2009 YOUTH GARDEN GRANT APPLICATION National Gardening Association and The Home Depot™ are proud to present the
Youth Garden Grant™ Program
Who should apply: Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden in 2009 with at least 15 children between the ages of three and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply must wait one year (e.g., if you won in 2008, you must wait until 2010 to apply again) and have significantly expanded their garden programs.
What the grant includes: 125 grants are available. Packages are as follows:

1. 5 programs will receive a $500 gift card to The Home Depot, a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog and store, and educational materials from NGA
2. 70 programs will receive a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA
3. 50 programs will receive a $250 gift card to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA

Grant preparation: Applicants should demonstrate a child-centered plan that emphasizes children/youth learning and working in an outdoor garden. Areas considered include educational, environmental, or social programming; leadership; community support; sustainability; innovation, and need. Please read through the entire application before you begin. This will help you avoid duplication of information and allow you to make the best use of the available space.
Submission process:

1. Applications must be postmarked and mailed no later than November 1, 2008. They do not need to arrive by November 1, so please do not use expedited mailing methods.
2. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Submitted materials cannot be returned.

Notification: NGA will mail notification letters regarding grant status by February 16, 2009. Grant fulfillment: NGA will ship award packages by February 16, 2009. INSTRUCTIONS (Please keep for future reference):

1. Answer all questions directly on this application unless asked to use a separate sheet of paper.
2. Please type or print legibly, using black ink only on the written portion of the application. (Color photos and maps are great, though!) You may paste answers from a word processor or typewriter in the spaces provided using a 10-point or larger font. Please do not exceed the space indicated.
3. Please do not include materials not specifically requested (e.g., brochures, student work, extra maps), as they will not be considered in the evaluation process.
4. Please include a letter of support on official letterhead from the program administrator, principal, or director. However, if the applicant is also the program administrator, principal, or director, please obtain a letter of support from another party.
5. Please attach to your application a check for the $10 administrative fee payable to NGA.
6. Keep all materials flat and return to National Gardening Association in a 9x12 envelope. Mail to: Youth Garden Grants, National Gardening Association, 1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403.
7. Please be sure to include your supporting materials listed on last page of application.
8. IMPORTANT: Because of the volume of applications NGA receives, we cannot respond to inquiries regarding receipt of applications. If you must confirm the arrival of your application, please send it Return Receipt Requested.

2009 Youth Garden Grant Application
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
Contact Person (one only) Name James E. Miller Title Gardner
(This person will receive a reminder to complete the year-end impact report.) School/Organization MUDDY CREEK CHARTER SCHOOL

Mailing Address of School/Organization: Street 30253 SW Bellfountain Rd.
City Corvallis State OR Zip 97333 Mailing Address of Primary Contact: 530 NW 13TH St., Corvallis, OR 97330 Shipping Address for UPS, if different from either address above (No P.O. Box #’s)
School/Organization Phone 541-602-9508 Primary Contact Phone 541-757-9797; Cell: 541-971-0403 Contact Person E-mail: jimmiller5417@yahoo.com School/Organization Web: http://www.muddycreekcharterschool.org/index.html
PROJECT INFORMATION Part 1. Demographics
1. Is you garden already established or are you just getting started

Freedom Garden:_X_ Start-up Garden (i.e., you haven’t yet broken ground) Wilderness Garden: X__ Established Garden

2. Does your program have a special emphasis? Please check any that apply and explain in the Project Overview section of the application.
_X_Nutrition/Hunger __Special Needs Population _X_Service Learning _X_After School __Multicultural
_X_Entrepreneurial _X_Outdoor Classroom _X_Habitat/Natural Area (active gardening required)

3. What type of organization are you? (Check all that apply):

__Public School	__Urban	__Civic or Garden Club
__Private School	__Rural	__Community Garden
_X_Charter School	__Suburban	_X_Nonprofit Agency
__Alternative School	__Other_______________	X 503.c.1

4. How many children/youth from each age group will participate directly in the garden program?

Ages 2-5 (preschool-K)_______	Ages 12-13 (grades 7-8)_______
Ages 6-8 (grades 1-3)_______	Ages 14-18 (grades 9-12) _______
Ages 9-11 (grades 4-6)_______

5. How many hours per week on average will a participating child/youth be involved in gardening activities?
3 hours per week per participant
6. If applicable, please indicate the number of children/youth who will benefit indirectly from the garden program without being involved in a direct, hands-on way.

Ages 2-5 (preschool-K)_______	Ages 12-13 (grades 7-8)_______
Ages 6-8 (grades 1-3)_______	Ages 14-18 (grades 9-12) _______
Ages 9-11 (grades 4-6)_______

7. What is the gender and cultural/ethnic makeup of the population served by your gardening program?

Female____%	Male____%
Anglo American____%	Native American____%	African American___%
Latino____%	Asian____%	Other____%

8. What percentage of direct participants are eligible for free/reduced cost lunch programs? ________
Part 2. Leadership Responsible, dedicated, and experienced leadership, willing to organize and oversee gardening efforts from seed to harvest, is critical to program success.
9. List the individuals in your program’s leadership team and describe each leader’s experience in gardening with kids.
Gardner: James E. Miller. Mr. Miller holds a BA from Stanford University, a JD from School of Law, Stanford University, and a BS in Agricultural Operations Technology from Montana State University. He has written major papers regarding the soil foodweb, selection of plant cultivars (hazelnuts and asparagus), commercial production of algae for food and fuel and on quality schools for Montana (Montana Laptop Project). His studies include mycology, plant pathology, soil science, biology, chemistry, physics, industrial engineering and chemical engineering. He has conducted field trials of selected cultivars of hazelnuts and asparagus. He has an extensive background in real estate law, construction and project management.
Principal: pending appointment
Teachers:
Kriste York, Head Teacher. Kriste comes to us with more than 10 years of experience in the classroom and with curriculum design, most recently in the town of Jefferson teaching a blended 1-3 classroom.
Leah Gorman comes to us from the Sand Ridge Charter School. She became a teacher after receiving a graduate degree in Science.
Janell Watson, kindergarten. Janell has been teaching at Lincoln Elementary in a dual immersion kindergarten classroom. Additionally, she brings a strong music background to our program.
Part 3. Planning Process
10. What are the goals of your program?
“What Are We Going To Do? Our aim is to offer a strong academic education in the context of a rural environment. Mornings will focus on language arts and math, while afternoons seek to extend the academic instruction through hands-on projects encompassing the sciences, arts, humanities and technology. Our natural surroundings become an extended classroom where children spend time every day learning about the roles of people and nature in sustaining life and community. Charter schools were originally formed to allow parents more input into their children's public education, and this is true of our school as well. You can expect to contribute your ideas, time, and skills to influence the quality of your child's learning experience in our small rural school. To be successful a charter school requires the strong commitment of the families that make up its community.” http://www.muddycreekcharterschool.org/index.html
A more extensive mission statement is at: http://www.muddycreekcharterschool.org/documents/grant.pdf
11. Briefly describe how your program tied to your curriculum or programming.
The Freedom Garden program is a hands-on, outdoor classroom where students can grow their selections of cultivars, then enjoy the fruits of their success. They will use the Web to gain information on how to garden, select their plants and start the growth. They will learn to care for living plants and, at harvest, can see, taste and smell the fruits. They can learn sharing by contributing the harvest to their families and to the school lunch program. They will also care for the agroforestry plants which, over the generations of students, will provide a reliable supply of fruits and nuts.
12. What is your group’s process for designing the garden, and deciding who will participate and what to plant?
The existing Wilderness Garden was designed by former students of Inavale School (now renamed Muddy Creek Charter School) and will be maintained by the enrolled students. The Freedom Garden was sited by Mr. Miller to take advantage of available space and sunlight, giving consideration to the existing layout of buildings, asphalt, play fields and tree lines. The attached layout is general and provides room for expansion. Students will select patches within each area for planting. All students will participate on both individual and collaborative garden projects. The students will decide which annuals to plant and will assist in selecting cultivars for the agroforestry plantings.
Part 4. Community Support Programs that seek to make a difference in the community are most likely to receive local support and achieve long-term success.
“Community partnerships. A crucial part of the Muddy Creek Charter School education is each student’s relationship to the surrounding community. Therefore, our Muddy Creek Charter School 16 partnerships are a necessary component of our education plan in order to implement knowledge gained in the classroom. Off-campus experiences allow Muddy Creek students to study wetlands restoration, agricultural practices, and local history. Whereas community specialists in bee study, animal husbandry, crafts, gardening, and area history will bring their expertise into school classrooms, such as local author Judy Jurtenen who spoke at Inavale about her newly published book on the Kalapuya Indians, which devotes special anthropological sections to the Muddy Creek and Mary’s River bands of the Kalapuya.” http://www.muddycreekcharterschool.org/documents/grant.pdf
13. List community members, organizations, and businesses that actively support your garden program: Name of Organization/Person Type of Involvement/Contributions
Individuals who have/will volunteer their time for the Freedom Garden Project:

• Jim Miller, Gardener
• Miriam Johnson, Master Gardener
• Hanna Gosnell, Oregon State University; advice on rural sustainability
• .

ICP Directors:

• Tanya Freeman
• Anita Grunder
• Christine Horning
• Payton James-Amberg
• Kathleen Westly

ICP Officers:

• President - Anita Grunder
  Vice President - Tanya Freeman
  Treasurer - Payton James-Amberg
  Secretary - Kathleen Westly.

Companies and governments which will volunteer labor, materials and other support:

• Corvallis Hydroponics & Organics; Owner: Reid Rogers; advice on setting up a hydroponic garden
• The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has approved our renewal for Phase 2 Implementation of our charter school development grant. We have been awarded $210,000 in this phase, which can be used for start-up costs only.
• Corvallis School District 509J; public school district; approved charter, leased former Inavale School to Inavale Community Partners, Inc. Provides oversight of physical plant and educational assessments.
• Inavale Community Partners, Inc.; 501.c.3 public benefit corporation formed under Oregon law; ICP will apply for grants and take donations toward the Freedom Garden project.
• .
• .
• ..

14. Describe the role of volunteers in your garden program (e.g., leadership, work days, fund raising).
Leadership is by the members of the Board and Officers of ICP, and Jim Miller, Gardner, and the teachers of ICP. Work days are during school hours, Monday through Friday. Fund raising will be accomplished by several means:

• Direct solicitation via mail, email, telephone to residents of Benton County
• Ads and announcements placed on the MCCS website.
• MSSC Farm Stand sales
• Cross-hyperlinks with similar organizations and supporter's websites
• Newsletter
• Media ads
• Word-of-mouth
• Ads placed on Craig's List and similar lists.
• Sales of surplus crops to student families and supporters.
• Grant applications
• Loans
• Donations of materials, supplies and equipment
• Potlucks, bake sales, silent auctions, car washes
• Permaculture courses for adults (pay)
• Rent booth and sell surplus crops at farmer's markets
• Create a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
• Sell surplus fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables to other schools and institutions.

15. How will/does your program make a difference in your community?
The Freedom Garden makes these differences:

• Provides a hands-on learning environment which includes all skills: reading, writing, math, science, communication, collaboration and healthy food consumption
• Produces food for use by the students directly, via the school lunch program and for broader community use.
• Provides guidance in sustainable food and food security within Benton County.
• Promotes local food production and consumption.
• Provides food at low cost and high nutritional value.
• Provides food at the peak of ripeness (as opposed to industrial foods shipped green from thousands of miles away).
• Provides permaculture education and incentives for adults to practice home gardening.
• Outreach includes working with many interested groups such as OSU Agricultural Extension Service.
• MCCS Freedom Garden will serve 60 students in grades K-5 for which no comparable service is available in Corvallis School District; the closest programs are those provided through the 4-H program provided by the Oregon State University Agricultural Extension Service in cooperation with the State of Oregon and the County of Benton.

Part 5. Sustainability Programs that look ahead to future opportunities and anticipate needs are most likely to overcome challenges and become sustainable.
16. When did planning for your youth garden first begin? Season? Spring, 2008.
17. (Existing gardens only) When did children/youth first begin gardening at your site? The date of the start of the Wilderness Garden is unknown, but probably within the past ten years.
18. How do you plan to sustain your program in the future (e.g., ensure ongoing maintenance and leadership; build partnerships; find sources and/or funds for plant materials, services, tools, etc.)?
Muddy Creek Charter School intends to stay in operation for at least 100 years, probably longer. As a 501.c.3, it will constantly seek grants to expand the garden program and to build “friendships” and economic support. The sale of surplus harvest will allow for maintenance of the Garden program. Our outreach into universities and other institutions will bring new donations. Local community support will aid our efforts to broaden and deepen the curriculum.
19. If you do not win a 2009 Youth Garden Grant, in what ways will your gardening plans continue? The $500 not obtained will be replaced as a result of our continuing efforts to attract funding through efforts mentioned above.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION Use a separate sheet of paper for each item below. Please do not exceed one page per item. Be sure to include all three pages with your completed application form.
A. Project Overview Please describe the youth who will participate, how they will be engaged in the garden, any innovative aspects of your program, and your ability to undertake this task. Indicate what work has been done to date toward implementing your plans. If you have an established garden program, please describe the benefits children have derived from their experiences. If your program won a Youth Garden Grant in the past, please explain how the program has grown since then. Include a brief list of what you will purchase if your program receives a Youth Garden Grant.
B. Supporting Photos Please arrange and attach a few photos that will help us to better understand your program, participants, and garden site. Captions are helpful. (One page only.) Note: We love to feature photos of children in winning programs on our Web sites and in print publications, and request parental permission to do so via a release form. (Release forms are not a requirement for application, and you need not file release forms with your application. However, it’s handy to have signed release forms prepared if we follow up with a request to feature photos from your program.) You can download photo release forms at http://www.kidsgardening.com/photorelease.asp
C. Garden Map Draw a map of your garden site that includes: 1) location and dimensions of gardens and/or raised beds, and 2) location of walkways, roads, buildings, garden structures, and natural features. (One page only. Wide-angle aerial maps and photos do not qualify as garden maps.)


WRAPPING UP — DID YOU:
__ complete all sections and save a copy of your completed application? (Many people miss question 5.)
__ make sure all your address information, including ZIP code, is correct?
__ enclose a $10 check or money order (no cash) payable to National Gardening Association?
__ enclose a letter of support? (Note: Do not mail separately.)
__ enclose your Project Overview, Supporting Photos, and Garden Map?
__(optional) obtain a Return Receipt Request from the postal service (if you want confirmation that your
application was received? PLEASE KEEP MATERIALS FLAT AND SEND TOGETHER IN A 9X12 ENVELOPE TO: Youth Garden Grants, National Gardening Association, 1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, Vermont 05403