The East Central FFA chapter in St. Leon, Indiana, has been awarded $5,000 through the Grants for Growing program, a nationwide effort sponsored by Tractor Supply Company.
East Central says it will use the grant to purchase tools for its landscape construction and masonry construction units, giving students hands-on experience with the same kinds of equipment used in the field. The tool list includes a dust-free paver saw, laser levels, hammers, block cutters, layout tools, concrete pavers, and other related materials.
Students will use the tools to build paver walks, retaining walls, and other landscape structures as part of the agriculture program’s landscape, horticulture, and agricultural structures classes. The chapter says the new equipment will help it deliver higher-quality instruction and let students learn and practice industry-relevant skills more safely.
For mason contractors and hardscape crews, the tool lineup is a good reminder of what entry-level training should reinforce early: clean, controlled cutting that limits dust exposure, accurate layout using lasers and basic measuring tools, and safe material handling. Those fundamentals can reduce rework, help crews hit grade and alignment, and support a safer jobsite from day one.
East Central was one of five FFA chapters in Indiana to receive this grant. Nationally, the Grants for Growing program provided more than $900,000 to chapters in 47 states, with funding generated by consumer donations at checkout, including a $1 FFA Paper Emblem purchase. The fundraising period aligns with National FFA Week in February.
The National FFA Organization is a school-based youth leadership development organization with more than a million student members across 9,591 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Read the full, original article from WRBI Radio here.