Surry Central High School students will soon have a new space to learn, grow and gain hands-on experience in agriculture thanks to a $15,000 grant supporting the development of an outdoor learning center on campus.
Representatives from Surry Central High School and the Surry Central FFA Chapter were recognized during a recent Surry County Schools Board of Education meeting, where Andy VonCanon of North Carolina FFA presented the $15,000 grant to members of the Surry Central FFA officer team.
The funding was awarded through the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission’s Agriculture Program Improvement Grant and will be used toward the construction of a new outdoor learning center at Surry Central High School.
The approximately $29,000 project is being made possible through a combination of grant funding and community support. The $15,000 grant will fund a significant portion of the project, while Riverside Metal Structures is donating the remaining cost of the building.
The outdoor learning center will provide students with a dedicated space for hands-on agricultural instruction and help expand learning beyond the traditional classroom. Students will have opportunities to develop practical skills in areas such as horticulture, plant production, greenhouse management, entrepreneurship and agricultural careers.
The facility will also help Surry Central's agriculture program provide experiences for younger students. When students from feeder schools visit Surry Central for agricultural activities, the outdoor learning center can serve as an instructional space for lessons and activities involving both plant and animal agriculture.
For Surry Central FFA members and agriculture students, the project represents another opportunity to put one of the foundations of agricultural education into practice: learning by doing. Experiences offered through the new facility will allow students to apply concepts learned in the classroom while developing technical, leadership and career-readiness skills.
The project is also an investment in the continued growth of agricultural education at Surry Central, providing a space that can serve students for years to come.
Surry Central High School and Surry Central FFA are grateful to the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, North Carolina FFA and Riverside Metal Structures for their support of agricultural education and their investment in opportunities for students. Special thanks are also extended to Mr. Bergen and Coach Roth for their time, expertise, and assistance in designing the plans for the new outdoor learning center.
The new outdoor learning center will help Surry Central students do more than learn about agriculture—they will have a place to experience it firsthand.