Education and Beautification Grant For Elementary Schools

Grants of $1,000 and in-kind resources to Palm Beach County, Florida elementary schools to provide educational experiences that promote stewardship of the environment through teaching gardens or landscaping. Applicants must contact district staff to determine plant/landscape design prior to submitting an application. Landscaping and gardening projects must serve the purpose of beautifying the campus and reinforcing the environmental message.

The recipient schools will receive the following grant components:

1) Curriculum - The successful applicant will be furnished with copies of Keep America Beautiful’s Waste in Place curriculum (at no cost) for teachers who are interested in implementing all or featured units. This interdisciplinary curriculum contains lessons suitable for elementary grades on Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Composting etc.

2) Support Materials - Books and other resource materials emphasizing litter control, recycling or environmental concepts will be furnished to the successful applicant for use by interested teachers.

3) Campus Beautification - The successful applicant will be awarded $1,000 to complete a landscape project at their campus which may include campus landscape enhancement; creation of instructional gardens such as butterfly gardens, fruit and vegetable gardens, native plant gardens etc., or enhancement of natural areas on campus. The applicant is encouraged to provide a commitment for the perpetual care of installed landscape whenever possible.

Landscape installation may be done by volunteers or by professional landscape companies. It is highly recommended that native plants be used, as applicable, and whenever possible. Successful applicants must complete their landscape project by June 4, 2015 (unless other arrangements are made with KPBCB) and shall furnish KPBCB with pictures of their completed project.

4) Great American Cleanup 2015 participation - The successful applicant will commit to having a group comprised of students, staff and/or other volunteers such as parents, do a project as part of the Great American Cleanup 2015 event held nationally during the months of March through May. The applicant may choose to perform a cleanup of the school campus, a recycling project, or a beautification project.

As an alternative, a group representing the successful applicant’s school may also choose to participate at a scheduled community Great American Cleanup site. Great American Cleanup activities in many communities in Palm Beach County will be taking place in April 2015. Participating sites for this date and other additional dates will be posted on the KPBCB website at http://www.keepPBCbeautiful.org as the event draws near.

As much of the student body as possible should be encouraged to participate in the Great American Cleanup project as reinforcement of the environment.