Members of the Sampson County Master Gardener Volunteer Association (SCEMGVA) recently announced the inaugural recipient of their Master Gardener Teacher Grant — Midway High CTE agriculture teacher Scott Jolly
As one of the goals of the Master Gardeners is to educate the public on gardening and horticulture, using research-based, sustainable practices, they recognize the importance of agriculture education in Sampson’s local high schools, members noted.
The Master Gardener Teacher Grant will be awarded annually to a local high school agriculture educator and can be used to purchase needed equipment or fund projects that enhance learning for the students in their classes.
In a recent visit to Midway High, Jolly gave SCEMGVA members Ann Butler and Joan Tsao a tour of their two greenhouses.
Students were busy caring for a multitude of plants and preparing for the FFA Regional Rally in late April, the two said.
Several of the students will be participating in the Floriculture and Nursery Landscape Design portions of the competition where they will need to be able to identify 150 plants. Jolly used part of the grant to purchased flash cards and PowerPoint programs to help students learn how to identify these plants.
In the fall of 2026, Sampson County High School CTE agriculture educators will again be invited to apply for the Master Gardener Teacher Grant.
This year the grant is being used to help 169 students at Midway High.
The Master Gardeners, Tsao said, look forward to helping many more teachers and students through the teacher grant.