This is ag week, a time to focus on educating people about agriculture. One way all farmers can help in this process is by nominating their school district for the Monsanto grant program. As Elizabeth Vancil with America’s Farmers Grow Rural EducationSM explains, farmers can nominate their local schools to receive a special grant from Monsanto, “The process really starts with farmers as they nominate their local school district on line at www.growruraleducation.com.” The process is quick and easy and only requires a few pieces of information. Once a school has been nominated, they are contacted by Monsanto to explain how they can apply for a grant of up to $24,000. Administrators of nominated school districts may then submit grant applications through April 30, 2013. This year, the program expands to 26 new counties for a total of 1,271 eligible counties across 39 states.
Indiana farmers have participated in the program in goodly numbers; and, as a result, some Indiana schools have benefited. Vancil told HAT that the Flat Rock school in Hope, IN was one of the grant winners in 2012, “They used their $10,000 grant to build an agri-science laboratory to implement a hands-on technical science curriculum for junior and senior high students.” She said this program will help integrate agriculture into the science program of the district. The grant was made possible because farmers in the area nominated the school in large numbers.
The deadline to nominate a school in your community is April 15. The more folks who nominate a district, the better the chances are they will win. “The more nominations a school gets, the better their chances of getting a winning grant. Community support for the school is part of the judging criteria, ” said Vancil. Last year, over 8,000 Hoosier farmers participated in the program; so far this year, over 5,000 have nominated schools around the state.
The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to society. Following a successful pilot in Minnesota and Illinois, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education debuted nationally last year, awarding $2.3 million to school districts coast to coast.
2012 Indiana winning schools
| CLAY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS KNIGHTSVILLE, IN Project Title: Growing a 21st Century STEM-Based Agriculture Science Program – CRD: IN40 – $25,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: To Be Determined |
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| Project Details: The grant will be used to increase student enrollment in STEM-based high school agriculture science courses and FFA programs. Clay Community Schools will use the grant to provide teachers with time to develop curriculum, as well as provide agriculture science students and FFA members with classroom sets of iPads. |
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Nominating Farmers:
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| Delaware Community School Corp MUNCIE, IN Project Title: Technology in Science Instruction CRD: IN60 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Delta High School On track before Homecoming football game 3400 E State Rd. 28 , Muncie IN 47303 Oct 5, 2012 at 07:15 PM |
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| Project Details: After implementing the use of technology in Eaton Elementary School and having a great response, the Delaware Community School Corporation will use the grant to provide Delta Middle and Delta High School with ceiling mounted projectors, wide screens, and integrated sound and document cameras. |
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Nominating Farmers:
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| Fairfield Community Schools GOSHEN, IN Project Title: Elementary Inquiry-Based Science Kits CRD: IN20 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Benton Elementary School Cafeteria- Working with Science Kits 68350 CR 31 , Goshen IN 46526 Sep 27, 2012 at 08:45 AM |
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| Project Details: Fairfield Community Schools wants to expand its notion of the “basics” beyond reading and math to include science. The grant will be used to purchase equipment and materials for inquiry-based science kits. Each school will have three kits per grade level for approximately 10 weeks. |
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Nominating Farmers:
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| FLAT ROCK-HAWCREEK SCHOOL CORP HOPE, IN Project Title: AgriScience Laboratory CRD: IN50 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Flat Rock-Hawcreek High School Prior to the Flat Rock-Hawcreek High School boys’ varsity basketball game 9273 North State Road 9 , Hope IN 47246 Dec 14, 2012 at 07:45 PM |
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| Project Details: Flatrock Hawcreek School Corporation’s goal of creating of an AgriScience Laboratory is to make available hands-on highly technical science curriculum to the students at Hauser Jr. Sr. High School. With an AgriScience Laboratory in place, the school will be able to teach courses such as the Advanced Life Science Animals and Advanced Life Science Plant and Soil. |
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Nominating Farmers:
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| Jennings County Schools North Vernon , IN Project Title: Learning Math & Science with Technology CRD: IN90 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Sand Creek Elementary School Second Grade Classrooms 1450 W. Co. Rd. 500 N. , North Vernon IN 47265 Oct 25, 2012 at 09:00 AM |
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| Project Details: The grant will be used to purchase a classroom set of iPads for the second grade students at Sand Creek Elementary. The iPads will provide hands-on technology for students’ use. |
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| OREGON-DAVIS SCHOOL CORP HAMLET, IN Project Title: Biology and Agriculture Technology for 21st Century Learners CRD: IN10 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Oregon-Davis High School Gym Assembly 5990 N 750 E , Hamlet IN 46532 Oct 18, 2012 at 07:00 AM |
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| Project Details: The grant will be used to purchase the appropriate technology to be used in a course titled BioAg that combines the curriculum of both Biology and the Fundamentals of Agriculture. Necessary equipment for this course includes; Pasco probeware and accessories, Proscopes, and graphing calculators. |
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| PIKE COUNTY SCHOOL CORP PETERSBURG, IN Project Title: Pike Central Agriculture Department CRD: IN70 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: To Be Determined |
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| Project Details: The grant will be used to purchase fertilizer injection and germination equipment for the school greenhouses. This will incorporate math into the curriculum by utilizing plumbing, evapotranspiration and fertilizer rate calculations for plants growing in the greenhouses. The grant will also be used to purchase three new Gas Metal Arc Welders, giving Agriculture students more opportunity to learn about the science of metallurgy and welding. |
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| SALEM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS SALEM, IN Project Title: Putting Down Roots CRD: IN80 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: To Be Determined |
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| Project Details: The grant will be used to fund the “Putting Down Roots” program which gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in science, math and agriculture by pairing students together to learn hands-on about trees. Using the right equipment elementary students will measure the diameter of the trees, count leaves, and track the number of surviving trees while older students will calculate growth percentages, survival rates, and predict future growth. |
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| SOUTH CENTRAL COM SCHOOL CORP UNION MILLS, IN Project Title: SC’s Agricultural-Collaboration-Education (ACE) Program CRD: IN10 – $25,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: To Be Determined |
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| Project Details: After South Central Community School Corporation recently implemented an agricultural program, teachers agreed that there is a need for students to increase their math, science, and agricultural understanding through the use of a greenhouse. The grant will be used to provide hands-on greenhouse activities for students to gain knowledge of the importance of food production. |
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| Southwest Parke Community School Corp MONTEZUMA, IN Project Title: Digital Curriculum Initiative CRD: IN40 – $10,000 Winner |
Celebration Details: Southwest Parke CSC Football Field- Between 1st and 2nd Quarter 4851 S. Coxville Rd. , Montezuma IN 47862 Sep 21, 2012 at 07:00 PM |
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| Project Details: Teachers at Southwest Parke Community School District believe that technology is an essential part of their teaching practices. The grant will be used to implement digital curriculum and train teachers on software that will enhance the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. |
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Nominating Farmers:
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