The CHS Foundation is seeking applications for its 2023 Classroom grant program to fund projects that will educate Pre-K-12 students about the importance of agriculture and allow teachers to use agricultural concepts to teach core subject areas.
Donor Name: CHS Foundation
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $500
Details:
CHS Foundation provides grants to pre-kindergarten-12th grade teachers who have classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few.
Funding Guidelines
- 20 $500 grants will be awarded.
- Grant money can be used for classroom or schoolyard gardens. Because of food safety concerns, animal waste manure is not to be used on edible plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs) if a school garden is part of the project. Grant applicants will be asked to agree to follow safe handling guidelines for any compost used in a school garden that is part of this project to reduce the risk of plant and human disease-causing organisms. These organisms are killed when internal temperatures are maintained between 130-170 degrees F over a period of several days.
- Grant money for school gardens can be used to purchase the following items:
- Seeds (fruits and vegetables)
- Soil
- Plants (fruits and vegetables)
- Fertilizer
- Raised bed materials
- Greenhouse materials
- Hydroponics materials
- Irrigation/watering system materials
- Grant money can be used for animal science projects involving embryology, aquaculture or ranch-related projects, field trips or farm tours.
- Grant money cannot be used for salary or compensation.
- Grant money cannot be used for clothing, promotional items, or giveaway items.
- Grant check will be made payable to the school, not to an individual.
- Grant checks not cashed within 60 days after receipt will become null and void.
Eligibility Criteria
Certified, general education teachers who are employed by a school district or a private school, who engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade level and who wish to use agricultural concepts to teach core subject areas and enhance students’ understanding of agriculture. Agri-science teachers may apply for the grant, but they must demonstrate how the project being proposed will reach outside their agri-science classrooms to other classes in the same school or other schools, including elementary schools.
Grant Requirements
- Pre-K-12 students must be directly involved in project.
- Use of lessons from the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix and/or state Agriculture in the Classroom programs must be described in the application and final report. Teachers will be asked to demonstrate the use of these lessons by completing a ‘Lesson Plan Reflection’ that describes the number of instructional hours and students involved, the type of teaching strategies used, additional activities presented and evidence that students understood the objectives of the lesson plan at the end of the project.
- A budget outline and timeline must be included with your application.
- A letter of support from a school administrator indicating support of the project is required.
- Some amount of in-kind or monetary contributions must be secured before receiving the grant.
- A final report is due to National Agriculture in the Classroom no later than June 30 each year.
For more information, visit CHS Foundation.
