Schoolyard Gardening Grants Program
The Schoolyard as a Classroom
(An ongoing Youth-education Project)
Co-Chairs:
Leigh Hartman (Correspondence)
Mary Lippman (Grants)
Anette Gomez (Outreach)
Susan Vandenriesse (School Tours)
Teaching children the glory of nature is a wonderful way to inspire a love for gardening that will last a lifetime. The opportunity to plant and watch a flower grow, or pick a carrot to bring to the table, brings the wonder of nature closer to school children. Our Schoolyard Garden Grants program is dedicated to spreading this wonder to more schools every year.
Our Committee members review grant applications, conduct site visits, and inspire members to continue to donate to our Schoolyard Garden Grants Fund.
The grants support schools to provide a place and time for students to learn about healthy gardening practices. Students learn how to design and plan; amend the soil; plant, water, weed, and tend the crops; harvest; and prepare food for the table. Many of the gardens are a quiet, peaceful refuge to conduct reading groups, science lessons, culinary classes, and art projects.
Thanks to you, during the 2022/2023 fiscal year, our Schoolyard Garden Grants Committee awarded nearly $12,500 to 38 schools throughout San Diego County. The majority of our funding went to 27 Title I schools where greenspace is scarce, and children cope with high levels of poverty, including homelessness. We also supported 11 other neighborhood or local schools. The grants are designated for gardening supplies to help the schools provide a space where students can experience quietude and garden-based learning that segues into all other aspects of their education.
If you are interested in applying for a Schoolyard Gardening Grant, please click on the link below where you will find the application. All applications must be received by October 15, 2023
Donations - Donations to this program are tax deductible and distributed annually. Funding for this project depends on the generous donations of our members and others in our community who believe in this effort. By contributing to this program, you are helping to grow environmentalists of the future. We are grateful for the past support that has allowed our program to touch 1000’s of children throughout San Diego with the magic of gardening. If you wish to donate to Schoolyard Gardening, please click below on the Gift Donation Form, for information about how you can help