2014 Challenge Winners

Congratulations to the students at Kapowsin Elementary in Graham, Washington for winning the 2014 Green Thumb Challenge grant!

Watch this video about their amazing project.

GEF received many grant applications from across the country. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who submitted an entry as every garden was unique and demonstrated the amazing things that happen when children are connected with nature! 

Be sure to read about the garden projects of the finalists, listed to the right.

 How Kapowsin Elementary will use the grant award:

• Purchase dahlia tubers and other perennials that we can grow and then divide and sell at our annual Spring Garden Sale.  All monies generated from this sale go into a special dedicated garden fund with our PTA and then are used to buy things that wear out such as greenhouse plastic or hoses, gloves, tools, weed whacker string, trellis material, etc

• Install an additional water hydrant--we have two so far but our garden is so large that a third hydrant would be ever so helpful.  Cost is at least $200.00.

• Purchase cedar lumber for additional raised beds and/or picnic tables so the students can enjoy lessons or lunch in the garden

• Buy a tool to make wood burned signs that the children would create to welcome visitors with positive messages such as “May All Who Enter, Come With Peace In Their Hands And Love In Their Hearts.”

• Labelling supplies so that we are able to both keep track of what varieties of fruits, veggies and flowers we are growing and in order to educate the community on same.

• Drip irrigation supplies so that we can conserve even more water than we already do.

• Establish a bamboo garden so we can grow our own trellising supplies

• Expand our herb garden or establish a tea garden