programs
2011 Education Grants Funded
This grant program is made possible by the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate
Agriculture Leadership Grants — $1,000
Ashland FFA – Janet Perry, advisor -- $1,000
Funding will be used for FFA students enrolled in Agricultural classes to travel to the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA in September to compete in agricultural contests, visit a wide variety of Ag. Exhibits and experience agriculture from across New England, which can be very different from northern Maine.
Waldo County FFA – Patrice Janssen, advisor -- $1,000
Funding will be used for Waldo County FFA students enrolled in the Horticulture and Natural Resources programs to travel to the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in October 2011. The students will compete in the Agricultural Sales Career Development Event. They will attend workshops, tours and business sessions in addition to their event.
Caribou FFA- Thomas Hale, advisor -- $996
Caribou FFA will purchase equipment for Food for America Day, offer incentives for attending the Washington Leadership Conference and pay registration fees for career development events at the Big E. They will recognize industry leaders and local FFA members at their 83rd Annual FFA Recognition Banquet and organize and implement an agricultural tour of central and southern Maine.
Mars Hill FFA – Jennifer Morin, advisor -- $1,000
Funding will be used for FFA students enrolled in Agricultural classes to travel to the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA in September. The trip educates students on Maine Agriculture policy, careers in agriculture and livestock education.
Agriculture Awareness Grants — $1,000
Southern Aroostook SWCD – Angela Wotton -- $1,000
This project will allow students at schools within southern Aroostook to create art influenced by agriculture and the natural resources around them. They will connect to the agricultural and forested landscape they live in through classroom learning, field knowledge, writing, drawing and painting.
PROP Sacarappa Pre-K -- Kelly Burgess & J’Aime Walker –$1,000
These urban students have little understanding of agriculture beyond a visit to the grocery store. This program, through cooperation with the school district, will allow them to visit 5 local farms over the year and learn first hand what happens there and how the products get to them.
People's Regional Opportunity - Program Kristin Reindl & Suzanne Berzinis -- $1,000
A series of six field trips will expose children to local agriculture and natural history while integrating concepts from Maine science and social studies standards. The staff will build upon this experience using extension activities consistent with the 8 developmental domains using ME Early Childhood Learning Guidelines.
MSAD#1 Presque Isle - Aaron Buzza – $900
As a result of this grant all students enrolled in Ag Science classes at MSAD#1 will be a member of the FFA youth organization. That will allow them to participate in leadership conferences and state and national conventions and receive the national magazine Horizons.
Maine State Dairy Team – Marilyn Scofield - $1000
The State 4-H Dairy team will utilize these funds to upgrade the Maine dairy facility at Eastern States and retain the improvements for future teams. Students participate in many activities including showing their animals in confirmation and showmanship classes, caring for their barn area, judging contests and other competitions between New England teams.
School Garden Grants Funded -- $2,000
East Grand School – Gail Malone – $2000
This project will renovate an old unused greenhouse and incorporate into the daytime curriculum and 21st Century After School Program by working to teach students the benefits of gardening. All grades K – 12 will be involved. With 75% of the student body receiving free or reduced lunch, this project will ensure that students gain valuable skills that will carryover to their home lifestyles.
Eddington School – Brenda DeRoche - $2,000
This small, low-income, rural school will add a greenhouse and raised beds to the grow-labs they are currently using. More students will become engaged in planting, nurturing and observing the growth of many more plant species. They plan to greatly increase the scope of their teaching and student understanding in agriculture.
Islesboro Central School – John Pincince - $2,000
This established garden and orchard project has added a root cellar and large freezer and hope to grow more food for their own student population. This grant will help expand the garden area and fund field trips to island farms and gardens. They are also planning to expand their chicken farming efforts at the school and will build a chicken tractor.
Healthy Communities of the Capital Ares – Renee Page - $2000
HCCA is one of 6 sites that will host a Food Corp member in their inaugural year. They will be collaborating with RSU#11 to build and tend school gardens, deliver nutrition education, and develop local food procurement systems. MAITC funding will be used for materials, training for the school health coordinator, travel and promotion of the program.
The New School – Marilyn Wentworth - $2,000
Students will experience gardening, visit CSA’s and farmers' markets in the area to learn how farmers make a living, they will study nutrition, soil, plant science, botany, biodiversity, permaculture, economics and history – and get to be outdoors exercising as they learn. The most important goal is to create life-long gardeners.
Bath Regional Career and Tech Center – Emily Dittmann - $2,000
This garden will Lead Our Community in Agricultural Learning through creating an outdoor classroom for the youth and community to develop an understanding of where food originates and how that contributes to the health of the community. The harvest is used to feed children in school and the local food bank. Culinary arts, tasting and eating the fruits and vegetables are a large part of this program.
Ag Awareness Grants Funded up to $5,000
Leavitt Area High School - Sharon Hathaway – $4957.95
In this project a group of students will serve as peer educators to increase the awareness of agriculture to all Leavitt Students. Not only will agriculture awareness increase but the peer educators will gain a sense of empowerment and develop qualities such as commitment and loyalty. These students will transfer information gained from community members and local farmers to the entire student body in a quest to be awarded the golden tractor award.
MSAD#17 – Patrick Carson - - $5,000
In cooperation with Oxford Hills School District, Western Foothills Land Trust, Healthy Oxford Hills and UMCE, land restoration, and curriculum development to implement Roberts Farm has begun. This is a 4-acre student demonstration farm and educational resource which will serve as a district-wide education project and grow 20,000 pounds of fresh produce each year to donate to the "Maine Harvest for the Hungry". MAITC funds will be used for tools, materials, student transportation, plants and a water irrigation system.
Foster Technology Center – Glenn Kapiloff – $3,800
This grant funding will support the expansion of a pilot Agricultural Technology program launched in 2010. This program is designed to provide specialized training and opportunities for students interested in careers in farming or other agriculture-related fields. It is comprised of 350 hours through the school year and summer of field work for up to 12 students. The program has identified 30 different experiential learning opportunities for student in 7 different content areas, working directly with local farm businesses.
Good will-Hinckley – Emanuel Pariser -- $5,000
MeANS' curriculum is individualized and project-based. It addresses a broad spectrum of agricultural topics, including sustainable farming, environmental science, plant and soil science, and woodlot management, using these subjects to teach a full high school curriculum. Funding from MAITC will be used for supplies and equipment for individual and group projects.
Capital Area Tech Center – Rene Albison -- $5,000
This project will be working through an incredibly strong collaboration with classes at the center, pre-school classes, senior citizens, community, Food Corp volunteers and others to broaden the program that already includes students from all disciplines at the center.
RSU#5 Freeport – Nicole Gagnon -- $4,920
COOL (Cultivating Opportunities for Outdoor Learning) is a program used during the before and after school hours and in the preschool. It links science-based curriculum to everyday life, local economy and healthy lifestyles.
Child Study Center, UMO - Kevin Duplissie –$5,000
This project will expose the 40+ children at the UMO Child Study Center, their families, and 50+ University students to the concepts of what agriculture provides for them and how. Using resources from Maine Ag in the Classroom, books, and other materials, university students will lead weekly lessons, which will be followed up with growing projects, fieldtrips, and class activities throughout the entire year.
Central Aroostook SWCD – Benjamin Lynch - $4,035
This project brings the Maine Harvest Lunch Program to the school through classroom lessons and activities focused on nutrition and locally grown food. It includes a poster contest for students, two weeks of classroom visits and culminates in the celebration of local food at the Harvest Lunch in September.