WAGRAM — Rhonda Brink, a first-grade teacher at Wagram Elementary School, wants to take her students to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro.
She’ll now get that chance.
With Wagram Elementary Principal Kachina Singletary watching, Brink was recently presented with a $1,200 NC Schools Go Outside Grant from the NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council. The news of the grant was broke to Brink by State Rep. Garland Pierce during a visit to the school.
“I was excited to meet her and see how interested she is in educating our children,” Pierce said. “She sees the importance of getting the kids out to see our history and other things in this state.
“I applaud her effort to serve the students at Wagram Elementary School,” he added. “Teachers face a lot of challenges, so it’s important they find resources to help students learn.”
The grants total between $250 and $2,500. Qualifying for grants require instructors demonstrate how the experience will address topics currently being taught in class and that the experience meets the goals of the Outdoor Heritage Trust Fund plan.
“The GO Grants are awarded by the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Trust Fund for Youth Outdoor Heritage Promotion, which is administered by the North Carolina Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council,” said Matthew Mercer, fundraising/grants manager for the NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council.
Scotland County Schools Superintendent was pleased with the grant being awarded locally.
‘We are so excited for Mrs. Brink and the first-graders at Wagram Elementary,” he said. “In first-grade science classes, students are learning about the environments and habitats that different animals need to survive. To be able to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and see it in ‘real-life’ at the Asheboro Zoo is a wonderful learning experience for our children.
“We are thankful that Mrs. Brink took the opportunity to apply for the grant and congratulate her for going that extra mile for her students,” Hargrave added.
The Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council and Trust Fund were established in 2015 by the North Carolina General Assembly in an effort to expand the opportunities for persons age 16 and under to engage in outdoor recreational activities.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
