Registration | Log In

Search Grants | Fulfilled Grants | Foundations | More About Find It, Fund It, Florida

Share

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.

Goal

Our goal is to create dynamic outdoor learning spaces that foster real world connections between science, nutrition and sustainability. Spaces include: our chicken coop, gardening beds, compost area, sunflower fort, and butterfly garden. Another goal is to support hands on learning experiences through gardening, composing, plant and soil science, and basic animal care, specifically, raising our chickens this year. Our garden program's hands-on learning experiences will advance state science standards, providing a practical setting for students to study plant life cycles, pollination, and soil composition. We plan to empower a new generation of informed and enthusiastic food stewards. We are confident that this hands-on agriculture program will not only enrich our students' education but also serve as a source of community pride and a model for other schools.



 

 

Category

School-Wide, Grade-Level, Or Class Events/Programs - Parent Nights, Honor Roll Celebrations, EOY Events, etc. 

 

What will be done with my students

The Ag Club students will get a chance to show off their expertise to classmates when they model and instruct classmates feeding and watering the hens during PE. Students will apply STEM principles in the garden, from planning square footage and calculating soil volume in math to investigating ecosystems and environmental sustainability in science. They will also use one of the beds to grow a pizza garden. They will plant tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs like basil and oregano in a garden bed and when harvested, students can use their ingredients to make and share a pizza! They will create a sunflower fort by planting sunflowers in a circle or square with an open doorway. The tall, sturdy stalks will form a natural hideout for kids to play in! They will plant other seasonal crops, learning what can be planted when and harvest them. They will learn from speakers from outside agencies, such as, the UF/IFAS Extension Office, the Walton County Farm Bureau, and hopefully others as we grow and expand our program. They will also take at least one field trip to a farm to get hands on experience with crops (ie. strawberries) and animals. They will learn about vermicomposting and we may even sell worms as a fundraiser! Making the picked strawberries into jam could serve as a fund raiser as well, and selling our chickens' eggs, too. Seeing their hard work turn into profit and also going back into our club needs is great modeling for entrepreneurship and budgeting. 

 

Benefits to my students

This initiative encourages environmental awareness, stewardship, teamwork, and curiosity about food sources, as well as an awareness and appreciation of careers in these fields. The students will be empowered and informed as a new generation of enthusiastic food stewards. This agriculture program will enrich our students' education through hands-on learning and by building valuable background knowledge, both of which will increase confidence. The benefits to the students' social and emotional development include: learning responsibility and patience, teamwork and collaboration, and the mental health benefit of time in nature and working with soil to reduce stress and improve mood.
 

 

Budget Narrative

Our budget includes the consumable materials to raise and grow our plants and feed and support our animals as well as the tools to work with both. It also includes some materials for individual projects for each club member. Most of the budget is for the consumable materials for the club to operate, but the project and tee shirt money is included so students have something to call their own and a way to show pride in their club. 

 

Items