Category: Education: Youth and Garden

Winter Break Activities for Kids and Families
December 19, 2022
Photo credit: US Fish & Wildlife Central Oregon is a winter wonderland, full of things to do to keep you and your family outdoors no matter the elements! While hanging by the fire pit is an obvious great choice, our Youth Education team put together a few more ideas to enjoy this season. We hope […]
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Stories from the Garden: Fall 2022
Although the garden is currently under a blanket of snow, Denise and Adrienne (along with volunteers, parents, teachers, and students) had plenty of great garden shenanigans this fall! Read on to learn about and share our gratitude for the small moments that make our garden programs so special: Three Sisters Garden Bed The winter squash […]
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Our First School Garden Bike Tour
October 26, 2022
It was a sunny Saturday in October… Earlier this month, a group of 10 folks biked to three youth garden projects on a beautiful autumn day. Here’s some highlights for those not able to join us! We kicked off our ride at the Dennis Maloney Community Justice Center, one of Deschutes County’s Juvenile Community Justice […]
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“Green Drinks” Celebrates Latinx Heritage Month With Upcycled Piñatas!
October 10, 2022
2022 has been exciting, as we have been able to get back to gathering in-person for our various events: Earth Day, the Green Tour, Power Hour, and one of our favorites — the Green Drinks series! Green Drinks is an international concept that brings people together to learn about sustainability efforts. Here in Central Oregon, […]
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Welcome, Wesley!
September 12, 2022
Our Youth Education team has a new Coordinator Over the summer, we brought Wesley Yoder (he/him) on as our Youth Education Program Coordinator, and he jumped right in helping to deliver fun-filled summer camps. Wesley has an extensive background in environmental education, and brings knowledge and skills from his degree in biology with a focus […]
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From Bend, Oregon to Katmai, Alaska
July 6, 2022
The Future of Youth Education at TEC Youth Education has been a key pillar of The Environmental Center for over 30 years. In the years to come, we aim to continuously strengthen and diversify our offerings for Central Oregon youth to fit their needs. After all, we understand that youth are the future stewards of […]
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2022 Garden Grant Projects
February 24, 2022
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 […]
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Redmond School Gardens Update
February 10, 2022
Thanks to last summer’s successful fundraising campaign, we’ve been working hard to support school garden efforts in Redmond and we have exciting updates to share! Eagle Scout Garden Revitalization Project at John Tuck Elementary School A week before school closures in March 2020, we were meeting with administrators and staff at John Tuck School in […]
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Introducing the Green Leadership Coalition
December 28, 2021
Recently, Bend High and Mountain View’s environmental clubs got together at The Environmental Center’s Learning Garden. They covered the garden beds, cut back plants, and kept some growth available for pollinators throughout the winter and spring seasons. This great event connected students and gave them an opportunity to plan some group projects and really develop their […]
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Garden for Every School Program Announces Local Garden Grants Available
November 12, 2021
The Environmental Center’s Garden for Every School Program announces their annual garden grants are available. The goal of the small grant program is to provide local funding for public and private Pre K – 12 schools in Central Oregon to build or support a school garden. Gardens can be indoors, or an outdoor classroom, depending […]
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