Throughout my time here in Uganda, one of my main tasks has been developing a teachers’ guide for agriculture clubs in Secondary Schools. This guide consists of precise steps for beginning an agriculture club for teachers. Our main goal with this guide is to ensure ease and accessibility for teachers to create a successful agriculture club. It consists of the correct steps to take in planning, development, and seeking approval from admiration, a club constitution, fundraiser ideas, and leadership activities to build students’ skills. This document has been a working progress. To do this, we have conducted research to ensure we fit into Ugandan classrooms, teachers can easily underhand and comprehend, and retaining teacher and student feedback to ensure we are best serving the students and teachers of Uganda.
One of our first schools to implement our agriculture club guide is St. Gracious Secondary School. The teachers and students at St. Gracious took the risk of developing a new agriculture club from the bottom up using our guide. We are proud to share they have been successful and off to an extraordinary start!
Meet the first elected leaders of Field of Hope’s Agriculture Leadership Club! This group of enthusiastic leaders attends St. Gracious Secondary School. They embody the definition of being true leaders. They are willing to serve others, take risks, and uphold the core strengths and values a leader needs to succeed. When I first sat down with this group of talented students; I immediately could tell they had the qualities of successful leaders and upheld the qualities they needed. I could get they were Ready!
The excitement radiated in our small group discussion, with elite conversations that sparked new passions of growth– for their new agriculture club, their members, and themselves. These student leaders were Ready and Set! Set with a plan full of determination and ambition. All they have left to do is Serve!
With an ongoing Inspiring Student in Agriculture Project (ISIA), these students are prone to success. They have a prosperous poultry project where students gain hands-on learning experiences in rearing poultry, slaughtering, and preparing for consumption. These students have an entrepreneurial mindset of service to others. St. Gracious Secondary Agriculture Leadership Club Leaders work passionately to ensure great quality poultry is served to their customers who purchase their goods.
With true service, a heart of passion, and the willingness to take risks; the student leaders of St. Gracious Agriculture Leadership Club are destined for success. Seeing a group of students work extremely hard to chase a dream and create a path for themselves and others to follow is thrilling.
Hunter Lee Adkins, Fellow ’24
