BY: K A S E Y N AY LO R S A M R A Y B U R N - I V A N H O E H I G H S C H O O L A G R I C U LT U R E S C I E N C E T E A C H E R
HOW FFA GRANTS CAN PROVIDE NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS
D
o you have a great idea for classroom learning that will benefit your students? Do you have an awesome service-learning or community service idea that would benefit your community or your school district? In 2019, some of my students in my Agriculture Leadership classes completed the Agriculture Literacy Continuum curriculum on the National FFA website. Through this, they learned they could write grants and potentially provide new opportunities for our chapter.
TYPES OF GRANTS National FFA Living to Serve (LTS) Grants are offered three different ways: (1) A year-long grant for up to $3.000; (2) A semester-long grant for up to $1,200 that is offered in the spring and fall; (3) A $400 Day of Service mini- grant.
Yearlong grant applications are normally due in mid-June. The fall semester-long grant applications are due the first of September with the spring semester-long grant applications due the first of February. Lastly, the Day of Service Mini-Grant grants Fast forward to this year, one of those stuapplications is due the first of each month. dents came to me with the idea of our chapter raising laying hens that would allow us to provide eggs to our school cafeteria. Toge“OVER THE YEARS, THESE ther, we completed the application and were GRANTS HAVE TAUGHT awarded a semester-long National FFA Living NUMEROUS STUDENTS ABOUT to Serve Grant. Now we’re in the laying hen business! This project has sparked interest MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS with our students and throughout most of my OF AGRICULTURE. NATIONAL school days I hear “can I go get the eggs?” These grant opportunities are not limited to one area of study. We have used grants for many different projects from raised garden beds (pictured), to a makeshift greenhouse, and raising cattle. The sky is the limit!
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FFA GRANTS ARE A SIMPLE WAY TO HELP FUND A PROJECT WHICH MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE OTHERWISE.”
