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Block named Outstanding Agricultural Educator

This year’s Outstanding Agricultural Educator says she’s still having fun teaching after 25 years.

Melanie Block started her career at Ravenna High School in 2000.

“Being able to be involved in my community and form partnerships with colleges like Grand Valley, and give the kids a chance to be successful—that’s been really rewarding for me,” she shares.

Block helped rebuild the program after a lapse that lasted most of the 1990s and has been there since.

“Everyone needs to be informed about agriculture, and food, and natural resources because every single bit of your life you’re impacted by it,” she says. “You’re wearing agricultural products, you’re eating agricultural products, you’re surrounded by natural resources.”

She tells Brownfield, “A lot of our kids are coming in just with a passion for learning about leadership and then learning about agriculture along the way.”

“They’re learning more about the business aspect, and they want some hands-on experience because they haven’t had that in the past,” she says.

Agriscience classes at Ravenna currently include earth ecology, zoology, food science, wildlife biology and management, greenhouse and landscape management, veterinary science, agricultural communications, and rural technology and business.

Block says she’s thankful to have received several grants and a community bond to support two agriscience teachers and several facilities, including a greenhouse, livestock barn, community garden, beehives, and a food science lab.

Block was recognized during this week’s Michigan FFA State Convention.

Photo courtesy of Ravenna FFA.