Registration | Log In

Search Grants | Fulfilled Grants | More About Find It, Fund It, Florida

Share

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.

Goal

The goal of this project is to improve student achievement in Agriscience Foundations, Agritechnology, Aquaculture, Natural Resources, Biology, Biology Honors, AP Biology, and Culinary through hands-on instruction in plant science, horticulture, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship. Funding from this grant will provide the materials needed to revitalize an established outdoor garden, replenish raised-bed soil, expand the fruit-tree orchard started last year, start crops in the greenhouse, and increase seasonal crop production in a one-acre field recently installed with an irrigation system.

Over the past seven years, students have helped develop an outdoor learning environment featuring many resources: three cinder block raised beds, four movable wooden raised beds, a canopy-covered growing area, numerous potted plants, a small greenhouse, a developing fruit-tree orchard, and a one-acre field just added last year. This project will build on those investments by restoring these existing growing areas and expanding opportunities for agricultural production and scientific investigation.

Our agriculture program has demonstrated significant growth and student achievement. In its first year, the program offered one Agritechnology class and students earned 10 industry certifications. By last school year, the program had expanded to two career pathways, Agritechnology and Aquaculture, with eight classes offered and 232 industry certifications earned. During the 2026–27 school year, our program expanded even further to include three career pathways: Agritechnology, Aquaculture, and Natural Resources, with 11 total classes offered from three different instructors. An established partnership already connects the Agriculture, Biology, and Culinary departments. The lead Biology instructor and Culinary instructor incorporate existing hydroponic growing towers into their instructional areas. These systems allow students to explore plant growth and related biological concepts, while providing opportunities for Culinary students to work with fresh herbs and lettuce in food preparation. Grant funding will strengthen this existing collaboration by connecting classroom hydroponic production with the outdoor garden, greenhouse, orchard, and one-acre field. Students will be able to compare growing methods, investigate the factors that influence plant development, and connect sustainable food production with food preparation and use. Building on the successes of all three departments will create more connected learning experiences and make better use of existing educational resources.

The requested funding will provide supplies that students across these agricultural pathways can use to apply curriculum concepts, prepare for industry certification assessments, and develop practical skills. The project will directly benefit more than 175 students in seven Agriscience Foundations classes, nearly 200 students in eight Biology, Biology Honors, and AP Biology classes, and almost 100 Culinary students in five classes. These figures represent student enrollments across the three program areas and may include students enrolled in more than one course. Grant-funded activities will create opportunities to connect agriculture, science, and culinary instruction through authentic, hands-on experiences. Some students will engage with the project at multiple stages, allowing them to follow the process from seed germination and plant growth through harvesting and food preparation. These repeated, connected experiences will reinforce classroom learning, strengthen understanding across disciplines, and demonstrate how agricultural production connects to the food students prepare and consume.

Grant funding will strengthen this relationship by expanding opportunities for students to connect classroom learning with hands-on experiences in the outdoor garden, greenhouse, orchard, field, and existing hydroponic systems. By building on the successes of these departments, this project will create a more connected learning environment in which students can apply scientific concepts, develop agricultural skills, and better understand the relationship between food production and the natural environment.

Agriculture students will develop skills in soil preparation, seed starting, planting, irrigation, crop management, and sustainable agricultural production. Biology students will connect classroom instruction to real-world investigations of plant growth, soil composition, nutrient availability, photosynthesis, ecosystems, and the environmental factors that affect living organisms. Culinary students will have the experiences of fresh harvest, food preparation and storage, and food presentation. All students will observe the growing process, from seed germination and greenhouse propagation to field planting, plant development, and harvest.

Beyond academic achievement, this project will help develop the next generation of environmental stewards who understand and value their local environment and community. Students will practice leadership, responsibility, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and accountability while working toward shared goals. These transferable skills are essential for success in whatever future career path students choose.

Project success will be measured through student participation, classroom assessments, industry certification results, successful seed germination and crop establishment, completed garden improvements, and documented crop production. This initiative will build on the agriculture program's record of growth while supporting student achievement, career readiness, scientific inquiry, and environmental stewardship.
 

 

Category

Garden or Agriculture -  

 

What will be done with my students

During the 2026–27 school year, students will participate in redesigning, restoring, and expanding the outdoor garden and agricultural production areas. The project will build on seven years of student work and make the existing space more productive, sustainable, and useful across multiple courses and agricultural pathways.

Students will replace the existing weed-barrier cloth covering the garden floor and replenish the raised beds with potting soil, mushroom compost, and cow manure. These materials will restore the growing areas and provide opportunities to investigate soil structure, organic matter, nutrient availability, drainage, and plant health.

Students will use clay as an instructional material during hands-on soil science lessons and experiments. Because the local environment is characterized by sandy soils, clay will provide an important contrast that allows students to compare soil textures and investigate how different soil compositions affect water retention, drainage, and suitability for plant growth. Students will practice creating a soil ribbon to estimate soil texture and use their observations to better understand soil characteristics and their role in agricultural production.

Burpee pellet growing material will be used in the existing greenhouse to start seeds and establish young plants before transplanting them into the raised beds and other growing areas. Students will monitor germination, maintain seedlings, prepare beds, transplant crops, and track plant development.

The project will also expand the developing fruit-tree orchard with additional fruit trees, with pear trees as a priority depending on availability and sustainability, building on previous planting efforts. Students will learn about fruit-tree establishment, long-term plant care, soil and water requirements, and the management practices needed to maintain perennial crops.

An additional component will focus on the one-acre field added during the previous school year. Advanced agriculture students installed irrigation in the field last year, creating the foundation for expanded agricultural production. Grant funding will provide locally sourced seeds through the Walton County Coop program or an appropriate local seed supplier, including crops such as pink-eyed purple hull peas, turnips, garlic, onions, shallots, and eggplant. Students will use the existing tractor and seed-hopper equipment, where appropriate for the selected crops, to prepare and plant the field. They will monitor irrigation, crop growth, seasonal growing conditions, and harvest outcomes while exploring opportunities for year-round production.

Students across our agriculture classes will benefit from access to these growing areas and supplies. Activities will reinforce curriculum concepts and provide practical experiences that support preparation for industry certification assessments. Students will learn to follow directions, operate equipment appropriately, communicate with teammates, accept responsibility for assigned tasks, solve problems, and evaluate the results of their work.

Students in Biology, Biology Honors, AP Biology, and Culinary will use the garden, greenhouse, orchard, and field as outdoor learning laboratories and expand their opportunities for more fresh crops to use in their classes.

Project Timeline
• Fall 2026: Assess the garden's condition, replace weed-barrier cloth, replenish raised-bed soil, prepare greenhouse growing materials, and begin seed-starting activities. Introduce project goals and connect garden restoration to agricultural and biological concepts.
• Winter 2027: Propagate seedlings in the greenhouse, prepare and plant appropriate seasonal crops, expand the fruit-tree orchard, and begin field-crop production as growing conditions allow. Students will monitor soil conditions, germination, plant growth, and irrigation.
• Spring 2027: Continue greenhouse propagation, rotate crops according to seasonal conditions, maintain raised beds and the orchard, and use the one-acre field for additional planting and crop-management activities. Student learning gains and the effectiveness of the restored growing spaces will be documented and reported. Agriculture and Culinary students will prepare for and complete applicable industry certifications and Biology students will prepare for their end of year exams.

These activities will provide authentic learning experiences throughout the school year, reinforce curriculum content across agricultural pathways, and multi-disciplines (biology and culinary) and help students develop the technical and professional skills needed for future success.
 

 

Benefits to my Students

This project addresses a clear need to maintain and expand an established outdoor learning environment that has taken seven years of student effort to develop. The garden's growing surfaces and soil require replenishment to remain productive, and additional supplies are needed to expand greenhouse propagation, orchard development, and seasonal crop production. The agriculture program's documented growth and the existing collaboration with Biology and Culinary demonstrate the value of providing students with practical, career-connected learning opportunities. Without the requested supplies, opportunities to restore the garden and expand hands-on instruction across these disciplines will be limited.

Through the revitalization of the garden and expansion of its growing areas, students will gain valuable learning opportunities across agriculture and multiple disciplines, including Biology and Culinary. The requested materials will help students maintain productive raised beds, propagate plants in the greenhouse, establish additional fruit trees, and grow seasonal crops in a field equipped with irrigation. Students will experience how soil quality, seed selection, water management, growing conditions, and crop selection affect agricultural success along with harvesting, preparing, storing, and presenting food.

Our agriculture program's history demonstrates the value of investing in hands-on, career-focused instruction. From earning 10 industry certifications in its first year with only one class in one career pathway to earning 232 certifications last year across seven classes in two career pathway, our program has shown substantial growth in opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. With the addition of the Natural Resources pathway in 2026-2027, our agriculture programs this year offers 11 classes across three career pathways, so we are positioned to reach even more students. This growth has reached beyond just our agriculture career pathway classes and students by reaching into culinary and biology classes.

The requested supplies will help students across these pathways and classes by allowing students to apply their coursework to real agricultural activities. Students will develop a deeper understanding of plant production, soil management, environmental conditions, and resource conservation while gaining practical experiences that reinforce industry certification competencies. These opportunities can strengthen student confidence and help prepare students for additional certifications, future education, and employment.

For students in Biology, Biology Honors, and AP Biology, the garden will provide a living laboratory for investigating concepts that can otherwise be difficult to understand through classroom instruction alone. Students can observe germination, photosynthesis, plant growth, soil-organism interactions, nutrient cycling, and the influence of environmental conditions on living systems. And the results of these efforts can be used in the culinary program where students are able to directly explore sustainable harvests, food preparation, storage and presentation. Using locally sourced real plants and working in growing areas just outside their doors will strengthen observation, data analysis, scientific reasoning, and evidence-based conclusions.

Equally important, students will develop transferable skills that extend beyond the classroom. Maintaining shared growing areas requires leadership, responsibility, teamwork, communication, time management, and accountability. Students must follow procedures, care for living organisms, manage materials, respond to challenges, and work together to achieve common goals. These are valuable qualities for success in agriculture, environmental science, higher education, and virtually any future career.

The project will also foster a stronger connection between students and their local environment. By maintaining a garden developed through years of student effort, expanding a fruit-tree orchard, and using locally sourced seeds to establish seasonal crops, students will learn how responsible agricultural practices can benefit their school and community. They will see themselves as active contributors to environmental stewardship and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Project Measurement and Evaluation
• Student learning gains: Use pre- and post-instruction assessments to measure student growth in their content areas.
• Industry certification preparation and attainment: Track the number of agriculture and culinary students who earned industry certification. Track the number of students that earn a three or higher on their end of the year exams in biology.
• Student participation: Document student involvement in garden restoration, greenhouse propagation, orchard expansion, field planting, and crop management.
• Professional skills and environmental stewardship: Use teacher observations, project participation records, and student reflections to evaluate teamwork, communication, responsibility, problem-solving, and understanding of sustainable growing practices.

At the end of the school year, student assessments, certification records, project documentation, crop-growth observations, and harvest records will be reviewed to evaluate progress toward the project goals. By building on a proven record of agricultural program growth and creating meaningful learning opportunities across agriculture, culinary, and biology, this grant will support academic achievement, career readiness, environmental stewardship, and the development of responsible, capable future employees.
 

 

Budget Narrative

The requested $2,000 will provide the supplies needed to revitalize the outdoor garden, expand the fruit-tree orchard, improve greenhouse propagation, and increase seasonal crop production in the one-acre field during the 2026–27 school year.

Weed-barrier cloth will restore the garden floor and help manage weed growth around the existing raised beds and potted plants. Potting soil, mushroom compost, and cow manure will replenish the raised beds and provide opportunities for students to explore soil composition, organic matter, nutrient availability, and plant health. Clay will be used as an instructional material for soil science lessons and hands-on experiments. In an area characterized by sandy soils, students will compare sandy and clay-rich soil samples, practice the soil ribbon test to estimate soil texture, and investigate how soil composition influences water retention, drainage, nutrient availability, and plant growth. This low-cost material will provide repeated opportunities for students to develop practical soil assessment skills and apply scientific concepts to agricultural decision-making. And additional fruit trees will expand the developing orchard and support lessons in perennial crop establishment and long-term plant management.

Pellet growing material from Burpee will support greenhouse seed starting and allow students to propagate plants for the raised beds and other growing areas. Clay purchased for soil amendments will be used where appropriate to address the needs of selected growing areas. Locally sourced seeds will support the production of seasonal crops, including pink-eyed purple hull peas, turnips, garlic, onions, shallots, and eggplant. Students will use these seeds in hands-on planting and crop-management activities, including field production using existing tractor and seed-hopper equipment where suitable.

These supplies will support an agricultural program that has grown from one Agritechnology class earning 10 industry certifications in its first year to three agricultural pathways offering 11 classes in the 2026–27 school year. Following the achievement of 232 certifications in the most recent year across Agritechnology and Aquaculture, the program is continuing to expand opportunities for students to demonstrate technical proficiency and prepare for future careers.

The project will benefit more than 175 students in Agriscience Foundations and nearly 200 students in Biology, Biology Honors, and AP Biology along with providing fresh crops to almost 100 culinary students. By improving access to hands-on learning materials, the grant will help students connect curriculum content to real-world applications, develop industry-relevant knowledge, and strengthen their understanding of the environment and the community in which they live.

The requested supplies will build on seven years of student investment in the garden and the more recent development of the irrigated one-acre field. By restoring existing resources and expanding opportunities for seasonal and year-round production, the project will provide lasting educational benefits. Students will not only develop agricultural and scientific knowledge but also practice leadership, responsibility, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. These experiences will help prepare students to become informed environmental stewards, successful future employees, and responsible members of their community.
 

 

Items