Earlier this year, Whole Kids invested $1.75 million in edible educational gardens by awarding 583 Garden Grants to support more than 290,000 students in 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and nine Canadian provinces. Now, we are thrilled to announce that we are investing $498,000 to fund an additional 166 Garden Grants, which will serve more than 126,000 additional students.
This brings our 2024 Garden Grant investment to more than $2.24 million —that’s 749 grants serving more than 416,000 K-12th grade students in the U.S. and Canada!
Learn more about how our Garden Grants allow schools and nonprofits to acquire project essentials or further develop their existing gardens with funds used for a wide range of support including planting materials, tools, curriculum materials, staff training, and labor costs.
Our approach connects kids with food, sparks their curiosity and inspires them to make healthier choices. Given the right opportunities like planting a seed, helping in the kitchen and trying new foods, kids will get excited about fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other wholesome foods.
We believe that small changes at mealtime can add up to lifelong healthy eating habits. If you’re wondering where to start, we’ve made it easier with three simple guidelines that work for kids, and really, anyone.
The mission of Child’s Voice school is to empower children with hearing loss to be successful in educational and social settings. The school offers a full-day program for children ages 3-8 years old who move between small and large group classrooms and focus on literacy, vocabulary, math, and social sciences as well as social-emotional learning and self-advocacy.
At Whole Kids, we believe gardens that are rooted in the community and supported in many different ways are the most successful. So, our Garden Grant applicants are required to partner with an organization or business from the community that will help to bring long-term sustainability to their initiative. Piccolo School of Excellence exemplifies how a steady community partner can help a school garden flourish and make an impact beyond the schoolyard. Their community partner Gardeneers drives the school’s gardening program and led students as they transformed the garden into a space to relax, learn, and explore.
Stratford Friends School supports elementary through 9th grade students with language-based learning differences. Their Food for Life program builds upon the school’s long tradition of gardening with cross curricular connections. The hands-on lessons on growing, cooking, and enjoying healthy foods are developed with an integrated STEAM approach. Students explore horticultural, career education, financial education, and nutrition within reading, math, and science lessons. The goal is to develop key life skill they can use as adults.
Make it a family affair with our Kids Club. We've teamed up with KidsGardening to share at-home gardening activities for kids. Further inspire your kiddos to explore the garden and grow their own food. From making a Seed Viewer to making fruit and vegetable art on your plate, you can find plenty of activities to inspire any young gardener.
Stay up to date on our grant programs and how our favorite schools and organizations are doing!
Stay up to date on our grant programs and how our favorite schools and organizations are doing!
