The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program is pleased to announce the projects selected for the 2024 Youth Educator Grant Program.
NCR-SARE awarded more than $210,000 to 19 projects for the 2024 Youth Educator Grant Program.
The competitive Youth Educator Grant Program supports educators who seek to provide programming on sustainable agriculture for youth. Those selected to receive funding in 2024 included (in order alphabetically by state):
- Traci Barkley with Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana, IL, was awarded $5,960 for the project “Expanded Community Farm Visit Program for Youth.”
- Elizabeth Berkeley with Chicago Grows Food in Chicago, IL was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Chicago Grows Food: Grow Your Groceries Grow Kits.”
- Ben Skipor with Freeport High School in Freeport, IL was awarded $5,990 for the project, “Urban Agriculture Education through Community Garden.”
- Gavrielle Welbel with Zumwalt Acres in Sheldon, IL was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Zumwalt Acres Educational Programming: Apprenticeship, Events and Mentorship for a Diversity of Young Emerging Farmers.”
- Axel Cooper with Community Montessori in New Albany, IN was awarded $5,786 for the project, “Exploration of Micro-Economics on the Modern Small Farm: Community Outreach through Advanced Gardening in Protected Culture.”
- Michael Webb with Children First: CEO Kansas in Wichita, KS was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Incorporating Lessons in Sustainable Agriculture from Farm Field Trips into K-8 School Gardens in Low-Income Neighborhoods.”
- Derrienne Reese with Asibara Forest in Detroit, MI was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Creating Educational and Nature Equity with an Urban Food Forest Initiative.”
- Steven Forns with Appetite For Change in Minneapolis, MN was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Youth Training and Opportunity on Sustainable Urban Agriculture in North Minneapolis.”
- Richard Hall with Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation and Education (PRAIRIE) in Moorhead, MN was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Multicultural Urban Food & Ecology Initiative: YOUTH STEWARDS.”
- Winona LaDuke with Anishinaabe Agriculture in Osage, MN was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Mishtaadim-Anishinaabe Youth Horse Farming and Community programs.”
- Amelia LaMair with Flotsam Farm in Tecumseh, MO was awarded $5,163 for the project, “Connecting Youth to Tradition, Land, and Food Sovereignty through Cooperative Sorghum Syrup Production.”
- John Boeder with The Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora, NE was awarded $5,873 for the project, “BEEing Aware: Learning about and Nurturing Local Honey Bees & Pollinators for more Sustainable Agriculture.”
- Jennifer Cunningham with Allen County Educational Services Center in Lima, OH was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Sowing Seeds for a Bright Future- Pathways to Success Greenhouse.”
- Franklinton Farms in Columbus, OH was awarded $5,976 for the project, “Urban Farm Apprenticeship at Franklinton Farms.”
- Molly Gassaway with Community Food Initiatives in Athens, OH was awarded $4,988 for the project, “Cultivating Tomorrow's Stewards in Appalachia: Summer Sprouts Sustainable Agriculture Camp.”
- Jennifer Johnston with Zane Trace High School in Chillicothe, OH was awarded $5,645 for the project, “Pasture Raised Pioneers.”
- Cindy Zenk with South Dakota Soil Health Coalition in Pierre, SD was awarded $5,997 for the project, “The Soil Quilt Storybook as a Tool in Elementary Education.”
- Tara Wachowski with Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department in Manitowoc, WI was awarded $6,000 for the project, “Sustainable Agriculture Mobile Learning Lab.”
Read descriptions of these projects online at www.projects.sare.org.
NCR-SARE’s Youth Educator grant program starts accepting proposals in mid-August. Learn more here: https://northcentral.sare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant/Youth-Educator-Grant/
The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the project's relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, and how well it aligns with NCR-SARE's goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.
NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council (AC) members decide which projects will receive SARE funds. The AC includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms, ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofits.
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.