Supporting Education for All Levels of the Industry, One Grant at a Time

Nineteen organizations will receive Educational Grants in 2022-23 from the Endowment, totaling $76,590 given in support of important industry programs. We welcome the opportunity to support these great organizations and their programs as they grow the industry we love. With this funding, these organizations will be able to host conferences, teach students and educators about the floral industry, offer programs such as greenhouse training and florist certification classes, promote floral sustainability practices, and more. “We are proud to support vital programs like these that strengthen the industry,” AFE Treasurer/Secretary and Education Committee Chair Greg Royer said. “We continue to work hard to uplift programs that provide learning opportunities for industry members and bring awareness to the younger generations about the…

AFE’s 2021 Arizona Travel Grant Recipient

Bringing Arizona Florists Continued EducationWith industry events back in full swing, the American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s programs like the Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant are key to bringing industry members continued education and valued experiences!AFE’s 2021 recipient, Patti Klawans of Tucson, Arizona, and Designer at Mayfield Florist, was able to connect with and learn from skilled designers volunteering in the flower room at the AIFD Symposium 2022 this past July in Las Vegas, Nevada after a year of postponing travel.Experiences like these are invaluable to industry members, bringing them to the crossroads of connection and first-hand education. AFE recognizes that professional skill building and career growth are continual pursuits. With the Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant, Arizona florists have the…

Continued Education Empowered by Our Retail Florists’ Grant

No matter where you are in your career, the pursuit of knowledge is an essential pillar of progress. The industry is constantly evolving, and it’s more important than ever to expand your ability to stay relevant, build skills, and facilitate preparedness. The American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s Retail Florist’s Continued Education Grant encourages these endeavors with reimbursement to support steady success and improvement across the retail sector. Michael Richardson of Smith’s Florist and Gift Shoppe. LOVE VA is a program of Retail Alliance that offers workshops and networking for businesses in Gloucester, Virginia, and beyond. This year, AFE was happy to award $500 to Michael Richardson of Smith’s Florist and Gift Shoppe in Gloucester, Virginia, through the Bob and Carol Sharpe…

Phillip Floral Design Grant Funds Passions & Inspires Growth

The American Floral Endowment’s James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant is a testament to family values and deep-rooted passion for the floral industry. The Phillips left a profound impact on floral design, and today, their legacy is carried forward through the work of inspired young professionals and recipients of the Grant!In the 2021-2022 academic year, five institutions were awarded funding through the Grant to provide scholarships to floral design students, including Bergen University, Kishwaukee College, Texas A&M University, The Ohio State University, and Mississippi State University. Lauren Baskin of Mississippi State University shared with us how her floral design passion came to fruition and what the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant means to her.“I am so excited to…

Hands-On Learning Supported by AFE’s Educational Grants

To your average non-industry member, the scope of horticulture and floriculture may not run far outside of lawn care and gardening. Education is an excellent place to start when it comes to showing the scale of our industry to a broader audience of students and encouraging them to enter our field. Oklahoma State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture recognized this and utilized support from the American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s Educational Grants to offer a successful Hands-On Horticulture course in 2021-2022. The result? Enlightened students with a deeper understanding of this field, newfound hort knowledge, and industry promotion. What began as an idea for an alternate science class became a fun, informative foundation for horticulture education at OSU. The…

Floral Design Grants Offer Scholarships to Floral Design Students

James and Helen Phillip Scholarship Fund Awards $33,000 We have awarded $33,000 in block grants to five colleges and universities through the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Scholarship Fund for the 2021-22 academic year.James and Helen PhillipEstablished to honor James and Helen Phillip by their daughter Lee Phillip Bell, the Grant provides scholarship assistance to students enrolled in floral design programs.  Initially funded in 2008, the program leaves a legacy honoring The Phillips that supports the education of students and intends to create a pool of trained workers to fill positions in retail flower shops. The James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Scholarship Fund prioritizes funding for colleges and universities in the Great Lakes region; however, these grants are also…

Announcing the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund

New Grant Provides Support for Retail-Focused Educational Programs We are pleased to announce the creation of the Meinders Retail Florist Education Grant Fund that will provide financial support for retail florist education.Established through generous contributions from longtime industry members and AFE supporters, Herman and LaDonna Meinders, this new fund combines with the first-ever AFE Named Fund established in 2011 by the couple now totaling more than $500,000.“Herman and LaDonna paved the way to encourage others to support AFE’s overall mission of providing for the future of the floral industry. Since that time, more than 30 additional named funds have been created,” said AFE’s Executive Director Debi Chedester.When asked about his continued commitment to the Endowment, Herman Meinders shared, “As a past Chairman…

Our Educational Grants Strengthen the Future of Floriculture

$70,000 Awarded in 2021-22 to 17 Programs Alexandria, Virginia, October 20th, 2021 –17 programs will receive funding through our 2021-22 Educational Grants. The organizations, universities, and industry groups receiving grant funding offer a diverse array of programs that are vital to the floral industry’s advancement and success.The funding of these essential programs supports a wide range of activities that serve the floriculture industry by increasing awareness, expanding training and education, supporting conference programs and research, and expanding industry resources for floral industry members, students, and faculty.“While the programs cover many levels of educational opportunities, together they help build a strong future for the floriculture industry,” said AFE Treasurer/Secretary and Education Committee Chair Greg Royer. “At the American Floral Endowment, we are committed…

Call for Applications: Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant 2021

Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel GrantDeadline Extended to December 17th, 2021The Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant was established in 2017 to assist florists from Arizona in traveling to national industry events for educational programs and to provide networking opportunities on a national level. The application deadline has been extended – apply by December 17th! The grant is open to owners, managers, and employees of traditional retail florists with a brick and mortar storefront in Arizona.Each year, one recipient will be selected by AFE’s Education Committee to receive the travel grant of up to $1,000 to help cover the cost of attending an out-of-state industry educational event.Examples of eligible opportunities include floral design schools, SAF Convention, FTD Boot Camp, Floriology Institute, Teleflora…

Applications Open for AFE’s Educational Grants

Call for Applications!AFE is now accepting applications for2021 Educational Grants.The application deadline is June 1.APPLY NOWAFE has opened applications for their 2021-2022 educational grants. The deadline for submission is June 1st, 2021. AFE’s educational grants help fund programs that are wide-reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on education and/or attracting young people to the industry.AFE welcomes applications from industry organizations and universities that host local to national industry-wide events, student events, and even virtual learning opportunities. AFE’s educational grant funding provides financial assistance to support educational opportunities of all kinds. The Endowment is committed to providing funding for a variety of resources empowering everyone to invest in their continued education.Over the last 60 years, the Endowment funded over $1.6 million in educational…

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