Paris High School is introducing the public to its brand new greenhouse. The greenhouse will be used as a learning tool for different agriculture classes that is offered at the school.
The main reason the school added a greenhouse to the high school’s brand new campus was to give the students an opportunity to get hands on experience said Principal Dave Meister.
Paris recently had a new high school built in order to expand the school and because the old one was in bad shape. At the previous school their greenhouse was in an interior shop that they tried to grow plants in said a Paris agriculture teacher Krista Howard. Howard explained how the heater would kick on and that would suffocate the plants.
When Howard first interviewed at Paris High School four years ago she mentioned how she wanted a greenhouse so her students could have hands on experience.
Meister said he could have never pictured the high school having a greenhouse five years ago but by the help of donors from around the community to contribute to the greenhouse.
The greenhouse can have as many as twenty-four people in it at a time and when you first walk into the building there is an area with a dry erase board and desks for the students.
Since the greenhouse didn’t open until this past November, Howard said this past year they haven’t been able to do as many projects as they will next year. The students do different things such as stem cutting and plant propagation.
“It’s been really great for them to get the hands on experience and being able to do all of the things we talk about in class,” Howard said. “They’re actually being able to apply that in real life.”
The main goal with the greenhouse is for the students to be able to make connections for when they graduate Principal Meister said. When the students have hands on experience they will be able to jump right into college programs and have the upper hand.
The Paris High School has many opportunities for the students that will benefit them in the future. “I have had many students that haven’t considered agriculture as a career path and didn’t know all of the opportunities that they have right in front of them.” Howard said.
Next year Howard plans to teach her horticultural class different ways florists grow flowers for different holidays. She said she has always had a passion for planting and she wants to show her students different ways they can use a greenhouse for. The students will also be selling the flowers they plant after they bloom.
A junior Paris High School student Faith Fox had the opportunity to experience the greenhouse from the old school and the new school and she said that she is excited to learn more about flowers and what all goes into planting.
“The students and myself will get to see what they want to do and especially if they want to do something in agriculture,” Fox said. “This is a great opportunity for them too get an actual real life experience and a lot of different schools don’t have things like this.”
Community members, representatives from different universities and agriculture representatives were present at the opening on Tuesday.
Public relations director from Brex Seeds Bruce Kettler said he thinks it’s a good thing to have for young students to use as a learning too. Brex Seeds partners with the high school to supply seeds and offers scholarships.
“Being able to support agriculture and support young people and helping them understand what is available in terms of jobs in areas of agriculture is really important to us,” Kettler said. “This is one more way to make a connection with a student in high school to help them understand about all of the different careers agriculture has.”
Brex Seeds offers seven scholarships to senior students who are aspiring a career in Agriculture.
Older Articles Newer Articles