas, including creating a robust, healthy food system, increasing opportunities for outdoor activity, and building stronger communities, a great fit for school garden projects. These grants are awarded for general organizational support as well as funding for specific projects. Learn more about the Clif Bar Foundation and apply here.
Captain Planet Project Learning Garden
Schools can apply now to win a Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden through partnerships with grocery retailers around the country. Grand Prize Winners will receive a one-year supply of DOLE Fruit Bowls and a Project Learning Garden provided by Captain Planet Foundation, including: 5 garden beds or garden expansion (for schools with an existing garden), mobile garden cooking cart, standards-based Learning Garden lessons and lesson supply kits, and online teacher training. Learn more about the Project Learning Garden and apply here.
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) and Dreyer’s Fruit Bars
FTPF and Dreyer’s are planting orchards across the country in a collaborative program called “Communities Take Root,” and your town could be next! They invite your community to apply for this exciting opportunity to grow fresh fruit, beautify neighborhoods, strengthen relationships and build community food security—all through the simple act of planting fruit trees. FTPF is currently accepting the first 100 qualified applications for the next round of the program, which involves a public online vote to select the final recipients. * FTPF provides all plants, related materials and equipment, community workshops and training, and our team will work with your community volunteers to install the orchard. Recipients must have the appropriate space and commitment to the orchard to qualify. Download the application here and submit via email only. *Schools are not eligible to apply. Please visit the Fruit Tree 101 Grants page for more information about the school orchard program.
Salad Bars to Schools
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is a comprehensive grassroots public health effort to mobilize and engage stakeholders at the local, state and national level to support salad bars in schools. Their vision is to significantly increase salad bars in schools across the country until every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is an initiative of the Food Family Farming Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, and Whole Foods Market to support First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. The goal of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program is to fund and award 6000 salad bars over the next three years.