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Grants ranging from $10,000 to $35,000 to Washington, DC public schools, charter schools, and community-based organizations to maintain and operate educational gardens. The purpose of this grant is to support staff who will oversee all aspects of the garden, including program management, garden care, and instruction.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) Division of Health and Wellness is soliciting applications for the District of Columbia School Garden Grant (SGG). The purpose of this grant is to:
1) Increase the number of students that engage in school garden programs.
2) Increase the number of classroom teachers that are including garden-based teaching into their teaching practice.
3) Increase the number of schools with garden programs.
4) Institutionalize school garden programs to ensure staying power.

While over half of the school gardens in the District are staffed, data collected by OSSE indicates that the biggest barrier schools face in establishing and sustaining garden programs is the lack of staff to oversee the program. Staffed garden programs engage more students and teachers than gardens that depend solely on volunteers, community members and dedicated parents. These programs are also more likely to have greater staying power. This grant seeks to establish new school gardens and expand and sustain existing garden programs by supporting staff to increase the number of students and teachers that are engaged in garden-based teaching and learning. The SGP recognizes that there are many successful staffing models, therefore this grant does not require that school garden programs subscribe to a particular model. More background information on school garden staffing models can be found in the HSA Farm-to-School and School Gardens Reports.

Intended Population:
The intended population for the District of Columbia’s SGG is:
- Students enrolled in grades pre-K-12 attending public schools and public charter schools in the District.
- Classroom teachers in pre-K-12 public school and public charter schools in the District.

Funds may be used for the following purposes must be approved by OSSE before purchase:
- Meals and/or snacks for students during grant-related activities.
- Food for demonstration/educational purposes (ex. cooking demo, taste tests to promote healthier food choices).
- Snacks for parents, teachers, or community members at grant-related trainings or community events (ex. School garden work events, garden-based trainings for teachers).