Local Schools Win Grants For Ag Curriculum Projects

Some local schools received portions of the PA Farm Bill grants which totaled nearly $500,000 to prepare for the next generation of success in agriculture.

Spring Cove School District was awarded $7,493 to go towards updating their agriculture curriculum, Hollidaysburg Area School District received $7,500 for their Tiger Victory Garden, and Williamsburg Community School District got $7,500 for overhauling small gas engines.

“I am very excited about receiving the grant money so the students will have opportunities for more hands-on experiments in the classroom,” Heather Van Winkle of the Central High School agriculture department said.

Since the students get to work in the shop and the greenhouse with a hands-on approach, she wanted them to get the same experience with the scientific portions of agriculture.

“The grant is giving us the ability to purchase labs to perform in the classroom,” Van Winkle said.

A few of the lab kits to be purchased will cover biofuels, mechanisms of herbicides, intro to water pollution, natural resources, food product systems, and many more.

She said they will also be getting five new microscopes to look at plant and animal cells.

Along with the labs and microscopes, the grant will allow them to purchase teaching resources in the subjects of wildlife identification, cattle and meat judging, poultry judging, common animal diseases, injections, basic livestock surgical procedures, and a career employability skill program.

Andrea Walter, science teacher at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School said they are thrilled to receive the money from the PA Farm Bill Grant.

She said the Tiger Victory Garden has been around for about 15 years, and there has been a lot of maintenance and upgrades put in during that time which was funded by other grants.

“We are blessed to have the section behind the high school which allows us to have the garden,” Walter said.

Students from classes such as botany, construction technology, art, and many others are involved in operating the garden.

They also have students who volunteer to help maintain the garden in summer as well.

She said the produce that is grown in the garden is used in the cafeteria.

“Some of the beds they use to grow plants were starting to get worn – we are also looking into getting some high tunnels which would allow the students to do more in the space behind the high school,” Walter said.

Because of the grant, they will now also be able to create a new design and a better layout, and make it more user friendly.