CHS FOUNDATION GRANTS EQUIP TEACHERS WITH RESOURCES TO INSPIRE STUDENTS. on By Tera Fair a brisk spring day, Aaron Miller sits in his classroom reflecting on his first year as an ag teacher at Zane Trace High School in Chillicothe, Ohio. The familiar blue and gold FFA emblem hangs on a wall nearby. needs to pursue a career in an agriculture-related field . Classroom Grants CHS and the CHS Foundation are long-time supporters of agriculture and educating the next generation of agricultural leaders through partnerships with organizations including the National FFA Organization , 19 state FFA associations and the National Teach Ag Campaign . "CHS and the CHS Foundation are proud to support ag teachers in developing leadership capacity in the next generation and helping young people find their purpose in agriculture ," says Linda Tank, president, CHS Foundation . To help Miller and other teachers influence students, CHS awarded 10 classroom grants of $500 each to teachers last fall during the 2015 National FFA Convention. The criteria were simple : Educators explained how a grant would help implement a big idea that Materials used in his industrial power, environmental science and animal science classes are scattered around the room . "This year has been an experience," says Miller. "It ' s been interesting to see how each student learns and has different expectations for himself or herself. If they have learned half as much from me as I have from them this year, then I have done my job ." Miller joins 11 ,000 individuals in the U.S. who are dedicated to teaching agricultural education . They are needed more than ever, since less than 2 percent of the U.S. population has a direct connection to agriculture . These educators are often the inspiration a non-ag student would have an impact on their students . They also shared what they found most rewarding about teaching agriculture . More than 450 teachers applied for grants to cover needs from ag mechanics supplies and animal science models to precision agriculture technology and greenhouse materials. "CHS left the options wide open," says Jim Russ, a New Hampton, Iowa , ag teacher. "I had already purchased a drone, and I knew the $500 grant would cover the cost of necessary software ." Russ purchased Farm Works, a GPS mapping software that captures precision data from farm fields. The data is used to create nutrient prescription maps , field reports and profitability maps when overlaid with photos taken from the drone . "Through the software , we have doubled the drone's productivity," says Russ . "I'm excited to provide my students with this opportunity. They will be able to connect with local farmers to collect data from their fields and that will broaden their engagement with someone who has a direct tie to agriculture.'' Inspiring Students Connecting students with experiences is the most important part of her job, says Sue Gorman of Goodhue , Minn. Gorman had spent several years in the food science industry as a meat inspector when she realized she wanted to encourage others to enter the food industry. So she returned to University of Wisconsin-River Falls to become an ag teacher. Gorman applied her CHS classroom grant toward equipment to teach food chemistry and test the nutrient makeup of food. "I love seeing students get excited about agriculture," says Gorman. " Providing them with opportunities to learn concepts with hands-on, practical 18 JULY/ AUGUST 2016 CHSINC.COM
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Helping Teachers Teach
Tera Fair
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