Ag News
Georgia Foundation for Agriculture awards $25,000 to ag ed programs
Posted on Feb 19, 2020 at 0:00 AM
The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) recently presented $1,000 grants to 25 elementary schools across the state with agricultural education programs. The foundation raised the funds for the grants during its “Give to Grow” campaign held last November that culminated on Giving Tuesday - Dec. 3, 2019.
“The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture appreciates all of the businesses, organizations and individuals who donated to our campaign to support efforts to teach elementary students about agriculture and its importance to their daily lives,” Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Lily Baucom said. “With this being the first year of Georgia’s pilot ag education program, we wanted to financially support these schools to help them get their programs up and running."
The foundation invited all schools with a pilot elementary ag education program to apply for a grant. Schools receiving grants were: Appling County Elementary, Banks County Elementary, Statham Elementary School (Barrow Co.), Heard Elementary (Bibb Co.), Quitman Elementary (Brooks Co.), Fountain Elementary (Clayton Co.), Brown Elementary (Clayton Co.), Hamilton Elementary (Colquitt Co.), J.M. Odom Elementary (Colquitt Co.), Jones Wheat Elementary (Decatur Co.), Cogburn Woods Elementary (Fulton Co.), Evoline C. West Elementary (Fulton Co.), Whigham Elementary (Grady Co.), Irwin County Elementary, Southwest Laurens Elementary, Northwest Laurens Elementary, Westside Elementary (Lowndes Co.), Montgomery County Elementary, Morgan County Elementary, South Columbus Elementary (Muscogee Co.), Hill City Elementary (Pickens County) and Pike County Elementary.
Baucom presented the grants to teachers affiliated with the elementary ag programs in January at the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association Mid-Winter Conference.
The ag education programs will use the grants to fund a variety of projects including building greenhouses, planting school gardens, purchasing egg incubators, building or expanding chicken coops, buying hydroponics supplies, planting fruit trees and purchasing ag books.
The Georgia legislature passed the Georgia Agricultural Education Act in 2018. The law established a pilot program to introduce ag education to elementary schools. Students involved in the pilot have opportunities to build on-campus gardens, interact with livestock and learn about agriculture in their area.
The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that funds projects to increase the public’s understanding of agriculture, offers scholarships to students pursuing careers in agriculture and funds leadership development programs. To make a tax-deductible donation or learn more about the foundation, visit www.gafoundationag.org or contact Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Lily Baucom at 478-405-3461 or lrbaucom@gfb.org.
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