John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Attention Madison County teachers! The Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. (FAITC) is accepting applications for the FAITC School Garden Grant, in the amount of $500.
According to the FAITC, the School Garden Grant program is designed to fund school garden projects that will educate Florida's students about the importance of agriculture and allow teachers to use a school garden to teach Florida standards. The $5,000 grants are intended to supplement FAITC's Gardening for Grades, Gardening for Nutrition and STEMming Up Gardening, three books that take Florida teachers through the process of developing a school garden. These books are vital as they include lessons to help teachers use the garden as a way to teach health, science, language arts, math, technology, engineering and other important subjects.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 1, educators are now able to submit their grant proposals. The grants will be awarded beginning mid-August and will continue until the limited grant funds are depleted. According to FAITC, the grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to those who meet all of the grant requirements. Note: multiple teachers from the same school cannot apply for the grant; only one recipient per school.
According to FAITC, eligible applicants include certified, general education and agriscience teachers in Florida engaged in classroom instruction at Pre-K through twelfth-grade levels who wish to create fruit and vegetable school gardens to enhance students' understanding of agriculture.
To apply and for a full list of funding guidelines; approved fruits, vegetables and herbs to be used in a garden; and grant requirements, log onto https://faitc.org/school-garden-grants/.