Category: Education: Youth and Garden
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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Soil Health for School Gardens Workshop Recap and Resources
November 8, 2021
Soil Health for School Garden Workshop Recap Last month we held an in-person Garden Educator Network event in Redmond, our first in person network event in 2 years. This workshop was a collaboration, and funded in part through a grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts. Many school gardens were untended during the 2020 […]
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Garden Project at East Bend Boys and Girls Club
November 1, 2021
While the Garden for Every School team has been partnering with the Downtown Boys & Girls Club for the last decade, this summer was the first time we worked with staff and students at their small East Bend Club to help install a small learning garden on site. As this space has in ground irrigation, […]
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A Week of Ideas to Engage with National Farm to School Month!
October 5, 2021
October is National Farm to School Month, and the theme for this years’ campaign, from the National Farm to School Network, is Our Food, Our Future. Our Food, Our Future: Youth Leadership for a Racially Just Food System Youth and young people are the leaders and change makers of tomorrow and today. As National Farm […]
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Farewell to Tracy, our Food Hero!
September 15, 2021
We recently said goodbye to our wonderful Garden & Nutrition Educator, Tracy Ryan, as she transitioned into a position supporting students at Jewell Elementary School. While we are sad to see her go, those that know Tracy know that she loves to laugh and her enthusiasm for life can be infectious. So we know she’ll […]
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A Look Back on the 2021 Summer Youth Education Programs
September 13, 2021
As we packed away the hula hoops, animal skulls, water colors, and scoured the forest at Skyliner Lodge for lost water bottles, single shoes, and the occasional lost towel, the TEC youth education team breathed a big sigh of relief—another successful summer of outdoor based programs (and arguably our best one yet) was officially over. […]
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Thoughts From Our Naturalists in Training
September 1, 2021
At The Environmental Center, our Youth Education Team offers a variety of summer programs to enrich the minds of children, and teach them about sustainable living with hands-on activities in the classroom, the outdoors, the gardens, and beyond. We believe it’s important to foster future leaders in sustainability. That’s why the team also provides mentorship […]
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These Eco-Heroes Had a Blast Exploring Bend via Bike
August 17, 2021
Superhuman strength and magical powers only exist in comics and movies, but real-life heroes biked among us during the July Eco-Hero Adventures summer camp. After a thorough safety lesson from Commute Options, the campers were ready to go! Here’s Where the Eco-Heros Docked Throughout the Week! Navigating through Bend, fueling their transport with the energy […]
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Garden Grant Funded Outdoor and Garden Classrooms
July 6, 2021
When most Central Oregon schools were closed back in November due to COVID-19, we didn’t know if any teacher was going to apply for our annual garden grants. But when the deadline came and went, we were thrilled to see more applications than ever before. We worked with local partners to fully fund a majority […]
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