Grant Application Deadline Approaching

The deadline for Educational Grant Applications for the 2008/2009 American Floral Endowment (AFE) Funding Cycle is approaching. The due date for all applications is June 1, 2008. All forms and additional information are available on the AFE website at www.endowment.org.

Since 1961, AFE has been building a stronger floriculture industry by funding educational programs that promote the floriculture segment of the industry, according to a press release. The majority of the programs are wide-reaching, educational endeavors to identify and solve industry needs and/or challenges and focus on attracting people to the industry.

The National Intercollegiate Floral Crop Quality Evaluation and Design Competition is just one of the many Endowment-funded programs. Students participating in this program learn how to evaluate and score potted plants and cut flowers while working closely with professors at their university.

Applications that provide a benefit to a broad geographic area and for a broad industry constituency within the United States are considered. The Endowment has a review process for allocating its funds for educational grants. All applications are reviewed on an annual basis, with final funding dependent on the amount of funds available. All final decisions are made by the Full Board of Trustees after a thorough review by the AFE Education Committee, chaired by Ken Altman.

For additional information regarding the programs of the Endowment, visit www.endowment.org.