The funding we have received so far has helped us jumpstart this amazing project! We were planning on doing small beads and a little garden, but due to the funding you have provided, we were able to do a large scale! The first phase was to build garden boxes and meet with students to see if they were interested and boy were they! We had students help create the boxes out of pallets (sustainability was really important to us but also the students!). The funding helps provide the bolts and materials to make them functional. We also were able to purchase starter supplies that allowed the whole school to be involved with starting seeds and creating plans. Students learned about plants, and how to grow them, and connected it to their everyday lessons! Dirt for the boxes is on the way too! We also were able to purchase materials to help us start on a foundation to have a greenhouse growing year round! Your grant has done truly awesome things for our small community allowing almost the entire school to have hands-on experiences with growing and nature and the buzz around the school is contagious! One community impact is we are going to work with our local food bank to allow fresh produce that we don't use to be shared with the community along with having community members teach some students basic woodworking to help build the garden boxes! Our plans for the future and the rest of the grant would be used to get things together for the greenhouse and have more tools to have the garden sustainable for years to come! We are looking at also purchasing rain collection, composting materials, and potentially solar tools to teach students about recycling, solar energy, and much more!
Action plan:
Timeline:
When will you be able to start your project?
We would start building boxes now and have students help finish the boxes!
How often will your team meet?
Monthly Meetings!
Are there any key dates to share for the project?
August 18th greenhouse and garden beds purchased and built
Budget:
You don't need to share exact prices, but please share how you're planning to spend the seed funding & what costs you're anticipating to get your project up and running:
Jumping on Topsoil and compost
Wood
Greenhouse
Compost
Shed
The shed, and wood are looking at taking most of the seed money along with the purchase of dirt.
Impact:
How will your community benefit from this project?
Help have fresher food
Have less packaged food
Giving some to the food pantry
Spread one awareness at home!
Have local colleges help incorporate lessons/ presentations.
Do you have any measurable goals for your project, such as the number of people that will participate?
Having every class use the garden in some way throughout the year.
Are you hoping to spread knowledge or increase interest in a specific subject?
Throughout the school curriculum they spread knowledge of gardens, composting, and recycling. I am hoping to increase interest with having the hands on aspect!
Location:
If your project requires physical space, have you decided the location?
Yes, we will do it in an open field next to the school.
Do you have all necessary permission and permits to carry out your project at the chosen location?
Yes, it’s on school grounds and have admin as part of the team!
* How has your kid leader been involved in the planning of the project so far?
So far, the kid leaders have helped come up with the goal of the project, helped bring ideas like having students have a compost bin in the lunchroom, and hep plan layouts for the garden!
* How will kids be involved in the design and activation of this community project?
Students will help be involved though helping plant, grow, and harvest the garden along by with incorporating their ideas of what the garden should look like!
