2022 Garden Grant Projects

The Environmental Center is thrilled to award over $23,000 to 20 schools and organizations to fund a variety of school garden projects across Central Oregon. Projects range from starting new outdoor school gardens and improving existing garden infrastructure, to unique projects like building a first foods demonstration bed, setting up indoor hydroponics systems and planting a perennial culinary herb garden.

“In our 5th year of running an annual small grant program, we’re seeing a trend of more schools building or improving school garden spaces each year. For some schools it’s creating green space on concrete, for others it’s indoor school year only, and still others seek to build on earlier school garden efforts that need reviving,” says Denise Rowcroft, Garden For Every School Program Manager with The Environmental Center. “Whatever their goals, we’re excited to support schools that engage in food and garden based learning in the ways that’s best for them.” 

Recipient schools and organizations will collectively serve over 1,900 youth in school garden projects across Central Oregon, and include:  Academy at Sisters, Bend International School, Bend Montessori School, Bridge Charter Academy, Caldera High School, Culver Elementary School, Deschutes Children’s Foundation, Elk Meadow Elementary School, Friends of the Children – Central Oregon, M.A. Lynch Elementary School, Oregon Family School, Realms High School, Sakari Farms, Sisters ES, Sisters High School Youth Transition Program, Steins Pillar Elementary School, StepUP at Edwin Brown Education Center, Terrebonne Elementary School, Tom McCall Elementary School, and Tumalo Community School. Some of these projects await district approval before digging in.

Since 2017 The Environmental Center has raised and awarded over $67,000 to support local schools and community organizations in their garden-based learning efforts. These garden grants would not be possible without the support of local and regional businesses, foundations and non-profit organizations. Thanks to support from all the Garden for Every School supporters: Agricultural Connections, Bend Urban Gardens, Cascade Natural Gas, Central Electric Cooperative, Inc., Central Oregon Beekeeping Association, Central Oregon Health Council, Central Oregon Pediatric Associates, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Deschutes Brewery, Deschutes Soil & Water Conservation District, El Sancho, First Interstate Bank Foundation, Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network, Pacific Power Foundation, Saginaw Sunset, Savory Spice Shop, St. Charles Foundation, Trainyard Tech, LLC, The Ford Family Foundation, and Whole Foods Market, Bend.

Due to an unprecedented number of grant applications and funding requests, additional funds were secured to fully fund every project proposed this year. Erin Kilcullen with the Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District, one of our funding partners through a collaborative Urban Agriculture grant through the National Association of Conservation Districts, says ”Supporting schools that engage their students in hands on learning in school gardens aligns with our mission of conservation and supporting our future land stewards”.

2022 School Garden Grant Details

• Academy at Sisters, Bend: $1,500 to install a deer proof fence
• Bend International School, Bend: $1,500 to upgrade garden beds and irrigation
• Bend Montessori School, Bend: $1,500 for infrastructure to build Staats St Children’s Garden
• Bridge Charter Academy, Bend: $1,000 to set up 3 hydroponic growing systems
• Caldera High School*, Bend:$1,500 to install a native pollinator garden
• Culver Elementary School, Culver: $550 for seed starting supplies for indoor classroom garden STEM unit
• Deschutes Children’s Foundation, Bend: $1,000 for garden maintenance, supplies and teacher training
• Elk Meadow Elementary School, Bend: $500 towards garden supplies and infrastructure improvements
• Friends of the Children – Central Oregon, Bend: $1,500 to build an outdoor raised bed youth garden
• M.A. Lynch Elementary School*, Redmond: $1,500 for garden supplies and infrastructure improvements
• Oregon Family School, Bend: $1,200 towards outdoor raised garden beds
• Realms High School, Bend: $1,500 to install a pollinator corridor
• Sakari Farms, Tumalo: $1,100 to build first foods demonstration garden beds
• Sisters Elementary School, Sisters: $1,300 for greenhouse repairs and improvements
• Sisters High School Youth Transition Program, Sisters: $600 to build a perennial culinary herb garden
• Steins Pillar Elementary School, Prineville: $1,500 to install shade sails in the school garden
• StepUP at Edwin Brown Education Center*, Redmond: $1,300 for greenhouse improvements
• Terrebonne Community School*, Terrebonne: $1,500 towards infrastructure of new outdoor garden classroom
• Tom McCall Elementary School, Redmond: $700 for indoor pollinator seed starting unit supplies
• Tumalo Community School*, Tumalo: $500 towards greenhouse improvements

*Pending school district approval

If you would like to contribute to the school garden grant fund to support our communities’ school garden projects, please contact Denise Rowcroft at denise@envirocenter.org.

About A Garden for Every School

The Environmental Center’s Garden for Every School program exists to connect youth to nature through food. We do this through garden and food based education in the classroom, cafeteria, school gardens and field trips. We support youth organizations, schools and districts with annual garden grants and on-going technical assistance. We gather educators through our Garden Educator Network school garden tours and workshops. Finally, we operate our on-site school demonstration garden, the Kansas Avenue Learning Garden. Learn more at envirocenter.org/schoolgardens.

About The Environmental Center

The Environmental Center’s mission is to embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon. As a regional place for environmental education, engagement, and action, we are leaders in shaping a healthy future for people and the planet. Our programs and advocacy efforts focus on building community connections, educating students, revolutionizing energy, and rethinking waste. Learn more at envirocenter.org.