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HOSTING A GROWING COMMUNITIES WORKSHOP

What is expected from the host organization and from ACGA?

Host organization – work with ACGA to identify specific community needs for training, recruit participants, process registrations, secure location to hold the workshop, identity and choose food provider

ACGA – conduct the 2-day training with trained facilitators, bring curricula and workshop supplies, post upcoming workshops on the ACGA website, act as a fiscal agent if requested from the interested group

 How can a city/region host one?

Contact ACGA office to let us know of your interest and availability. ACGA will work with the host city to schedule this 2-day workshop and, if needed, help with reviewing funding grant proposals.

How long does the workshop take to organize?

Based on availability of facilitators and payment, ACGA could organize this workshop in as little as 3 weeks.

What does it cost?

One 2-day Growing Community workshop costs approximately $5,000, of which half of the cost is expected to be received at least 1 week prior to the workshop with the remaining to be paid at the completion of the training. This estimate is calculated assuming a 30-person attendance, a donated space, 2 trained facilitators, and budgeted food allowances. This does not include travel or accommodations for participants. Each participant will receive an ACGA membership, the Growing Communities Curriculum and new knowledge to empower their own community to grow more food secure and sustainable.

How can you raise money to host this workshop?

The funds to host this workshop can be raised by a variety of methods including:

• Contributions from local businesses, churches, service clubs and supporters
• Participant fees
• Neighborhood improvement grants
Local foundations

If you are interested in applying for a grant that supports your local community, feel free to use the language below as a guide. Be sure to read funding eligibility requirements thoroughly to ensure the project fits within their criteria, and, if possible, contact the potential funder directly to inquire if this training would be a good fit.

Community gardens are a means for low-income residents to fight hunger and poor nutrition; they also provide the practical means to encourage physical activity. Community gardens have been shown to improve social relations and to advance overall psychological and physical well-being. In addition to the direct benefits of gardening, the indirect benefits of gardens include social connections, informal networks, community organizing, and collective efficacy; all important processes that support individual- and neighborhood-level health and well-being. Community gardens are a vehicle to bring a community together to work out their own problems, use their own assets, become more self-reliant and demonstrate efficient use of land and money.

Established in 1979, the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is the premier organization providing support for community gardening in the United States and Canada. ACGA provides training and resources directly to community-based organizations to enable them to implement community gardening programs that (1) empower low-income people to use their neighborhood’s assets to improve their communities and (2) increase the self-reliance of communities by providing opportunities for people to increase their food security.

Since 2004, ACGA has partnered with 30 local communities to present Growing Communities trainings. Based on a participatory model of community building, these trainings bring together residents and representatives of community gardening, community development, and food security organizations to learn and share community-organizing skills such as leadership development, meeting facilitation, outreach, and coalition building. Participants walk away with a new understanding and confidence to use these skills not only in emerging and established community gardens but also become more involved with their community and other concerns.

____ are requesting $5,000 to host an ACGA Growing Communities Workshop to help the ____ community foster leadership and long-term sustainability.Tailor your organization proposal based on any specific information that you know or copy from above, specific need to your community, estimate on number of participants, proposed location, proposed specific outcomes tailored to your local community, etc.