40 New York Teachers … $100,000 Dollars!
BELMONT - Teachers in New York were asked to submit their
innovative teaching ideas the week of January 11 for an opportunity to win
State Farm ® Teacher Assist grants. Two hundred submissions were accepted and
reviewed. In the end, State Farm recognized and awarded 40 New York teachers
with a $2,500 grant to implement or support their classroom projects. Two of
these projects in Allegany County were awarded funding. Teachers Kyle
Canfield, High School Science Teacher at Scio CSD, and Josh Hazelton, Science
and Technology Teacher at Belfast CSD, will use their awards to promote Farm to
School programs in their respective districts.
“As a company, we have a long history of working with
teachers, educators, and students across the country. We are heartened by the
immense response received from teachers sharing their solutions to overcoming
challenges,” said Annette Martinez, State Farm Senior Vice President.
“Congratulations to the winners. We are proud to support you and help you reach
your goals!”
At Scio, this grant will allow the purchase of the initial
start-up equipment required for Canfield’s ninth grade Living Science students
to take care of honeybees safely at school leading to the successful harvest of
honey. Teaching about bees allows students to further understand that
pollinator insects are vital for plants to produce food, and therefore are
essential components to our food system. “I believe that the future of
education can incorporates technology into outdoor settings to further inspire
our students to appreciate the natural world” says Canfield.
At Belfast, this funding will purchase two vertical
hydroponic growing systems. For over thirteen years, Hazelton has been teaching
an upper-level course called Hydroponics and Aquaponics in which students
design and maintain several tech-heavy agricultural projects. These new
hydroponic systems will be used in his eighth-grade technology class and help
demonstrate the breadth of the subject. Having hydroponics available to the
eighth grade may spark an interest in younger students and inspire them to keep
technology in-mind when deciding their future careers.
These grants were written with support from Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Farm to School Coordinator, Cassandra Bull. Bull works with stakeholders in each unique district in whatever way they need to help build the capacity of Allegany County’s Farm to School programs. Her work connects NY agribusinesses to school cafeterias, assists teachers to develop garden-based curricula, and helps find funding that these programs need to thrive. For more information or to be involved, please contact Bull at CB775@cornell.edu. For more information about State Farm, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
