Last week, the Greene County Board of Education featured a presentation by new high school principal John Ellenburg on a proposed new pathway for students.
According to Ellenburg, the new pathway would consist of five courses among four pathways. They would include basic agriculture science, general horticulture/plant science, forest science, and agriculture mechanics I and II. The pathway would help prepare students for careers in the agriculture and construction industries and would represent the largest pathway the BOE offers at the school.
The school’s College and Career Academy (CCA) has more than 13 pathways. They include JROTC, automotive, audio-visual technology and film, culinary arts, early childhood education, emergency medical responder, marketing and management, sports medicine, and welding. The academy's fine arts pathways include band, Spanish, and visual arts. Ellenburg and Mariana Mansfield, the academy’s director, headed the CCA.
The CCA has seen a steady enrollment of students wanting to gain valuable, real-life career experience. These pathways also demonstrate the collaboration among the BOE, Lake Oconee Academy, Nathanael Greene Academy, and home-schooled students, where 450 students are enrolled in pathways at Greene County High School.
The BOE sees many benefits of adding an agriculture center to support both students and industries associated with agriculture. These include commercial business skill development, use with current science classes, development of a farm-to-table program, landscaping and growing beneficial native plants, and reclaiming rainwater for irrigation.
Additionally, the Agriculture Center would provide important community outreach, exciting field trips for younger students, partnerships with post-secondary colleges and universities, and growth of youth enrichment programs such as popular 4-H programs.
According to Ellenburg, future pathways could develop into offering animal husbandry, fruit tree cultivation, and row-crop management.
A supporting budget is unknown at present, but the BOE has approved the project for bids.