Surry Central High School’s FFA program has been awarded a $15,000 North Carolina Agricultural Education Program Improvement Grant to support the development of an outdoor community learning center for students. The grant is funded through the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission’s Agriculture Program Improvement Grant program, which supports projects designed to strengthen agricultural education and North Carolina’s agricultural industry.
The $29,000 outdoor learning center will provide Surry Central agricultural education students with a dedicated, year-round space for hands-on instruction, FFA activities, and agricultural learning experiences. Riverside Metal Structures is generously donating approximately half of the project’s total cost, allowing the grant funding to go even further in creating this valuable resource for students. The space will also welcome students from feeder schools as they participate in plant and animal unit studies.
“This grant will give our students another opportunity to learn by doing,” said Mr. Andy VonCanon with North Carolina FFA. “The outdoor learning center will provide a space where students can apply what they are learning in the classroom while also giving younger students the opportunity to experience agricultural education firsthand.”
The North Carolina General Assembly established the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission more than 25 years ago as part of the Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco manufacturers. The commission funds programs that support and strengthen North Carolina agriculture, with projects benefiting current and former members of the state’s tobacco family receiving priority consideration.
“When we began growing the Agriculture program here at Surry Central, the goal was never to teach it within the four walls of a classroom,” says Sarah Johnson, Agriculture Teacher at Surry Central High School. “I want my students to get their hands dirty, solve real problems, develop skills they can take into a career, and discover where they fit into Agriculture and other trades. This learning center gives us another place to make those experiences possible, while also allowing us the opportunity to introduce younger students to everything that agriculture education has to offer.”
This year, the commission awarded $300,000 to North Carolina FFA to improve middle and high school agricultural education programs across the state. Twenty-three agricultural education programs and FFA chapters were selected to receive funding, marking the eighth time North Carolina Agricultural Education has received this grant. The grants now total nearly $2 million in funding.
“This grant is a great example of what can happen when we invest in hands-on learning opportunities for students,” said Dr. Steve Hall, Superintendent of Surry County Schools. “We appreciate the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and North Carolina FFA for supporting agricultural education and recognizing the importance of giving students opportunities to learn through real-world experiences.”