Annually the Santa Fe Garden Club (SFGC) receives quarterly Endowment dividends from the Santa Fe Community Foundation (SFCF) account funded by the father and members of the SFGC in honor of Filley McPheeters, our member, who tragically died in a horse accident far too young. SFCF is a tax-exempt public charity that provides an avenue for donors to satisfy their charitable intents and for nonprofit organizations to receive funding to carry out their essential work. The Filley McPheeters Memorial Trust Fund instructions are that the SFGC select an adult effort/program that supports horticulture and/or an effort/program that supports children.

The Santa Fe Community College now has two scholarship funds.

• Through the account income the Garden Club chose to set up the Filley McPheeter’s Memorial Presidential Endowed Scholarship at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC). Over the years, the community college was able to provide over 30 scholarships to needy students in the horticultural programs.
• The second scholarship was from the Santa Fe Garden Club’s general fund for the SFGC’s Title V Presidential Scholarship for Aquaponics & Greenhouse Management Endowment. Approximate four years ago the SFGF pursued a Presidential Scholarship for the new SFCC Greenhouse Management Program. The Scholarship Committee and some Executive Board members toured the impressive program and voted to establish a scholarship in the amount of $7,500 for buying necessary equipment for the new program using the McPheeter’s Community Foundation’s earnings. This enabled the college to get federal matching funds. The cutting-edge curriculum included Hydroponics and Aquaponics.

The SFGC has a Scholarship Committee consisting of three or more members to administer the endowment funds systematically. Selected members spend several months each year investigating initiatives in Santa Fe County that meet the intent of the trust agreement. We convene in October or sooner to determine what horticulture efforts and/or children’s initiatives that need funding we recommend. We have improved our processes by requiring a 1-2 page proposal package that provides adequate information about the program and its implementation, a budget, the people and organization sponsoring the activity, and an evaluation plan to measure impact or success. At that meeting we decide what initiative(s) we recommend. The club/board approves the committee’s selection at the November meeting. Except for the one-time club funding to the SFCC Greenhouse Management Program, no other club funds have been used.

Over the years the Scholarship Committee has found most success granting money for programs sponsored by non-profit organizations that had reliable and professional staffing. We have found more impact using our funds for initiative rather than individual scholarships that benefit just a few adults or children. We commit to one year of funding.

Initiatives we have presented for approval over the last several years.

2017: An Afternoon Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Club (STEM) Program $2000

Target Audience: A maximum of 20, 5 th through 8 th grade students interested in STEM topics recruited and recommended by their teachers Length of Program: 6-week session (2 hours a session include a snack Objective(s):

1. To introduce hands-on STEM activities for interested students
2. To mentor teams to participate in STEM competitions and challenges Person Responsible: Lina Germann, Ph.D., MBA, science educator/consultant

2016 Project: Three Summer Art Workshops for At-risk, Minority Teens at the Youth Detention Center (YDP) $1,125

Target Audience: 30 at-risk teens, mostly Hispanic, who were at the YPD and agreed to participate; taught by famous Native American artists Length of Program: 3 half-day sessions with teens at the center that day Objective(s):

1. To make group art projects that incorporates the concept of collaboration, cooperation, and movemen
2.  To provide quality and diverse educational opportunities to incarcerated youth
3. To provide an opportunity for Native American artists to encourage learning about diverse cultures within the YDP’s largely Hispanic population
4. To encourage youth to see art as both a means of therapy and as a possible career choice

Person Responsible: Elysia Poon M.A., SAR Curator of Education

2015 Project: The Pueblo of Pojoaque Early Childhood Center Summer Program $5000

Target Audience: Youth Pojoaque Pueblo children

Length of Program: Several week summer program:

1. To teach and incorporate the Tewa language and customs to pueblo children
2. To motivate children to make their own dance outfits for feast days 3) To use the Tewa language and customs through song and dancing Person Responsible: Bruce Bernstein Ph.D: Advisor to the Pojoaque Pueblo, founding director of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

2014 Project: the School for Advanced Research (SAR) Summer Program $1,370

Target Audience: a hands-on summer program to conduct pottery workshops for 15 San Felipe Pueblo children

Length of Program: 6 separate classes to serve 90, 3& 4 year old students

Objective(s):

1. To spark an interest in pottery making in San Felipe youth
2. To use well-known Santa Fe pueblo potters as role models and expert teachers to produce simple pinch pots, the very first step in pottery making
3. To teach and reinforce the importance of clay within their community

Person Responsible: Elysia Poon, SAR’s Educator and Docent Trainer