03 Feb 19 K-12 Bright Green Futures Grants Awarded

The City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability has greatly expanded the number of Bright Green Futures Grants being awarded this year! Up more than 600% from last year, this year the program is able to award $3000 grants to 19 area elementary, middle and high schools, compared with 3 last year.

Launched two years ago, the grants were designed to recognize and support innovative projects that will inspire students to become lifelong environmental stewards. These funds support a wide variety of projects ranging from composting systems and organic gardening initiatives to establishing cycling academies. Lucia Athens, the City’s Chief Sustainability Officer remarked, “A green mindset, coupled with problem-solving skills, is critical for our youth.”

With joint funding from Austin Resource Recovery, Watershed Protection, Austin Water Utility, the Public Works Department and Austin Energy the program highlights the multi-disciplinary coordination the Office of Sustainability is undertaking in Austin. The grants will be presented individually at each of the winning schools throughout the month.

The following projects are recipients of this year’s Bright Green Future Grants:

• Austin Discovery School’s Rain Garden will help address the safety problems caused by flooding from nearby Walnut Creek, as well as educate students about protecting water quality.
• To get students outside and learning from nature, Blackshear’s Bridge Garden will improve and maintain the school’s sustainable campus, which is frequently used for student Enrichment Time.
• Cunningham’s PEAS, or Partners for Education, Agriculture and Sustainability, is a community garden that will be expanded to include a rain garden and gazebo that will double as an outdoor classroom.
• The GO (Growing Opportunities) project at Doss will promote water conservation by using a rainwater harvesting system to capture and retain the water needed to irrigate a garden on campus.
• Foundation Communities’ Afterschool Green will provide afterschool and summer educational programming to over 700 K-12 students on water and energy conservation, waste reduction, and improving air quality.
• A Rain Collection System at Hill Elementary will teach students about the importance of water conservation by using rain water to irrigate existing native plants on campus.
• The Explore, Restore & More program at Norman will provide natural science education programming that features hands-on learning and habitat restoration work.
• Pease’s Outdoor Science and Learning Lab will be a new outdoor classroom designed with recycled materials, and featuring a rainwater collection system and solar panels.
• The new Courtyard Pond at Perez Elementary will supplement Food and Shelter resources already on campus, to help achieve certification from the National Wildlife Foundation as a Wildlife Habitat.
• Williams’ Community Garden will teach students and their families how to create, maintain, and harvest a garden, as well as provide access to healthier and more affordable food.
• Zavala’s Cycle Academy will encourage students to ride their bikes daily and safely, while the Green Beacon Project will rejuvenate the campus with native plants irrigated by a rainwater capturing system. In addition, a recycling station will be created that will be shared with the surrounding community.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS:

• Students at Bailey Middle School will learn about the Dryland Farming Technique for Growing Fruit Trees, empowering them to grow healthy fruit with proven water conservation techniques.
• Kealing’s Gardens will be expanded to include additional beds and a rain water collection system, while the Cycle Academy will focus on bike safety and maintenance skills, and promote an action-oriented, healthy lifestyle.
• The Tech Academy at Small will include greenhouses for native plants, raised beds for food gardens, composting facilities, and furniture construction from repurposed materials.

HIGH SCHOOLS:

• Eastside’s Garden and Outdoor Classroom will revitalize an existing vegetable garden and incorporate native vegetation, compost bins, and water catchment receptacles.
• Garza’s Garden will include a community garden, landscaping with native plants, compost areas, an outdoor classroom, rainwater collection areas, and building recycling.
• A new Outdoor Classroom at Travis will teach students about the entire cycle of food growth, from soil preparation to harvesting, with a new garden, compost system, flow form, and wicking bed for plant growth.