Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from Great River Energy to support the Ranch’s Greenhouse/Gardening Program in Bismarck. Grant dollars will be used to purchase seeds, bulbs, potting soil, and other supplies for the Ranch’s greenhouse/gardening program in Bismarck.
Gardening and greenhouse activities will be incorporated into the Ranch’s 8-week summer program, allowing children to spend 4-6 hours per week in the gardens and greenhouse. The Ranch also incorporates greenhouse activities into the curriculum at Dakota Memorial School, the Ranch’s on-campus school.
Working in the greenhouse is a relaxing and calming activity for kids at the Ranch—some children ask for time in the greenhouse when they are angry or feeling stressed. In addition to providing a therapeutic outlet, the Garden/Greenhouse program teaches kids skills they can take with them and use for life.
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is a Christian residential treatment and educational center for children and their families. We help the most troubled, complicated and amazing kids by providing best-in-class psychiatric therapy and trauma-informed care, where we look kids in the eye, walk with them, and help them become their best selves. In addition to Residential Treatment Facilities in Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot, the Ranch provides Outpatient Psychiatric and Psychological Services, and Spiritual Life Programs. Our on-campus school, Dakota Memorial School (DMS), provides a personalized education for kids who have psychiatric, behavioral and trauma issues.
Great River Energy, based in Maple Grove, Minn., provides wholesale electric service to 28 distribution cooperatives, which distribute electricity to approximately 665,000 members across Minnesota.