Bureau Valley, La Moille schools receive Compeer grants for agricultural education

Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, awarded $242,581 to schools through its Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant program, including the Bureau Valley and La Moille school districts.

Bureau Valley received funds for wean to finish gates and La Moille received money for landscape equipment, microscopes and slides, safety glasses and cabinet work benches.

The two school districts were among 63 other schools in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin within Compeer Financial’s territory that received grants of up to $4,000 each, funding various hands-on learning tools and new technologies for agriculture education classrooms.

The lives of 9,720 students will be directly affected by this grant program, which aims to support agriculture education and inspire youth to further their knowledge of the agriculture industry, according to a news release from Compeer.

“This set of grants marks nearly $1.3 million the Fund for Rural America has provided to schools, giving students a firsthand experience with agriculture and exploring potential careers,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial, in a news release. “The Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant helps educators purchase supplies needed for their curriculum and provides students real-world learning experiences.”

Middle and high school agriculture departments throughout Compeer’s 144-county territory were eligible to apply for an Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment grant. The grant funds will be used across various classes, including animal and plant sciences, food science and chemistry, veterinary, horticulture, mechanics, forestry and wildlife, and aquatics, among others.