Centers for Exceptional Children (CFEC) is requesting $2,500 through the 2026 Window of Opportunity Grant Program to support its “Therapeutic Garden Refresh” project, which will revitalize accessible outdoor learning spaces for students with disabilities and special healthcare needs.

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Originally supported through Keep NC Beautiful grants in 2015 and 2017, CFEC’s therapeutic and pollinator gardens have become an important part of the school’s “reverse inclusion” model, where students with developmental and orthopedic disabilities learn alongside typically developing peers. The project will repair aging garden infrastructure, replenish soil and native pollinator plants, and improve accessibility to ensure the gardens remain safe, engaging, and sustainable for years to come.

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Students will play an active role through the school’s “Garden Helpers” program by helping plant, maintain, and steward the gardens while participating in hands-on science, environmental education, and horticultural therapy activities. The addition of an accessible Garden Tower system will expand year-round indoor and outdoor growing opportunities while providing equitable participation for students with mobility or sensory challenges.

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The therapeutic garden program supports students’ physical, emotional, social, and educational development by strengthening motor skills, communication, teamwork, confidence, and environmental stewardship. The project will also revitalize native pollinator habitats, support local wildlife and honeybee populations, and strengthen community partnerships with volunteers, garden clubs, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

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Overall, the initiative represents a long-term investment in inclusive education, environmental sustainability, and therapeutic outdoor learning opportunities for the more than 200 students served across the CFEC campuses.