MFB cultivates ag education with Project RED
MFB cultivates ag education with Project RED
MFB cultivates ag education with Project RED
MFB cultivates ag education with Project RED
MFB cultivates ag education with Project RED
Lessons planned for 1,200 Grand Rapids-area third-graders
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is gearing up to cultivate the young minds of Grand Rapids-area third-graders at the fourth-annual Project Rural Education Day (RED).
On Dec. 4, in conjunction with the MFB 89th Annual Meeting, Farm Bureau members will deliver agricultural lessons to 1,200 youngsters – and they will do it at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Farm Bureau will fill the DeVos Place Exhibit Hall with fun and interactive educational stations designed to teach third-graders about agriculture, Michigan’s second largest industry.
Each child will progress through a series of six stations – some featuring live farm animals, including calves and chicks for lessons on the dairy and poultry sectors and sheep for a sheep shearing demonstration.
Other lessons will teach the students about apple production and introduce them to forestry, a farm sector they might not associate with agriculture. Students will also learn about safety measures that should be followed around tractors and other farm equipment.
The students will participate in one of two sessions: a morning program from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or an afternoon session from noon to 1:30 p.m.
In total, Project RED will involve:
1,200 third-graders from the Grand Rapids, Forest Hills and Grandville School Districts
21 schools
54 classrooms
199 Farm Bureau volunteers.
Deb Schmucker, manager of the MFB Promotion and Education Department, says Project RED aims to move students’ comprehension of agriculture beyond the classic “Old McDonald Had a Farm” nursery rhyme.
“We’re exposing these third-graders to the diversity of Michigan’s agriculture industry and its overall importance to the state,” she said. “At the same time, we’re helping them understand where their food comes from and how Michigan farmers protect the environment and care for their animals.”
While field trips to working farms are most preferred, Schmucker said the DeVos Place set-up has been successful in reaching more local schools and children, in part because a school’s cost to bus students to the DeVos Place is often cheaper than driving to a rural farm.
When the day is done, Project RED volunteers hope the students’ experience rubs off on their families.
“With so many people removed from agriculture these days, it’s our hope that the students will share their experience and newfound agricultural knowledge with their siblings and parents at home. Similarly, we hope to inspire participating teachers to incorporate agricultural lessons in their own classroom,” said Schmucker.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families. The MFB annual meeting runs Dec. 2-5 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place.
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Editor’s Note: A list of participating schools follows. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Promotion and Education Manager Deb Schmucker at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3213.
Project Rural Education Day Participating Schools
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Aberdeen Elementary School
Buchanan Elementary School
Cesar E Chavez Elementary School
Coit Elementary School
Congress Elementary School
Covell Elementary School
CA Frost Elementary School
Harrison Elementary School
Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary School
Kent Hills Elementary School
North Park Elementary School
Shawnee MST Academy
Total number of students: 615
Grandville Public Schools
Central Elementary School
Century Park Learning Center
Cummings Elementary School
East Elementary School
Grand View Elementary School
South Elementary School
West Elementary School
Total number of students: 403
Forest Hills Public Schools
Ada Elementary School
Collins Elementary School
Total number of students: 182
Lessons planned for 1,200 Grand Rapids-area third-graders
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is gearing up to cultivate the young minds of Grand Rapids-area third-graders at the fourth-annual Project Rural Education Day (RED).
On Dec. 4, in conjunction with the MFB 89th Annual Meeting, Farm Bureau members will deliver agricultural lessons to 1,200 youngsters – and they will do it at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Farm Bureau will fill the DeVos Place Exhibit Hall with fun and interactive educational stations designed to teach third-graders about agriculture, Michigan’s second largest industry.
Each child will progress through a series of six stations – some featuring live farm animals, including calves and chicks for lessons on the dairy and poultry sectors and sheep for a sheep shearing demonstration.
Other lessons will teach the students about apple production and introduce them to forestry, a farm sector they might not associate with agriculture. Students will also learn about safety measures that should be followed around tractors and other farm equipment.
The students will participate in one of two sessions: a morning program from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or an afternoon session from noon to 1:30 p.m.
In total, Project RED will involve:
1,200 third-graders from the Grand Rapids, Forest Hills and Grandville School Districts
21 schools
54 classrooms
199 Farm Bureau volunteers.
Deb Schmucker, manager of the MFB Promotion and Education Department, says Project RED aims to move students’ comprehension of agriculture beyond the classic “Old McDonald Had a Farm” nursery rhyme.
“We’re exposing these third-graders to the diversity of Michigan’s agriculture industry and its overall importance to the state,” she said. “At the same time, we’re helping them understand where their food comes from and how Michigan farmers protect the environment and care for their animals.”
While field trips to working farms are most preferred, Schmucker said the DeVos Place set-up has been successful in reaching more local schools and children, in part because a school’s cost to bus students to the DeVos Place is often cheaper than driving to a rural farm.
When the day is done, Project RED volunteers hope the students’ experience rubs off on their families.
“With so many people removed from agriculture these days, it’s our hope that the students will share their experience and newfound agricultural knowledge with their siblings and parents at home. Similarly, we hope to inspire participating teachers to incorporate agricultural lessons in their own classroom,” said Schmucker.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families. The MFB annual meeting runs Dec. 2-5 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place.
-30-
Editor’s Note: A list of participating schools follows. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Promotion and Education Manager Deb Schmucker at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3213.
Project Rural Education Day Participating Schools
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Aberdeen Elementary School
Buchanan Elementary School
Cesar E Chavez Elementary School
Coit Elementary School
Congress Elementary School
Covell Elementary School
CA Frost Elementary School
Harrison Elementary School
Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary School
Kent Hills Elementary School
North Park Elementary School
Shawnee MST Academy
Total number of students: 615
Grandville Public Schools
Central Elementary School
Century Park Learning Center
Cummings Elementary School
East Elementary School
Grand View Elementary School
South Elementary School
West Elementary School
Total number of students: 403
Forest Hills Public Schools
Ada Elementary School
Collins Elementary School
Total number of students: 182
Lessons planned for 1,200 Grand Rapids-area third-graders
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is gearing up to cultivate the young minds of Grand Rapids-area third-graders at the fourth-annual Project Rural Education Day (RED).
On Dec. 4, in conjunction with the MFB 89th Annual Meeting, Farm Bureau members will deliver agricultural lessons to 1,200 youngsters – and they will do it at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Farm Bureau will fill the DeVos Place Exhibit Hall with fun and interactive educational stations designed to teach third-graders about agriculture, Michigan’s second largest industry.
Each child will progress through a series of six stations – some featuring live farm animals, including calves and chicks for lessons on the dairy and poultry sectors and sheep for a sheep shearing demonstration.
Other lessons will teach the students about apple production and introduce them to forestry, a farm sector they might not associate with agriculture. Students will also learn about safety measures that should be followed around tractors and other farm equipment.
The students will participate in one of two sessions: a morning program from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or an afternoon session from noon to 1:30 p.m.
In total, Project RED will involve:
1,200 third-graders from the Grand Rapids, Forest Hills and Grandville School Districts
21 schools
54 classrooms
199 Farm Bureau volunteers.
Deb Schmucker, manager of the MFB Promotion and Education Department, says Project RED aims to move students’ comprehension of agriculture beyond the classic “Old McDonald Had a Farm” nursery rhyme.
“We’re exposing these third-graders to the diversity of Michigan’s agriculture industry and its overall importance to the state,” she said. “At the same time, we’re helping them understand where their food comes from and how Michigan farmers protect the environment and care for their animals.”
While field trips to working farms are most preferred, Schmucker said the DeVos Place set-up has been successful in reaching more local schools and children, in part because a school’s cost to bus students to the DeVos Place is often cheaper than driving to a rural farm.
When the day is done, Project RED volunteers hope the students’ experience rubs off on their families.
“With so many people removed from agriculture these days, it’s our hope that the students will share their experience and newfound agricultural knowledge with their siblings and parents at home. Similarly, we hope to inspire participating teachers to incorporate agricultural lessons in their own classroom,” said Schmucker.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families. The MFB annual meeting runs Dec. 2-5 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place.
-30-
Editor’s Note: A list of participating schools follows. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Promotion and Education Manager Deb Schmucker at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3213.
Project Rural Education Day Participating Schools
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Aberdeen Elementary School
Buchanan Elementary School
Cesar E Chavez Elementary School
Coit Elementary School
Congress Elementary School
Covell Elementary School
CA Frost Elementary School
Harrison Elementary School
Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary School
Kent Hills Elementary School
North Park Elementary School
Shawnee MST Academy
Total number of students: 615
Grandville Public Schools
Central Elementary School
Century Park Learning Center
Cummings Elementary School
East Elementary School
Grand View Elementary School
South Elementary School
West Elementary School
Total number of students: 403
Forest Hills Public Schools
Ada Elementary School
Collins Elementary School
Total number of students: 182
