The University of Minnesota Schoolyard Garden Grants program offers funding to teachers and educators, primarily those who have participated in monarch and citizen science education workshops, to install monarch and pollinator habitat gardens in schoolyards as an educational opportunity for students. This creates dual benefits by creating habitat for monarchs and allowing students an outdoor learning area to participate in science and outdoor education. There are other similar programs that provide funding for installing monarch habitat in schools or educational areas; this program serves as an example of similar local initiatives.

“Schools can design their own garden, enhance an existing garden, or better use an existing garden through the purchase of equipment, plants, or curriculum. This proposal invites you to use your creativity and knowledge about gardening to tailor the request for your specific needs […] Criteria for judging applications include, but are not limited to: innovative integration of garden use into multiple disciplines, a clear understanding of the implications of managing a garden at a school site, a plan to involve stakeholders in creating and maintaining the garden, a plan to involve many students in outdoor learning, and a knowledgeable garden plan” (Monarch Lab 2015).

• University of Minnesota Monarch Lab. 2015. Schoolyard Garden Grants. http://monarchlab.org/education-and-gardening/gardening-for-monarchs/garden-grants/.

Keywords: gardening, habitat, youth