Ray Cruze from Roosevelt Academy has won Florida’s 2023 Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.
The award was presented on Wednesday at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Orlando. The honor is given for “outstanding contributions to education about Florida agriculture.”
Cruze has been with PCPS for nearly 30 years and has spent virtually all of his career at Roosevelt. On campus he oversees the expansive Roosevelt Farms, where students receive hands-on instruction growing various plants and crops.
Roosevelt Farms has served as a model operation for other schools. Cruze said the program has been successful largely because of donations and support from the agriculture industry.
“To teach agriculture and show students how important it is and where their food comes from, it means a lot,” he said. “I always tell people to thank a farmer if they’re around one; I definitely want to say thank you to farmers.”
