Monday's Grants: Green Thumb Challenge- Deadline 9/30/11

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

Green Thumb Challenge

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Amount: $5,000 

Green Education Foundation (GEF) and Gardener’s Supply Company have teamed up on an exciting funding opportunity for established youth garden projects nationwide! The organizations are calling on schools and youth groups to submit chronicles of their garden projects in a race to win a $5,000 prize. The award is designed to support the continued sustainability of an exceptional youth garden program that has demonstrated success, and has impacted the lives of kids and their community. Green Thumb Challenge participants may submit any of the following, or a combination. (Not a member? Click here to sign up for free!)

• An overview describing your garden project
• One video, up to ten minutes long
• A digital portfolio, comprising up to ten photos with captions
• Scanned artwork with descriptions

Videos, photographs and scanned artwork will be uploaded to the Green Thumb Challenge website.

Please submit the following information with your mailed or emailed submission:
Completed Grant Application (View Application in PDF Format)
Completed Contest Disclaimer (View Disclaimer in PDF Format)

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Eligible Contestants: Garden programs involving children currently in grades K-12, from schools and youth groups nationwide.

Grant Guidelines:

• To submit a grant you must first sign up on our online community. (Not a member? Click here to sign up for free!)

• Entries must be submitted by designated deadline.
• A class/group/school may enter the contest only once.
• Submissions must include garden materials (as outlined above), application and completed disclaimer
• Awards must be allocated towards the sustainability of current garden program
• Winners will be selected through a fair and impartial selection process by the Selection Committee appointed by the organizers.

Remember to include a completed disclaimer and general application with submission. Projects that have been submitted without completed disclaimers will not be entered into the contest.
Note that by entering the competition, you have assigned copyright of your garden project materials to the organizers. Photographs, videos and other submitted media may be further utilized in exhibition, websites, posters, publications, etc.

Mailing address:

Green Education Foundation (GEF)
Attn: Green Thumb Challenge Award
153 Washington St., 4th Floor
East Walpole, MA 02032

To apply for Grant, please go to:

Green Education Foundation

Waited late to start your garden? How frugal of you

As I was driving on Kirkwood Highway, I saw a sign that said 50% off Vegetable Plants from Leon's Garden World.  I wanted to take a pic of that sign, but if texting and driving is illegal in Delaware, I'm thinking that taking photos while driving would also be frowned upon. But I did get a picture inside the Garden Center.

 
I picked out a selection of peppers and strawberries.  Total cost for plants- $7

Although, I'll admit, I was not smart and left the plants inside my hot car for about 5 hours.  Hoping they can recouperate!

Our tomato plant

For years I wanted to have a small garden to have the kids help me grow a few veggies. I think it's great for children to have the opportunity to learn about how some food is grown and be involved in the process.

I finally took the leap and put in a raised cedar garden kit, with some help of course.

But truthfully, my father in law came and helped me screw it together.  He even brought over two tomato plants.  I planted two tomato plants that he had (three if you count the teeny tiny one in the middle). As of right now we have five possible tomatoes that may turn out.

The funny thing is neither my husband nor I like plain tomatoes, but both the boys do. So far they've enjoyed watering the plants and checking to see if the tomatoes had grown.

 If you have any gardening advice for me, such as tips on how not to kill all the plants, I'd love to hear from you!

Bird feeder

My 5 year old, Beluga, had his last day of preschool (sniff) last Friday, so I'm in the mood to start planning summer activities. On Friday I went with my youngest and picked up a bird feeder and some bird seed from our local Home Depot. I couldn't decide which bird feeder I liked best so I just let Chunka pick one out. On Saturday the boys and I went out back to fill the feeder up with seed and hang it.

Unfortunately, I didn't think about what trees we had and all our trees were either to big with branches 10 feet above our house or too small that they couldn't handle the weight of the bird feeder. Beluga wanted to hang it from his swing set, but I convinced him that we could just set it on one of the stumpsmof a tree that we got cut down. Maybe we will be able to figure out a better location during the summer!