Outdoor Classroom to Help Low-Income Elementary Students Learn Science

Grant Information
Categories	Education
Location	South Texas
Cycle Year	2013

Organization Information
Organization Name (provided by applicant)	Corpus Christi Education Foundation
Organization Name (provided by automatic EIN validation)
Secondary Addressee
EIN
Website

Contact Information
Contact Name	Crystal Matern
Phone	361-695-7412
E-mail	Crystal.Matern@ccisd.us
Address	P.O. Box 2822 Corpus Christi TX 78403

Additional Information
Used for	The Corpus Christi Education Foundation is requesting $5,000 to complete “The Learning Garden,” an outdoor classroom at Gibson Elementary School, a Title 1 school in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. Grant funds will purchase materials to establish a covered area over an existing 35-foot-by-95-foot concrete slab to create a shady space for greenhouse plants, lumber for plant/flower beds in an adjacent grassy area, and materials necessary to plant, grow and maintain vegetables, flowers, and other vegetation. “The Learning Garden” will complement a building next to this area that is now being used as the school’s science lab – creating a single, large space for science curriculum, learning and exploration.
Benefits	“The Learning Garden” will be used to teach essential knowledge and skills (TEKS) as part of the weekly science curriculum across all grade levels and serve as both an outdoor classroom and an outdoor space for students to enjoy, read, and meet within organizations (such as the Environmental Club and Science Club). “The Learning Garden” will concentrate the school’s science education in a single area, saving time, effort, and resources while creating a hands-on, engaging learning environment. “The Learning Garden” will improve the learning experience for Gibson Elementary School’s student population, which is 95% economically disadvantaged and 72% at risk of not graduating from high school, and provide fresh fruits and vegetables for Gibson Elementary School families who do not have enough to eat.
Proposal Description	Description of the grant. Please be specific about who you benefit, what you will do to achieve those results, and specifically how this grant money will be used. Grant funds will be used to purchase and establish an outdoor classroom experience known as “The Learning Garden” to be built adjacent to the newly relocated indoor science lab at Gibson Elementary School. The Corpus Christi Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization organized to support public education in the Corpus Christi Independent School District, is requesting $5,000 to help implement this project. Funds will be combined with $6,000 donated by the Coastal Bend Community Foundation and $1,000 from Stripes toward a final goal of $12,500. Donations will be enhanced by plants and seedlings donated by a local garden supply store. Funds will be spent as follows: A. Greenhouse structure of 35 feet by 95 feet: $6,587.45 B. Establishment of at least eight garden beds: $3,725.00 C. Gardening tools for faculty/students: $685.00 D. Plant establishment kits for each classroom: $1,502.55 TOTAL: $12,500 General Timeline: In anticipation of garden establishment, Gibson Elementary faculty have adapted science lab curriculum to be utilized as early as January 2014. Once funding is acquired, the Gibson Elementary maintenance staff will assemble a pre-set, steel-framework structure or lumber frame built from a kit. The maintenance staff will then build garden beds—indoor and out—for each grade level/classroom. Faculty will receive training on guidelines for garden use, an evaluation plan, community involvement, and volunteer opportunities. Once the garden has been established, a campus-wide schedule by grade level/classroom will be implemented to establish beds and prepare the garden for planting. Faculty will educate students regarding guidelines for garden use and expectations per curriculum requirements. Faculty will photograph progress and share updates with the Corpus Christi Education Foundation, Corpus Christi Independent School District, and students, parents, and community partners through newsletters and websites. Once the garden has been established, the Corpus Christi Education Foundation will create and post signage recognizing major donors. In addition to providing a valuable classroom experience, students in need who are identified by the Gibson Elementary School principal will be allowed to take home fruits and vegetables grown in “The Learning Garden.” The garden and the curriculum designed around this outdoor classroom will be sustainable for many years to come.