Carthage Technical Center is receiving a Missouri FFA Foundation Grant

Carthage Technical Center is receiving a Missouri FFA Foundation Grant
 
Carthage - The Missouri FFA Foundation is awarding a $20,000 grant to the agriculture education program at Carthage Technical Center (CTC). 
 
This award is a part of a grant program—Horizon and Rising Sun Grants—that the foundation created to help address critical gaps in agriculture education across Missouri. “Since the Missouri FFA Foundation was established five years ago, we’ve consistently heard from our teachers that there’s a significant unmet need for facilities, equipment, machinery, and other high-cost items,” Heather Dimitt-Fletcher, Executive Director of the Missouri FFA Foundation shared. Made possible through an investment from the State of Missouri’s Department of Agriculture, a Horizon Grant supports expansion or upgrades to existing ag education programs, while a Rising Sun Grant helps launch new programs and certificate offerings. Dimitt-Fletcher emphasized that schools are asked to leverage these funds with local community support to ensure the needs of students, the ag education program, and community are being addressed. 
 
At CTC, the grant will be used to fund the continued development of the Carthage School Farm. Specifically, these funds will be used to construct an outdoor classroom space to increase accessibility and opportunities for learning on the farm property. This will create a learning space not only for CTC students, but also for K-8 students from across the district. The majority of this project will be constructed by the Carpentry program at CTC, further demonstrating the effort to increase collaboration and learning across all career education programs. 
 
Cindi Noblitt, one of the agriculture education teachers at Carthage Technical Center said, “We are grateful to receive this grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation, as it will allow us to expose our students to real world, hands-on agriculture experiences. Our school farm will open up endless opportunities for our students for years to come, while also benefiting students from across the Carthage School District and the broader community. Students will have the opportunity to use the facilities and gain a broader understanding of agriculture through hands-on learning.”
 
Missouri FFA Foundation The Missouri FFA Foundation secures strategic partnerships and the financial resources to enhance, strengthen, and support the educational and leadership opportunities that promote premier leadership, personal growth, and career success for Missourians in Agricultural Education. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, the foundation is governed by a board of directors. www.missouriffa.org/foundation