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Openlands School Garden Growth Grant

OPENLANDS

Foundation Annual Community Garden GrantsGrants for K-12 SchoolsEnvironmental Education GrantsSTEM Education Grants
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Funding Amount

$500

Deadline

February 1, 2027

299 days left

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Openlands School Garden Growth Grant

Geographic Scope: Chicago region schools in Openlands' network (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties)

Focus Areas:

  • Support for existing school gardens

  • Garden activation as living laboratories for students

  • Community connection through school gardens

    • Eligibility:

  • School must be part of Openlands' network through Building School Gardens program or Space to Grow

  • Schools with high enthusiasm and high need are prioritized

    • What Funds Support:

  • Plants and seeds

  • Tools

  • Soil and soil amendments

  • Replacing old benches

  • Replacing garden beds

  • Supplies for activating garden space through art, STEM, SEL, nature play

  • Optional: Openlands garden support session (garden team check-ins, garden tips, hands-on support)

    • Implementation:

  • Funds distributed via Class Wallet digital wallet

  • All funds must be spent by end of June

  • Funds received within 2-3 weeks of selection

    • Contact: Openlands Garden & Nature-Based Education program

    Additional Resources: Openlands maintains a page with additional school garden grants from other organizations.

    How to Apply

    Application Process

    1. Submission: Fill out application form
    2. Deadline: February 1st each year
    3. Notification: Status notification at end of February
    4. Fund Distribution: Selected schools work with Openlands to set up Class Wallet account
    5. Timeline: Funds received within 2-3 weeks of selection
    6. Spending Deadline: All funds must be spent by end of June

      Required Materials

    • Application form (link available on program page during application period)
    • Plan for activating gardens as living laboratories
    • Information about school-community connection plans

    Note

    The application for the current year (2026) is closed. Applications typically open in January each year.
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    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    community-gardensk-12-schoolsenvironmental-educationstem-education

    Categories

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