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June 2009

This Month's Features
Announcements
Resources For Educators
Conferences and Workshops
Funding Opportunities

This Month's Teachers' Room Feature: Spotlight on Soil
We dig in it, build with it, and depend on it for the nutrients and water we (and plants!) need to survive. It can take hundreds of years to create an inch of this precious resource, yet we often take it for granted — or even worse — treat it like dirt! This month’s Teacher’s room explores soil. Visit the Teachers' Room

This Month's Family Room Feature: Building a Lasagna Garden
Check out this month’s Family Room for how-to instructions for a raised-bed garden that won’t break your back and gets your kids interested in gardening. The technique is called lasagna gardening and it creates an instant garden out of materials right at hand. You can’t eat this lasagna, but the food you grow in it will be delicious! Visit the Family Room.

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Announcements

Fisher-Price Brands Adopts a School Garden
The National Gardening Association recognizes Fisher-Price Brands for supporting the use of school gardens to inspire learning and restore the vital connection between our children and the environment. Thanks to their generous support, children attending Hugo Newman College Preparatory School–PS/IS 180 will reap the rewards of plant-based education.

New! 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.

Quantifying a Relationship Between Place-Based Learning and Environmental Quality
Can education programs improve the environment? A groundbreaking study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are effective tools in helping to improve air quality. Read the full report

Masters of Science in Environmental Science Teaching
The Environmental Science Program (ESP) at DePaul University, in collaboration with both the Chicago Academy of Sciences’ Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and DePaul’s School of Education, will offer a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science Teaching (MEST). The program is designed for certified high school science teachers and will allow participants to meet the requirements for the new Illinois State Board of Education designation in environmental science created in 2003. Deadline for applications is August 1, 2009. For more information contact Dr. James Montgomery at jmontgom@depaul.edu or (773) 325-2771.

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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Resources for Educators

Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children
A research-based early childhood curriculum, this “seed-to-table” approach gets children interested in and appreciative of nutritious fruits and vegetables. The Early Sprouts model engages preschoolers in all aspects of planting, preparing, and eating organically grown produce. Find directions for designing and caring for gardens, recipes children can help prepare, and ways to involve the whole family in making healthy food choices. The activities can be tailored to fit any early childhood program, climate, or geographical region; have been tested in a variety of early learning environments; and have received accolades from children, their parents, and teachers alike. Early Sprouts received a Champion Award from the Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Galson. Click here for details and to view sample content.

New Book: Fern Verdant & the Silver Rose
This new book by Diana Leszczynski shares the escapades of the fearless Fern on her quest to save her mother, an internationally renowned botanist, when she disappears without a trace. Fern Verdant & the Silver Rose won the 2008 Green Earth Book Award Honor and was named a notable 2008 children's book by Smithsonian magazine.

Cloning Roses
Check out this Lazy Gardener Blog about kids who are learning science lessons while raising funds for their school garden by propagating roses.

Fabulous Butterfly Topiary at the Gardening with Kids Store
Kids adore this dramatic, freestanding Butterfly Topiary, and it's a standout addition to school butterfly gardens! The form comes fully covered with sphagnum moss that has been treated to maintain its verdant color. You can enjoy the moss-covered topiary as is, or plant the moss with colorful flowers. The topiary's rust-resistant, double-epoxy-coated metal frame assembles quickly, with no tools required. Measures 24" x 10" x 20"d when mounted vertically with wings at a 45-degree angle, or display the topiary flat on the ground.

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Conferences & Workshops

Living Sculpture Workshop ~ July 22
What do sod furniture, topiary, willow domes, large-scale earth art, and table-top vegetable art have in common? They're fun, of course, but creating art with plants is also a great way to engage meaningfully in the outdoors. Join hosts Cornell University and Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, New York, for a hands-on day of workshops that address these topics and more. Learn more.

National Children & Youth Garden Symposium ~July 23-25, 2009
The American Horticultural Society's 2009 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, Common Ground: Gardens for a Greener Tomorrow, will be hosted by the Cleveland Botanical Garden in Ohio, July 23-25, 2009. Click here for registration details.

ACGA’s Annual Conference ~ August 6-9, 2009
The American Community Gardening Association’s 2009 conference will be hosted by Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. Click here for details.

10th International People-Plant Symposium ~ October 4-6, 2009
The 10th International People-Plant Symposium will be held at Kansas State University October 4-6, 2009. This symposium provides a forum for researchers, educators, and practitioners to discuss and develop an international perspective on human issues in horticulture terminology. The meeting will consist of thought-provoking presentations by guest speakers, as well as a diverse selection of other oral and poster presentations. Learn more...

NAAEE's 38th Annual Conference ~ October 7-10, 2009
The North American Association for Environmental Education’s 38th Annual Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon. Registration begins June 1. Scholarships are available to help with fees. Visit http://www.naaee.org/conference for information.

Georgia’s 13th annual Outdoor Classroom Symposium ~ October 30, 2009
This year’s theme, "Growing Fertile Minds," will feature sessions on how to create specific types of school gardens, how to start farm-to-school programs, and how to use your school grounds to enhance cross-curricular learning. It will be hosted by Chase Street Elementary School in Athens, Georgia. Click here for details.

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Funding Opportunities (Listed chronologically by deadline date)

Inspired by Bulbs! Educational Grant Opportunity ~ Deadline July 3
Submit a description of a project that features a flowering bulb-planting effort with children or youth at a school or other organization, and yours may be one of 10 projects selected to receive a grant of $250 in bulbs. Click here for details.

2009 Hooked on Hydroponics~ Deadline: September 18, 2009
The Grow Store and ProgressiveGardening.org join NGA to offer hydroponic equipment to expand exciting indoor gardening opportunities for students. Click here for more details.

2009 Healthy Sprouts Award ~ Deadline: October 17, 2009
To encourage the growth of health-focused youth gardens, NGA recognizes outstanding programs through the Healthy Sprouts Awards, sponsored by Gardener's Supply Company. These awards support school and youth garden programs that teach about nutrition and the issue of hunger in the United States. Recipients receive gift certificates from Gardener's Supply Company (the top 5 receive a $500 certificate and 15 more receive a $200 certificate), NGA's Eat a Rainbow Kit, seeds, and supporting literature. Click here for details.

2010 Youth Garden Grant ~ Deadline: November 2, 2009
NGA is delighted to announce that The Home Depot returned as our Youth Garden Grants sponsor for 2010. Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. For the 2010 grant cycle, 100 grants are available. Five (5) programs will receive gift cards valued at $1000 (a $500 gift card* to The Home Depot and a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog and educational materials from NGA. Ninety-five (95) programs will receive a $500 gift card* to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA. Download an application.

Build-A-Bear Workshop® Giving Programs ~ 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.

Teaching Tolerance Grants ~ Deadline: Rolling
Teaching Tolerance offers grants of $500 to $2,500 to preK–12 classroom teachers for projects designed to reduce prejudice among youth, improve intergroup relations in schools, and/or support educator professional development in these areas. Proposals from other community organizations and houses of worship will be considered on the basis of direct student impact. Learn more here

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.

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