AgStar Fund Awards $50,000 in Grants to School Agriculture Programs
Mankato, MN – The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the cooperate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, is proud to announce $50,000 in grants was recently awarded through their AgStar Agriculture Classroom Equipment Grant Program. The program awards grants up to $2,500.00 towards funding curriculum and equipment for high school classrooms.
AgStar warded grants to twenty-four rural high school agriculture programs in their service area. “AgStar knows how vital ag education courses are in high schools and we want to make sure students are provided with the most up-to date curriculums and equipment to enhance their learning environment,” said Jody Bloemke, Fund Administrator.
Agricultural education in high schools develops leadership skills and prepares students interested in careers in agricultural field. Agricultural curriculum develops management, job, communication, literacy and other applied academic skills and educates students for careers and lifelong learning. These courses also build awareness of opportunities in agriculture and help students become better informed as consumers.
One of the largest problems faced by rural high schools is funding programs when they are faced with increasing budget cuts. “Agriculture departments in rural areas are struggling on limited budgets, many lacking adequate and up to date curriculums and equipment to provide the hands-on teaching tools,” Bloemke said. AgStar created this grant program because we are committed to rural America and are proud to support the rural and agricultural communities where we operate such as Aitkin County.
Brad Irwin, Agricultural Instructor of Aitkin High School, is please to announce that the Aitkin High School Ag department is a recipient of an AgStar grant of $2000.00. Brad applied for the grant last October and was very pleased to be told by AgStar that Aitkin High School was to receive $2000.00 to enhance our animal science, horticulture, forestry and natural resource classes. Brad will use the money to purchase hands on labs for students in these classes and up date curriculums to broaden the knowledge within the ag programs.
Pictured left to right are Bernie Novak, Superintendent, Chad Pederson, High School Principal, Richard Miska, AgStar Financial Services Executive, and Brad Irwin, Ag Instructor for Aitkin High School.
(Back to 2009 Agriculture Classroom Equipment Grant Recipients)