We have a collection of over 400 resources including ready-to-use kits, books, posters, curriculum resources and more. Browse our collection and discover resources to engage and excite students. These resource are set aside and meant to be used exclusively by Washington County educators! These are all available through our Washington County location here. All you need to do is put in an order and we will send the resources out to you, all you need to do is pay the return postage, or drop them off directly!
Washington County Master Gardeners Your local Master Gardeners are excited to visit your classroom or garden club. They offer a standards list of programs, found here. Requests must be submitted at least 3 weeks in advance, and must include at least 15 participants.
Washington County Extension Service Your local OSU Extension Service can connect you to resources, events, and organizations that will bolster your school’s agricultural and natural resource education programs.
Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District In collaboration with Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors (ECO) and The Wetlands Conservancy, the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District offers six NGSS-aligned curriculum kits for Washington County educators to borrow at no cost. This and other resources can be seen using the link above
Clean Water Services Request a guest speaker, or coordinate a field trip. This organization does an incredible job of teaching water conservation with an emphasis on local watersheds.
TWIG Funding The Tualatin Watershed Improvement Grant (TWIG) awards up to $5,000 for projects that promote conservation within the Tualatin River watershed. Funding is supported by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, applications are on a rolling deadline and assessed quarterly.
Fall Activates In the Tualatin Valley there is no shortage of fun things to do! Harvest time is upon us in, and there are plenty of pumpkin patches and corn mazes that dot Tualatin Valley’s farmlands. Enjoy the sights, sounds and smell of autumn.
Bee Grant Funding A choice of a monetary or equipment grant intended to support schools in bringing live bees to their campus or grow their already existing educational hive program. Applications Due October 15, 2021
Salad Bar Grants A salad bar at school means kids have the choice of fresh vegetables and fruit for lunch throughout the school year. Kids with access to a salad bar in their school cafeteria not only put more fruits and veggies on their plates, they actually eat them! The CDC reports that kids with access to a salad bar consume 33% more fruits and vegetables. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
Timbers Community Fund Apply for a grant funding youth STEM education, youth health and wellness, or the environment. How convenient that school gardens address all of these things! Applications are due Sept. 4th. You must have a conversation with a fund representative prior to applying, so start your planning early!
Journey 2050 How will we sustainably feed over 9 billion people in the year 2050? This computer game explores this question, and is an invaluable opportunity to teach students about sustainable agriculture through decision making and critical thinking. Use free resources to teach the program on your own, or ask our coordinator to lead the introductory session in your classroom. You can also request an educator training on this resource, if you and fellow teachers are looking to learn more!
Purple Plow Purple Plow is a free STEM education platform. Challenges change seasonally and winners are awarded prizes. This program is especially suited to grades 6 and up.
What does the classroom visit look like? Visits depend on the needs of the teacher really. It can be a one-class visit for a period or half a day. I’ve done readings, garden curriculum activities and worked with some of the kits that are available on our site. If you have a specific area your class is working on we can plan to find something that ties into those themes.
Does the coordinator actually teach a lesson? If so, what is it? Or is there a choice? Yes, I would be teaching the lesson. My background is in agriculture education and I love whenever I get a chance to work with a class. The lesson depends on what you would like me to do. We have A LOT of materials available. The choice is all yours.
We have multiple classes of the same grade, is it possible to teach them together? All of this really depends on what my schedule is. If I have the time available I will do whatever is easiest for you.
How long is the lesson? It can be as short as 10-15 minutes or up to an hour depending on what the lesson is. Some of our kits go by quick and are best integrated into a portion of an overall lesson, and some are a longer activity
What would be needed from us? Maybe materials depending on what we were doing but I have many of the materials needed. Otherwise not much.
Do these visits cost anything? No! Like many almost all of what we offer this is at no cost to you.