CLARION TWP., Pa. – Clarion-Limestone Area High School was the recipient of a $25,000.00 grant for the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program sponsored by the Bayer Fund.
A check presentation ceremony was held at the Wednesday evening school board meeting, and Clarion-Limestone School District FFA members were in attendance to accept the grant for the district.
“Clarion-Limestone School District will be able to use this grant to work with community members,” High School Principal Mel Aaron said.
“Part of this set up was to be able to work community members, local businesses, and expand, by practical means, STEM education,” Aaron said.
The district plans to use the grant to increase the science and technology classes, life skills, and elementary programs that work with agricultural programs by providing improvements to their greenhouse, to spark innovation with their robotics and engineering programs, and to provide a plasma table and pulse welder for hands-on work in the industrial arts, which will have a significant impact on the students and the community.
“I’d like to give a special thank you to the district, the individuals who put together a great application, your hard work helped secure this $25,000 grant,” Aaron added.
In early 2019, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Bayer Fund, partnered with local farmers to nominate rural schools and awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Because area farmers answered the call, Grow Rural Education chose Clarion-Limestone Area High School in for a $25,000 grant.
Clarion-Limestone is one of the many schools across the country that has benefited from the Grow Rural Education program. For each grant-winning school, teachers, students and, oftentimes, community members develop plans to create more engaging and innovative STEM programs.
To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a school or school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000.00 or $25,000.00. School districts that were nominated then submitted a grant application describing their STEM-focused project. Grow Rural Education’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country, reviewed the finalist applications and selected the winning school districts, including Clarion-Limestone.
Since Grow Rural Education began in 2011, it has awarded more than $18 million to more than 1,000 schools in rural communities across the United States. To view a complete list of winners or to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit AmericasFarmers.com.
