CORE Butte FFA is part of a charter school in Chico, Calif. Whether its students plan to graduate high school or become doctors, CORE Butte Charter School (CORE) is about helping them reach their educational goals.
Along with these goals comes a wide variety of agriculture classes offered throughout high school and three different agriculture pathways. These pathways include animal science, agriculture business and ornamental horticulture. More than 100 agriculture students can select from the following eight unique agriculture classes:
- Introduction to agriculture
- Biology and sustainable agriculture
- Agricultural government
- Animal Science
- Veterinary science
- Agricultural communications
- Environmental horticulture and floral design
- Advanced floral design
These agriculture classes are led by CORE Butte FFA advisors Nicole Garcia, Angie Verar and Christine Henderson.
What makes CORE unique is that its classes are only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This gives students more time to focus on their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) and take advantage of all the hands-on experiences the agriculture classes have to offer. CORE is also not a public high school, which means there are a limited number of students present, allowing for the education to be more personal and effective.
CORE helps students grow by teaching them the life skills needed to succeed in future careers.
“Before I started the FFA, I was a shy freshman,” says CORE Butte FFA member Natalie Reed. “Since then, I have become an active member and a chapter officer for the past two years. I have competed in public speaking competition, and FFA has changed my life for the better in so many positive ways. I could not be more thankful for the opportunities it has blessed me with.”
