Education

For 150 years, the National Grange has been a passionate advocate for expanding education opportunities. Education is the surest way to promote the next generation of leaders, farmers, innovators and active citizens. Every child deserves access to a quality, public education no matter where they live. Local communities are our greatest asset in administering public education and creating high standards because they recognize the unique needs of their community. We see the value of a partnership among local officials, the states, and the federal government in educating our children, but also recognize the essential role of parents in the process. We strongly encourage all Grange members to play an active role in their local school systems and communities.

Additionally, we must invest in our next generation of growers and producers by granting them the opportunity to develop an interest in agriculture and realize the vital purpose it serves to every global citizen. The Grange will work with public schools across the nation to incorporate an agricultural component into their science curriculum, helping to ensure that kids across the country develop the most basic knowledge of where food comes from and how it is produced. Since the founding of our land-grant colleges, the federal government has a rich history of funding agricultural research in every corner of the country. We are committed to preserving and expanding this legacy of research in order to help rural America stay competitive. The Grange will continue to support students on the traditional pathway to higher education, but we also seek to advocate for those who wish to attend technical and vocational schools. These schools provide countless students with the professional and technical tools they need to succeed.

As a community service-based organization, the National Grange has a long history of uniting local communities for the advancement of American values and ideals. However, of all the developed nations in the world, the United States ranks second from the bottom in regards to voter turnout. The Grange is committed to combating this problem of apathy through education and our Apathy Not Allowed program that will teach young Americans to see the value participation and understand the democratic process. This includes course material devoted to American civics and history because knowledge of past is a critical, but often neglected, part of education. We also believe the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem should continue to be taught in our schools and should be the opening for all official meetings.