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EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD 2003
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Carla Wright takes agricultural education seriously - and makes it a whole lot of fun. Students and visitors to her classroom are greeted by papier-mâché cows and a scarecrow riding a John Deere tractor. Mini-pot gardens, art projects and assorted ag artifacts crop up all over her room. Agriculture thrives in Carla's classroom because she tends to it all year long. "Because I live near the Salinas Valley, a region that is known as the 'Salad Bowl of the World,' I incorporate agriculture activities into my core curriculum... As a result, students gain a better understanding of where their food comes from, gain an appreciation about the tremendous work effort involved to produce crops, and recognize that Monterey County produce feeds our local community and our national and international communities." Since 1994, Carla has been a board member of Monterey County Agriculture Education, Inc., through which she supports a multitude of events that promote ag literacy - in Monterey County and around the state. Says Carla, "It was an honor to receive the state and national awards presented to me... Receiving these honors validates what I enjoy doing to enrich and empower my students' lives."
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