MANHEIM, Pa. – According to The National FFA Organization, more than 10,000 agriculture teachers deliver an innovative, cutting-edge and integrated curriculum to students, and Manheim Central School District is no exception. Thanks to the support of local farmers and America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, Manheim Central School District received a $10,000 grant to purchase laptop computers, a multipurpose arc welder and materials to build a green roof.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, gives farmers the opportunity to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant of either $10,000 or $25,000 to enhance education in the areas of math and/or science. More than 1,000 nominated school districts submitted applications. The Monsanto Fund will invest $2.3 million into rural education through this program.

“The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant is a significant financial boost to our Manheim Central Agriculture program and more importantly, our vocational agriculture students,” said Deb Siebert, Manheim Central High School’s lead agriculture education program teacher. “The FFA motto says ‘Learning to Do, Doing to Learn.’ Purchasing computers, a green roof and a welder to be used by the rural youth enrolled in our Manheim Central Agriculture Education program will help us do just that.”