With major budget constraints teachers are looking for innovating ways to educate our kids
A Tampa teacher is breaking the mold, going above and beyond to take his students into the future of agriculture.
Woodrow Wilson Middle school teacher Kenneth Coogan brought back Future Farmers of American and a thriving agriculture class after more than century to the now urban Hyde Park campus in Tampa.
“In the coming years the world population is going to reach 9 billion so we need to learn how to grow food more effectively and efficiently and we need to talk about food waste. About 1/3 of all food is wasted, so by growing it in your garden at schools, we can reduce that amount and save the planet.” said Coogan.
In the past four years, Coogan has procured $45,000 in grants from national, state and local organizations. He uses all that money for supplies, field trips, technology and lab equipment.
Another feather in Mr. Coogan’s cape’s , he is one of only 10 teachers in Hillsborough that has a -WI-PRO USF two year science fellowship.
The program partners teachers with USF to develop lesson planning and research activities for science curriculum in their schools.