Expanding Farm to School in British Columbia
Start-up/Scale-up Grant Application Instructions
Information:
Farm to School BC (F2SBC) is a school-based initiative that connects schools (K-12), community and local farms, with a goal to ensure that children have access to fresh, local and sustainable foods while at school. Farm to School BC has three core elements: 1) healthy local foods; 2) hands-on learning and; 3) school-community connectedness. The program is funded by the Ministry of Health and administered by the Public Health Association of BC (PHABC). Farm to School (F2S) activity may differ by school, but it is always directed towards a common aim - more healthy local foods on the plates, minds and bellies of all students.
The school community shapes Farm to School programs. Does your school want to (but not limited to):
o Purchase new refrigeration system for cooking or preservation?
o Start a salad bar?
o Buy equipment to support sustainable school-based agriculture practices involving school gardens, micro green system, or other forms of cultivating food?
o Take students out on field trips to your local farmer’s market, farms and other agriculture-based settings to educate students about our local food environment?
o Plant native plants, build medicine wheels, harvest traditional foods, and connect with elders and knowledge keepers?
If so, apply for our grant!
Why apply?
ü Receive up to $3,500 for new Farm to School grant recipients and up to $1,000 for previous Farm to School BC grant recipients to support the F2S program for two years
ü Receive individualized support from the F2SBC Community Animator in your region to implement and execute your Farm to School project (applicable only in existing regional hubs)
ü Access to the regional and provincial Farm to School BC events, professional development opportunities, resources throughout the school year
ü Connect with other teachers, parents, public health dieticians, NGOs, and farmers participating in Farm to School activities
Eligibility Criteria
o Must be a K- 12 school located in BC (If you are from a school in Vancouver School Board, please apply for Think&EatGreen@School Small Grant Application 2017-18)
o Demonstrate willingness to partner and collaborate with the local organizations, and community members to strengthen the F2S Team (see question 8).
o Commitment to a working team of at least 3 people to build and expand the Farm to School program at your respective school.
Exclusion criteria
o If you are currently holding another active Farm to School grant, you are not eligible to receive this grant (i.e., Farm to School Grant 2016, Farm to Cafeteria’s Salad Bar Grant).
Expectations for successful grant applications:
ü Willingness to participate in Farm to School program which may include the following:
· Surveys and/or interviews during and/or after the completion of the grant project
ü Participation in annual reporting activities for two years, which will include providing a short story that gives an overview of your school’s F2S related activities with accompanying photos, a financial report with all receipts and other requests as needed.
ü Permission for PHABC and Farm to School BC to use submitted photos/videos for the purpose of promoting Farm to School activities
ü Completion of a program plan by Friday, February 16th, 2018 (template will be provided to grant recipients in the first week of January 2018)
To apply
Complete the application form and email it to .
Deadline
Applications must be received no later than Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:59pm PST. Schools will be notified about the status of their application by Wednesday, December 20, 2017. Please direct any questions you have to .
For more information about our program, please visit our website at: www.farmtoschoolbc.ca. To read short stories from previous recipients of Farm to School grants, please go to: www.farmtoschoolbc.ca/category/start-up-grant-series/.
APPLICATION FORM: Expanding Farm to School in BC Grants
Only one application may be submitted per school
School Information
School Name: / School District #:Address:
Phone: / Fax:
Website:
Total School population: / School grade level:
Select School Type: / Elementary / Middle / Secondary / Independent / First Nations
Lead Applicant [School]
Name: / Position:What is the best way to reach you?
Email: / Phone:
Co-Lead Applicant [School or Community Partner]
Name: / Position:Organization [if applicable]:
Address [if applicable]:
What is the best way to reach you?
Email: / Phone:
Select the F2SBC grant you are applying for*:
☐ Start-Up Grant (up to $3,500) / ☐ Scale-Up Grant (up to $1,000)By selecting the grant type, you acknowledge that your school meets eligibility criteria for the grant
Request Amount ($)
Estimate:Please answer question #3 before answering this question
1. Tell us more about the food environment at your school. Here are some prompting questions to help you consider how your school community engages with food related activities: What food or meal programs operate in the school (breakfast, lunch or snack program)? Who runs those programs (local catering company, larger food distributor, school community operates, etc.)? How many students utilize these programs? Does your school have a cafeteria?
2. What are you hoping to achieve with this grant?
3. Describe what you plan to do if you are awarded this grant (e.g., start a salad bar, build school garden beds, purchase new refrigeration system for cooking and preservation, bring your students out to local farms?)
4. How will your Farm to School program (from question 3) integrate the core elements of Farm to School?
Core Elements / DescriptionHealthy local food
Hands-on Learning
School-Community Connectedness
5. Describe what other food or healthy eating activities are happening at the school (school garden, cooking classes, composting, School Fruit & Vegetable Nutritional Program, etc.).
6. It is important for grant recipients to ensure that the Farm to School program is sustainable. How will your school ensure that the program is financially, operationally and logistically sustainable beyond the 2017-2019 school years?
7. A commitment to sourcing local food is a crucial component of a Farm to School program. If you already have a relationship with a local farmer or local food source, please describe. If not, please describe how you will source locally.
8. Addressing food systems in schools is complex. Farm to School programs are most successful when people work together. Please list the names, and contact information of the working team. Please note that not all positions need to be filled.
Position / Name(s) / Contact Information1. School
Principal
Vice Principal
Teacher(s)
Teacher(s)
Custodian(s)
TA/EA
Student(s)
Others
2. Health Authority Partners
Environmental Health Officer
Public Health Dietitian
Others
3. Community Supporters
Parent(s)
Farmer(s)
Volunteer(s)
Local Partner(s)
4. Others
Required Grant Application Signatures
By signing below, you acknowledge that your school meets the eligibility criteria of this grant, and that your Farm to School team is committed to work together, ensuring the success of the program, as well as participating in reporting and evaluation activities.
Name of Lead Applicant: ______
Signature: ______
Name of Co-Applicant: ______
Signature: ______
School Principal
As the school administrator, by signing below, you agree to commit to operating a Farm to School program in your school for a minimum of two years.
Name of Principal: ______
Signature of Principal: ______
The signature page may be signed in hard copy and scanned, and attached as a separate file if needed.