The Environmental Center is thrilled to award more than $15,000 to 12 schools and youth organizations to support garden-based education and outdoor classroom projects across Central Oregon this year. Funded projects range from launching new school gardens and improving existing garden infrastructure to creative solutions for extending the region’s short growing season.
In addition, the Greater Bend Rotary Club independently funded one submitted project. The club will support Bend International School with a $2,500 contribution along with volunteer support to help bring the project to life. “Being able to support kids of all ages with hands-on science experience that gets extended to other areas like economics, planning, and leadership opportunities is really rewarding,” said Rebecca Kauffman, Director of Environmental & Sustainability for the Greater Bend Rotary Club. “The Environmental Center has done a great job building a strong program and garden network across Central Oregon. We have really enjoyed working with the dedicated staff and parents that do the heavy lifting as well as seeing the level of student engagement.” Recipient schools and organizations will collectively serve more than 1,500 youth through garden-based learning projects across three school districts in Central Oregon, as well as early childhood education programs in La Pine, Redmond, Terrebonne, and Powell Butte.
2026 Garden Grant Recipients:
●Bend International School (Bend): Fencing, indoor growing, and greenhouse improvements
●COIC at Juvenile Detention Skills Lab (Bend): A shed for garden tools and supplies
●Desert Sky Montessori School (Bend): Garden supplies for storage and season extension
●Elk Meadow Elementary School (Bend): Classroom seeding project for native plants
●Friends of the Children – Central Oregon: Compost, starter plants, and seeds for raised garden beds at Friends Ranch
●Growing Wonders Childcare LLC (Terrebonne): Materials and supplies to expand the outdoor learning space and growing season
●Jefferson County Middle School (Madras): Classroom mushroom growing kits
●Madras High School Environmental Club (Madras): Rehabilitation of a courtyard into a pollinator garden and mini fruit orchard
●Miss Jenn’s Child Care/Preschool (La Pine): Expanding the garden area and completing a seed house to extend the growing season
●NeighborImpact Head Start (Redmond): Materials to build a school garden
●Ranch House Learning (Powell Butte): Startup materials for a preschool garden
●StepUp at Edwin Brown Education Center (Redmond): Converting a solar-powered hay bale structure into a seed-starting space
●Samara Learning Center (Bend): Construction of new raised garden beds
“Educators want to give their students the richest learning experiences possible,” said Denise Rowcroft, Youth Education and School Gardens Program Director at The Environmental Center. “Teachers who use school gardens return to them year after year—often investing their own time and resources—because they see firsthand how powerful garden-based learning can be.
Community partnerships like the Rotary Club make a real difference. Their support allows us to fund more school gardens and bring in the volunteer energy that helps these spaces grow and thrive.” Since 2017, The Environmental Center has raised and awarded nearly $140,000 to support local schools and community organizations in their garden-based learning efforts. These garden grants would not be possible without the support of individual donors, local and regional businesses, foundations, and nonprofit partners.
Special thanks to the supporters of the Garden for Every School program: Central Electric Cooperative, Central Oregon Beekeepers Association, Central Oregon Health Council, Clabough Foundation, El Sancho, Gray Family Foundation, New Sun Energy, Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Farm to School & School Garden Network, Pacific Power Foundation, Saginaw Sunset, and Savory Spice Bend.
The goal of The Environmental Center’s Garden Grant program is to provide local funding for public and private schools across Central Oregon to start, expand, or improve school gardens and outdoor classrooms. Research shows that outdoor learning environments improve students’ mental, emotional, and physical health, while also supporting social and academic development.
The Garden Grant program is one component of The Environmental Center’s broader Garden for Every School initiative. In addition to grants, the program organizes a regional Garden Educator Network, provides technical assistance to schools, operates the Kansas Avenue Learning Garden in downtown Bend, and is developing a new Community Learning Garden in Redmond in partnership with RootedHomes at Rooted at 19th. Learn more at envirocenter.org/schoolgardens.
About The Environmental Center
The Environmental Center’s mission is to embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon. The organization translates sustainability into practical, local action to create a healthy future for people and the planet. Programs focus on building community, educating youth, advancing clean energy, rethinking waste, and advocating for systemic change. Learn more at www.envirocenter.org.
This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.
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