Starmont Schools Receive $25,000 Monsanto Grant

Homecoming was not the only celebrations taking place this past Friday at the Starmont Football game.

Starmont Community School District has received a $25,000 grant from America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. The district will use the money to construct a new greenhouse, which will be used by students of all grade levels.

The district plans to partner with local farmers and area businesses, such as landscaping and construction companies, to guide the greenhouse project and enrich students’ learning opportunities. With the new greenhouse, classes such as horticulture and family consumer sciences will now participate in projects ranging from analyzing soil and plant growth to selling produce. The grant provided the district with necessary funds to replace the previous greenhouse, which was no longer in use.

“We wanted to enhance our science curriculum by using our old greenhouse, but we knew it needed renovations,” said Patty Briggs, director of school improvement. “We teach life sciences from preschool on, and the new greenhouse is a great way for students to experience hands-on learning. We have big dreams for the greenhouse, and this is just the start.”

Farmers who nominated the school district and representatives from the school and the Monsanto Fund attended a check presentation to celebrate the grant prior to the homecoming football game on Sept. 25.

This year the school district also received an educational starter kit from Monsanto Company to help establish a pollinator garden, which will give students first-hand knowledge of the critical role habitat plays in providing bees and butterflies with food, shelter and places to lay eggs.

Since 2011, Grow Rural Education has awarded more than $9 million to help keep rural public school districts growing. The program works with farmers to nominate public school districts to compete for math and science grants of $10,000 or $25,000. Grant applications are reviewed and finalists selected by a panel of teachers. Winning applications are chosen by an advisory council comprised of farmers from across the U.S.

America's Farmers Grow Rural Education, Monsanto