Golden Hills, Legacy Farm sign MoU
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Golden Hills School Division and the Legacy Farm project have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU), fostering collaboration to support agriculture innovation and education in the local community.
Via a release, it was indicated that through the partnership, the two organizations aim to cultivate an environment that fosters new ideas, technologies and practices to advance the field of agriculture.
“This is just the start of our educational MoUs where we will be able to bring a consortium of educators to provide a curriculum based on incorporating agricultural practices, farming, and technology – specifically a lot of technology with our friends at Olds College,” said Scott Silva, Director of Business development with the Legacy Farm Project. “In addition, we have an MoU that is being finalized with the Western District Historical Society. This is another monumental point for the Legacy Farm project, as we are going to be working with them as our fundraising partner.”
Among the goals stated for the partnership between the Legacy Farm Project and the Golden Hills School Division, were to inspire future generations, create sustainability, accelerate education, grow young minds, and to create dedicated education and culinary spaces for dual credit opportunities aimed at high school students.
These dual credit opportunities would also extend to student work experience and career internship programs.
“What we are trying to do is have some education components for our students for Strathmore and area … and we have worked through on what some of the pieces potentially may look like,” said Jeff Grimsdale, superintendent of schools with Golden Hills School Division. “They have an education component to what they are going to be developing and we want to be involved in that education component. That would be providing dual credit opportunities for our students, work experience, farm safety, green certificates, career internships, looking at having our elementary students going there for field trips … there are a number of pieces that we would want to be involved with.”
Silva added another MoU is being finalized between the Legacy Farm Project, and the Western District Historical Society. The agreement will see the historical society on board with the project as a fundraising partner.
“What this means is that the entire Legacy Farm – or the historical farm, as everybody knows it, is going to become an entirely community-based program,” he explained. “Everything there is going to be for educational purposes, family, interactive, and also to host different types of events for nonprofits.”
More information regarding the project is available online (legacyfarmproject.ca).