Centre, Hillsboro, Marion ag teachers win awards

Not one, not two, but three ag teachers from the county won awards at the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators Conference in Topeka last week.

Centre’s Laura Klenda was awarded “Kansas-Association of Career and Technical Education Young Teacher of the Year”; Hillsboro’s Sonya Roberts was awarded “K-ACTE Teacher in Community Service”; and Marion’s Mark Meyer was awarded “Agriscience Teacher of the Year” and “K-ACTE Teacher of the Year.”

“I try to adjust instruction to cater to the learning styles of my students and provide a hands-on approach to learning content,” Klenda said. “This includes having discussions about how the content relates to the world around them and their own lives, as well as taking advantage of the expertise and experience of students who may already be familiar with the content.”

“The current mission of the Hillsboro FFA chapter is to give back to the Hillsboro community,” Roberts said. “The past years, I feel like our members have challenged themselves to assist with programs in our area.”

They have donated school bags with supplies and shoes to Main Street Ministries, provided food baskets for less fortunate families at Thanksgiving, held a Red Cross blood drive, shopped for Christmas Angels and the Silver Angel Tree, collected jeans for a homeless shelter, sponsored the school’s recycling program, and worked in a soup kitchen in Kansas City.

MHS principal Tod Gordon said Meyer has become proficient at organizing activities for classes.

“He has provided activity-based curriculum that engages students and allows them to facilitate their own learning,” Gordon said.

Ranch wife Kimberly Harms said, “Many students who come through Mark’s program have no idea what they will do after graduation. He makes the extra effort to help these students develop skills they can develop into careers.”

The Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators is an organization of teachers of agriculture at the high school, postsecondary, and adult levels who seek to advance agricultural education in Kansas.