Outstanding Young Member

Meghan Wood Aiken High School Aiken, SC 2011 Region V Outstanding Young Member

Being Involved Inside and Outside of the Classroom

Throughout her five years of teaching, Meghan Wood has held to one philosophy; “To be an effective teacher within the classroom, one should be involved outside the classroom.  It is through the community that the teacher learns how to educate the whole student.”  

Wood is continually working to create and improve those community opportunities for her students.  In the classroom, she has developed a curriculum based on plant science, with a focus on horticulture, because Aiken has a large nursery and greenhouse industry.   Students can choose from Horticulture for the Workplace I, Horticulture for the Workplace II, and Nursery Landscape Technology.  Through these courses students gain practical skills and learn the financial aspects of running a horticulture business.  Wood’s students find the skills they learn and connections they make in her classes help them long after they graduate.

Another way Wood teaches her students about the importance of community is through a variety of community service projects.  Her program’s FFA chapter has earned the three-star gold emblem chapter award the past three years for their community service.  Vegetables grown in the program’s greenhouse are donated to the Golden Harvest Food Bank, providing local lower income families with fresh fruits and vegetables they might not otherwise be able to afford.        

“Meghan has done an outstanding job in establishing a very well rounded program at her school,” said Stephen E. Sanderson, S.C. State Director of Agricultural Education.  “As a result, she has built up a strong enrollment of students and produced some outstanding graduates.”

Wood was a 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Young Member award.  For more information about this award, sponsored by John Deere, click here