Neenah High School's Arete Academy received a $10,000 grant from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Program to help develop a greenhouse area behind the school. The grant is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.
The Arete Academy is a project-based learning program at the high school. Farmers from across the country nominated and selected the grant recipients. The program is awarding $2.3 million to rural public school districts to benefit STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities.
The greenhouse consists of a composting area and a rain barrel project in order to study hydroponics, genetics in biology and sustainability. Students will grow produce to be able to use in farm-to-table meal preparation for the school’s culinary arts program.
After being nominated by local farmers, Neenah was selected for the grant by the program’s Farmer Advisory Council, which is composed of approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country with an interest in agriculture and education. Grant applications were judged based on the merit of the application, need and community support.
The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program began in 2011. Since 2011, more than $11 million has been awarded to over 700 rural school districts to enhance STEM education. Neenah was one of 10 Wisconsin districts to earn the grant in 2016. Others were Thorp, River Ridge, Sharon, Pardeeville, Pepin, Juda, Columbus, Cadott and Adams-Friendship. For a complete list of winners and to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit www.GrowRuralEducation.com. |