Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America awards $50,000 to the School for Agricultural and Environmental Studies. SAGES will use the dollars to expand their agriculture-based research plots and school gardens, and add food animals.
This grant supports innovative programs that encompass four qualities:
- Mission: Aligns with Compeer Financial’s mission, enriching agriculture and rural communities
- Opportunity: Provides a new opportunity, fills a known void in agricultural and rural markets and is an innovative project
- Replication: Can be replicated by others to serve different geographic areas, fostering future collaboration
- Evolution: Evolves over time to create a better future for agriculture and rural America
SAGES, located in Fox Lake, is a public charter school that partners with the Waupun Area School District. The 4K through sixth grade school has implemented a multi-phase program for agricultural education. It’s titled “Growing, Raising and Enriching our Future.”
The school will use the funds for research plots, implementing food animals, expanding school gardens, creating grade-specific agricultural businesses and procuring supplies. The grant enables the school to continue its vision for agricultural education programs. Agriculture classes are part of the curriculum at all grade levels.
“The future agricultural career opportunities are endless,” says Kim Pokorny, agriculture science teacher at SAGES. “From farming to finance to agronomy to technology to food service and everything in between, we need to prepare the next generation of agricultural leaders and consumers. By providing exposure, hands-on learning opportunities and experiences, students can build upon their agricultural interests at the elementary school level. That is exactly what we are doing at SAGES.”
Team members at Compeer refer organizations in their community to apply for the MORE for Ag Grant. Since 2019, Compeer has given nearly $1 million to 23 organizations.
