Members Utilizes Acquired Skills to Aid School District
Monday, January 15, 2018 | Author: McKenzie Ellis, El Campo FFA
Morton Ranch FFA members stepped up to innovatively solve a problem within their school district using skills acquired from their advanced agricultural mechanics class.
After a storm damaged a greenhouse at Stanley Elementary, a school within the Katy Independent School District, a replacement was needed. That was when Lance Nauman, with the Katy ISD Risk Management Department, came up with the idea to utilize the skillset of local FFA members.
“Simply buying a new greenhouse was the easy answer, but not the best one,” said Nauman. “I am a strong supporter of Texas FFA, with two of my kids being actively involved in the [organization]. This was a perfect fit for such an event.”
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Charlie Boyce, Morton Ranch FFA advisor, supervised the students during the project. When giving them the assignment, “they went straight to work,” said Boyce.
The students were not only tasked with designing and building the new greenhouse but also with undertake calculating the price. Although already done by Boyce himself, the calculation provided students with “real world application” and demonstrated “what it was really like in business,” said Boyce.
Morton Ranch FFA member Josh Carney credited team work and comradery as the highlight of the project.
“Knowing that I had the ability and skills to do [this] was extremely important,” said Carney.
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According to Nauman, the two-hour advanced class completed about 95% of the project and saved the district nearly $12,000.
Following the success of the project, the district has begun working with FFA members to build another greenhouse for the high school.
“This has been the basis of projects for the future,” said Nauman. “Where we can engage FFA, we will.”
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