Friday, March 18, 2022 | Charlotte Public Schools hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Monday, March 14 to celebrate the district’s new Agricultural Learning Center (ALC). The new barn-like facility, made possible through a $36 million bond approved by voters in November 2020, will double the size of the old facility, allowing more students to have more hands-on opportunities in agriculture.
According to data from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, Michigan’s food and agriculture sector accounts for 17% of the state’s employment. Charlotte is a big farming community, and Charlotte Public Schools has agricultural learning in its curriculum and offers an after-school Future Farmers of America (FFA) program for students interested in agriculture and leadership.
Key features of the new facility include:
- Flexible space for up to 24 livestock pens
- Separate student meeting area
- Large loft for storage
- Overhead doors for vehicle access
- Large feeding room
- Secure outdoor livestock space
- Outdoor equipment and supply storage
The New ALC will allow for the expansion of agricultural programming to the Middle School, increasing student use of the new facility. It will also provide greater flexibility with live animal projects, which allow students to make connections between content and real-world applications. Students currently work with pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens.
This is one of many projects Granger is working on as the Construction Manager for Charlotte’s 2020 Bond Program, including additions at several elementary schools and other district-wide safety, security and infrastructure improvements. The design partner on this project was TMP Architecture.
