The GTC Grant is Sponsored by:
2014 Challenge Winners
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Congratulations to the students at Kapowsin Elementary in Graham, Washington for winning the 2014 Green Thumb Challenge grant!
Watch this video about their amazing project.
GEF received many grant applications from across the country. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who submitted an entry as every garden was unique and demonstrated the amazing things that happen when children are connected with nature!
Be sure to read about the garden projects of the finalists, listed to the right.
How Kapowsin Elementary will use the grant award:
- Purchase dahlia tubers and other perennials that we can grow and then divide and sell at our annual Spring Garden Sale. All monies generated from this sale go into a special dedicated garden fund with our PTA and then are used to buy things that wear out such as greenhouse plastic or hoses, gloves, tools, weed whacker string, trellis material, etc
- Install an additional water hydrant--we have two so far but our garden is so large that a third hydrant would be ever so helpful. Cost is at least $200.00.
- Purchase cedar lumber for additional raised beds and/or picnic tables so the students can enjoy lessons or lunch in the garden
- Buy a tool to make wood burned signs that the children would create to welcome visitors with positive messages such as “May All Who Enter, Come With Peace In Their Hands And Love In Their Hearts.”
- Labelling supplies so that we are able to both keep track of what varieties of fruits, veggies and flowers we are growing and in order to educate the community on same.
- Drip irrigation supplies so that we can conserve even more water than we already do.
- Establish a bamboo garden so we can grow our own trellising supplies
- Expand our herb garden or establish a tea garden
Muskego Elementary
La Center, WA
The Muskego Elementary Community Garden was a grassroots effort from the students at Muskego Elementary during the 2011-2012 school year. Students spent that year learning about community and how they, young citizens of Muskego Community, could help their community out. At the conclusion of this school year the students brought up the idea of planting a garden and donating the vegetables to the Muskego Food Pantry. Staff came together that summer to talk about how to make the students' vision a reality. After talking with the Muskego Elementary Parent Teachers Organization (PTO) they were in favor of helping to raise money. The PTO organized a walk-a-thon to raise money for the school. They agreed to use a portion of what was raised to help with the cost of the garden.
In the fall of 2012 students found out that their idea would become a reality. During all school assemblies throughout the year, with the help of Waukesha County Extension Program, we studied which vegetables and herbs would grow well in Wisconsin, which vegetables the Muskego Food Pantry were in need of, and also how to grow and care for each vegetable. Students were divided up in various (K-4) groups to research two specific vegetables that were going to be planted. They shared their new knowledge with the entire school by creating a video. In the video students shared facts that they learned about the vegetables, how to care for them and how to harvest them. They also learned which vegetables should not be planted next to each other, as well as which flowers would keep insects and creatures out of the garden boxes. In the spring of 2013 all students and staff of Muskego Elementary participated in planting a variety of vegetables and herbs in our ten garden boxes.
Once the garden was planted, Muskego Elementary School families signed up to rotate their care throughout the summer months. With the help of parents many kindergarten through fourth grade students took charge of watering, weeding and harvesting the garden! Fourth grade students who were moving on to the middle school chose to come back throughout the summer to help tend the garden.
Over the past two summers the Muskego Elementary Community Garden has been a success, raising more than a total of 422 pounds of vegetables for Muskego families!
