School Ground Greening
Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds School Ground Greening Grants
Transforming the Outdoor Landscape of Canada's Schools
Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds helps schools create outdoor classrooms to provide students with a healthy place to play, learn and develop a genuine respect for nature.
Amount offered: $500–$3,500 for schools, $500–$2,000 for daycares.
Next accepting applications: Applications for the 2011–12 funding program will be accepted on 4 intake dates throughout the school year, starting on September 2, 2011:
- September 16, 2011 – for schools that have completed their design process and are ready to plant in the fall.
- December 2, 2011 – for schools that have completed the design process and need planning time for their spring plant date.
- March 16, 2012 – for spring plantings.
- June 1, 2012 – for late spring/early summer or early fall plantings.
Please note that funds have been exhausted in most regions for the 2011–12 school year and applications are currently only being accepted from schools in Edmonton, Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, Halifax and schools belonging to the Toronto District School Board, for the June 2012 intake date.
If your school is in a region not mentioned above, you are encouraged to start planning your application for the 2012–13 school year using the information currently posted online. The updated 2012–13 applications and Survival Guides will be posted online in mid-late August and accepted from September to June 2012–13.
Eligibility
Schools applying for funding must have school grounds that are:
- on school board property
- publicly accessible (greater community included) at all hours of the day and on weekends
- publicly funded (i.e. non-tuition based)
Daycares applying for funding must be:
- not-for-profit
- publicly accessible (greater community included) at all hours of the day and on weekends, with exceptions when students are using the site
Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses include:
- Native plant species (from our recommended native plant lists)
- Heritage berries, vegetable seeds and plants (from our recommended garden plant lists)
- Tools, materials and professional services (such as a native plant or design professional or a professional educator)
Maximum limits and exceptions apply—please see our Survival Guide below for complete details.
How To Apply
- Please review the Survival Guide below and our Proposal Writing Tips. They contain essential information on planning, design, fundraising and organizing.
- Create an Evergreen online account. This is required to download the application.
- Activate your account and download. You’ll receive an email with a link to activate your account. Click the link to log in and download the appropriate funding application.
- Site visit: If your school is in one of the following cities/regions, you must arrange a site visit with your regional consultant. The site visit is required prior to submission of your application.
- Applicable cities and regions: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and the Durham and Kitchener/Waterloo regions
- Fill out the application. The application is in Word format. You can fill it out, modify it and save it to your computer. Please note that you cannot save your application electronically on your Evergreen account.
- Send in your application by mail or courier. Faxed and emailed applications will not be accepted.
- If you submit an application and it’s incomplete or unable to be approved, we’ll work with you over the phone and through email to make changes until it’s complete and ready for approval.
- You’ll be notified by email when your application has been approved.
Grant Recipient Responsibilities
If your project is accepted, we’ll provide you with instructions in a “Funding Approval Package”:
- Funder Recognition: We'll let you know which funders to recognize and offer suggestions on how to do it.
- Toyota Dealership Matching: Your school will likely be matched with your local Toyota Dealership and you’ll need to contact the dealership to arrange a cheque presentation.
- Final Report: We’ll provide you with information on completing our evaluation and sending in receipts, photos and sample lesson plans.
What if our project doesn’t receive funding?
- We’ll notify you if we’ve exhausted available funds.
- If your school doesn’t receive funding due to exhausted funds, you’ll get a follow-up email with suggestions on improving your application for the following year. You are welcome to continue working with us to refine your application if you would like to reapply.
Previous Recipients
Questions?
If you have further questions, please contact:
Celeste Longhurst, Grant Program Coordinator
clonghurst@evergreen.ca
Toll-free: 1-888-426-3138 x320
In Toronto: 416-596-1495 x320