Garden Grants

Gardening for Grades School Garden Mini Grant opportunity: Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc is offering beginning Sept. 1, 2011 a new school garden mini grants program to complement its Gardening for Grades School Garden Resource Guide. Eligible applicants are certified general education teachers and agri-science teachers in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade who will use the $500 mini grant to fund new or existing schoolyard or classroom garden projects. The school garden projects funded must grow only Florida fruits and vegetables, and must educate students about the importance of Florida agriculture. Florida Agriculture in the Classroom will distribute 222 $500 mini grants on a first come, first served basis until the grant funds are depleted, and will only approve one mini grant per school. Only online applications will be accepted. To complete one beginning Sept. 1, 2011, Florida teachers need to visit Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's website.   Gardening for Grades School Garden Resource Guide: In response to the growing popularity of school gardens, Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. has developed a comprehensive guide for Florida teachers called Gardening for Grades, which is now available. There are a dozen lessons and activities in the book that show teachers how to use the garden to teach language arts, math, science and social studies concepts. Gardening for Grades is offered free of charge to Florida teachers thanks to a special partnership with the Florida Department of Education's Coordinated School Health Partnership and Food & Nutrition Management Section. Florida teachers are invited to visit the organization's website at www.flagintheclassroom.com  to download or order a copy of the book.