Grant Application for
Groundwork Center For Resilient Communities
Mission Statement:
Groundwork's mission is to protect the environment, strengthen
the economy, and build community.
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Tax ID Number:
38-2314954
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Cori
Fitzpatrick
Address:
414 Eighth St. Suite 204, Traverse City, MI 49686
Phone Number:
2313308623
Website:
Project Name:
Infrastructure for Place-based Education in Alanson's School Garden
Project start and end dates:
June 1, 2024
May 31, 2024
Amount Requested:
$
5000
Project Description:
Our project aims to provide infrastructure, specifically picnic tables and a communication board, to enhance place-based education (PBE) for students in the recently installed garden at Alanson Public School (APS). According to Michigan Labor and Economic Development, the practice and philosophy of PBE is rooted in using place (i.e. lands and waters, culture, history, people, community, and organizations) as the basis for education. Students learn highly valuable life skills including social-emotional development, leadership, team and relationship building, self awareness, and responsibility through hands-on, real-world activities. PBE is being incorporated into school curriculum and culture throughout districts in the CharEm ISD due its parallels with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. This project further supports the CharEm ISD Career & Technical Education programs which emphasize science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM).
Goal of the Project
How many people will you reach?
263
What percentage are female?
51
If your program serves both males and females, how will Hestia funds specifically target women and girls?
Women today make up 34% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math. To increase that percentage, we need to create spaces for young girls to explore these fields in an engaging and impactful way.
Awarding APS with a Hestia grant would give young girls an opportunity to explore STEAM related topics in a beautiful outdoor classroom. It would grant them the space to be hands-on, curious, and reap the benefits of PBE in a memorable way, and break up the daily monotony of education inside a classroom.
School days blend together and lessons become less memorable. With an outdoor classroom, Alanson’s agriscience teacher could give her students an unforgettable day learning about plant biology in the garden. Alanson’s female science teacher could teach about the changing seasons with hands-on activities. The female math teacher could have her students measuring the area of garden beds and picnic tables. Girls could get their hands in the dirt, pick up bugs and measuring tape, plant crops, and conduct experiments all while following the lead of a female instructor. Although the content of these lessons may fade in time, the fact that women served as the experts on these topics will not be lost on Alanson’s young girls.
How are recipients identified or selected to receive services? Is financial need considered?
Approximately 75% of students at Alanson Public School qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 78% of students are economically disadvantaged. We prioritize school districts and communities that are historically disadvantaged. In collaboration with Alanson Public School (APS) and our contractors from FoodCorps that are currently serving the district, we have determined that this project will have a profound impact on the overall well-being of students, staff, and the surrounding community. We will work closely with one another to make the place-based educational space equitable and accessible to all of its users.
What do you hope to achieve? What difference will this make in the lives of women and girls?
How will this project meet Hestia's mission statement?
Our project aims to provide opportunities for women and girls at APS and the surrounding community to engage in real-world skills building through PBE in the school garden. They will benefit directly from learning in a dynamic, outdoor atmosphere that connects them with nature and allows them to explore a diverse curriculum of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) topics. Not only is there research to show improvement in social-emotional development, but place-based education may increase academic achievement, improve critical thinking and reflection, increase student engagement in school and community activities, and improve desirable work-place skills like leadership, problem solving, communication, and resiliency in challenging situations (Marckini-polk, et al. 2016). Equipping women and girls with the skills to overcome adversity is a powerful tool for their success and resiliency, and we hope to do just that.
Additionally, this improved educational, green space will open up opportunities for community groups like the Hillside Garden Club, that has expressed interest in supporting the APS garden, to become more involved in garden and environmental education.
How will you evaluate or measure your success:
As part of our ongoing farm to school evaluation and assessment processes, Groundwork and FoodCorps service members will assist APS in keeping track of the frequency of use and who is utilizing the place-based education space. This process will help us gauge community and student involvement, future need, and growth potential. This will also help us in our continued efforts to create and distribute more Farm to School lesson kit libraries to each district within the CharEm ISD similar to those Hestia graciously provided funding for at Pellston Public School.
Grant Project Budget Form
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