One of the highlights of our year has been working with local teachers who were awarded our first Environmental and Agricultural Education Grants. The District received stellar proposals from all over southwest Georgia, and selecting the winners proved to be a major challenge as all of the proposed projects were thoughtful, creative, and experiential. After a blind selection process where all mention of school and teacher name were redacted, the District executive committee selected three winning projects.
For one project, middle school students learned about water conservation and sustainability through construction of an aquaponics system at their school which will produce both fish and plants. Another project taught second graders the life cycle of plants and animals – watching eggs hatch into chicks and seeds grow into seedlings during school! Another teacher incorporated art into her project, working with first graders to paint and design gourds as birdhouses – one for the school and one to take home.
“It is important to teach students about nature, and one of the best ways to learn is to experience it firsthand.”
It was truly amazing to see the dedication and creativity of these local teachers and their students. We are so grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to such meaningful projects that taught students the value of agriculture and the environment. We thank all of the teachers that took the time to apply for our first ever Environmental and Agricultural Education Grant opportunity.