Wicomico County students invited to The White House
From Wicomico County to the White House. That’s the trek that two local high school students made on December 1st to speak about “Project Localize”, a sustainable farming initiative.
47 ABC spoke with Jerry Kelley, horticulture teacher at Parkside High School, and he couldn’t be prouder of his students. He says his classes do a number of things including growing and selling over 100,000 plants every year, but right now, he’s celebrating the accomplishments of senior students, Janelle Stevenson and Gabrielle Morris.
He tells 47 ABC, “I’m as excited as they I think. It’s thrilling that my students have those opportunities. They’re representing not just Parkside in our program but they’re certainly have an opportunity to represent the community as well.”
Morris and Stevenson were both invited to Washington DC by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This is all made possible by a collaboration with UMES and an initiative called MANRRS.
Kelley tells 47 ABC, “Having a partnership with the University of [Maryland] Eastern Shore has been amazing. These students can do anything if they believe it and so having a partnership like MANRRS in University of Maryland [Eastern Shore] gives those students just that much more confidence.”
Both students presented projects and personal essays they had been working on. Stevenson is focused on CSA or Community Supported Agriculture.
Stevenson tells 47 ABC, “It’s all about going out and visiting our local community and seeing their sustainable growing ways and just learning from them so that we can better our future. When you think about agriculture everybody thinks oh its just planting and farming and that’s all you do but its really so much more.”
Stevenson says she never thought she would get into this in school, but it ended up being one of the most fun classes she took, and she couldn’t be more proud of herself. Stevenson tells 47 ABC, “Oh my gosh I was so excited. What was the experience like what was the feeling getting to go there? Oh my gosh like butterflies.”
Morris traveled to Capital Hill to present her topic, climate changes in Jamaica. Morris tells 47 ABC, “While I was there I presented my research and I listened to a lot of famous agriculture people talk. I liked meeting all the other people.”
Kelley tells 47 ABC, “Students have worked hard you know they deserved it through their own effort and focus and dedication they’ve made those opportunities available.”
Another proud accomplishment? Kelley’s students set the Guinness Book of World Records for planting the most amount of plants in one hour. That’s 2,140 flowers.
