The Window of Opportunity Grant would enable Farmville Central High School students, staff and community members to beautify the campus. Farmville Central High School had a horticulture program several years ago and attempts were made to start the process, but the goals were not met. I am the new horticulture teacher that is looking to expand what limited resources are available to the horticulture program at Farmville Central High School and allow my students to invest in the school community through the agriculture program.​​

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There is room for a lot of beautification improvement at Farmville Central High School. There are two main areas on the school’s campus that the horticulture program would invest in during the improvements. The two areas of focus are the courtyard and the greenspace beside the student parking area. The courtyard is located in the center of the school. A bank of large windows shows the greenery and chickens. The greenspace is where the high tunnel and raised beds are located. The greenspace is in the front of the student parking lot as well as where the visitors enter the gym and auditorium for sporting events and fine arts events.

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Not only will the grant bring beautification to the campus, but it will also allow for students to learn about plants. If awarded the grant, I plan to have my students help plant the plants that we were able to obtain with the grant in the greenspace and courtyard. Students will make ID cards for each of the plants. In the courtyard, the horticulture program will use the gravel as “mulch” for the flower bed with bushes that will be there for a long time. Student will also build raised beds that will be used for a herb garden. The stepping stones will be used in the courtyard to improve access to the door.

In the greenspace, the horticulture program will plant the hydrangeas along the side of the school that leads to the agricultural classroom. The galvanized trough will go in the middle of the hydrangeas with three on one side, two on another and one on the other side of the steps leading into the agricultural classroom. We plan to use the galvanized trough to plant seasonal flowers. Farmville Central High School students, staff and community members would greatly benefit from this grant. We have big plans to increase campus beautification and native plants. We would eventually like to incorporate an outdoor classroom or a place for a reward lunch location in the courtyard.

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Not only will it be appealing but it will offer a greater hands-on learning experience for the students that are enrolled in the horticulture classes as well as the agricultural department at Farmville Central High School. The visibility of both spaces will also increase exposure of our course’s role in the Farmville Central community and could increase our class numbers and potential for further donations to improve the campus as a whole.

 

Key Learnings Intended

• For students to learn plants on their NC FFA Plant ID List

• For students to learn how to correctly plant items out of containers (using a capilar)

• For students to know and recall facts about plants that have been planted

• How to properly prune and provide plant maintenance

• Plant systems and how they function in the natural environment (water and soil management, IPM strategies, fertilizer and plant growth photosynthesis)

• Hands on learning experience building the raised beds (proper handling of tools, proper usage of tools, how to take correct measurements, kinetic learning)

Impact on Students

• Exposes students to new plants and enrichment in their new ID plants

• Will give students ownership of the project because they will be working on improving their school campus

• Allows for time away from electronics by providing hands-on opportunities to the students

Impact to School/Organization

• Campus beautification

• More accessible courtyard

• Outdoor Classroom or maybe a reward lunch location

• Community bond-building within the school from the impact of the herb garden raised bed

• Develops more community engagement by the beautification of the campus