AT&T Grant Funds ‘Harvest For The Hungry’ At Tate High School

February 10, 2012

Thanks to an AT&T “STEM at Work” grant, 350 students at J.M. Tate High School will have the opportunity to learn how what they are studying in the classroom will be used in various occupations.

AT&T Florida provided $120,000 to challenge Florida’s district-wide local education foundations to create STEM workplace experiences throughout the State through a grant to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF). The project’s aim is to provide students with hands-on experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom that are directly linked to their coursework in science, technology, engineering and/or math.

Escambia County Public Schools Foundation has partnered with Tate High School for its project “Harvest for the Hungry.” In addition to the $2,000 provided by AT&T and CFEF, the J.M. Tate FFA Alumni Foundation is providing $2,000 in matching funds.

“Through the AT&T ‘STEM’ at Work’ grant, basic scientific, technology and mathematics skills will be applied to basic agriculture principles. This gives students real-life, hands-on experience. In the next 50 years, we will need more industry leaders than ever before, and agriscience education is providing the next generation of leaders with real-world experience,” said Austin Courson, Agriscience Program assistant and liaison for Tate FFA Alumni Foundation.

“As a student, this will give us hands-on learning that will allow us to advance our knowledge of the industry of agriculture,” says Tate student Megan Gibbs. “At the same time, this will allow us to provide basic needs to community members through our ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ project.”

Students will develop a clear understanding of the principles of soil science and plant nutrition using proper equipment and technology, learn the importance of water quality by taking water samples, and collaborate with a local irrigation supplier and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in evaluating proper irrigation systems designed for water conservation. Students will design and install an irrigation system and grow a vegetable garden; food produced during the project will be sent to a local food bank. The project began in January 2012 and will continue through May 2012.

“We are pleased with this partnership because Florida’s K-12 education foundations are well positioned to be the link between schools and local businesses that can make these critical connections for students,” said Marshall Criser, III, AT&T Florida President. “By concentrating on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum, this program will provide real life experiences that can help increase the number of Florida’s students graduating high school college- and career-ready.”

Comments

Comments are closed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Features, News