Clinton Twp., MI - Oakland, Wayne and Macomb County schools have until 5 p.m. February 24, 2020 to apply for a Southeast Michigan School Garden mini-grant that could provide up to $1,500 for schools, early care and education sites to support garden programming during the grant year (March 30, 2020 - March 29, 2021). The application must be submitted by an employee of the school or early education site affiliated with the garden.With funding provided by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan State University Extension will award approximately 15 grants for schools or early care and education sites that are planning or implementing school garden programming. Grant awards will range from $500 - $1,500. In addition to funding, grantees will receive training, technical assistance and connection to a network of peers.
Planning grants help schools and early care and education sites that are in the beginning phases of creating a school garden. Planning grantees will create a school garden action plan and form a school garden team by the end of the grant period. Implementation grants help schools and early care and education sites that are ready to establish a school garden or will expand their school garden program. Implementation applicants must have a school garden team. Implementation grantees will create a school garden sustainability plan to maintain the garden and activities beyond the grant period.
Visit the Southeast Michigan School Garden mini-grant page for more details regarding the grant program, eligibility and requirements: https://www.canr.msu.edu/community_food_systems/school-gardens/school-garden-mini-grants.
For schools located in Detroit, MSU Extension is partnering with local organizations which currently provide support to school gardens, including the Detroit Public School Community District’s Office of Nutrition and Keep Growing Detroit to avoid duplicative efforts and maximize resources available to schools. Schools are encouraged to connect with these organizations (links below) and consider the resources offered before applying for this grant. The goal of the grant is to offer opportunities that complement these resources and contribute to sustainability of the network of resources available in the City.
Michigan State University (MSU) Extension helps people improve their lives by bringing the vast knowledge resources of MSU directly to individuals, communities and businesses. For more than 100 years, MSU Extension has helped grow Michigan’s economy by equipping Michigan residents with the information that they need to do their jobs better, raise healthy and safe families, build their communities and empower our children to dream of a successful future.