The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) has awarded 155 grants to schools throughout Iowa to support the integration of agriculture into classroom instruction or after school programs with an academic focus.
The Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Supplement Grants are designed to help teachers initiate new projects or expand existing projects that promote agriculture literacy in students. Grants can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, classroom resources, guest speakers, outreach programs, field trips and other projects.
One grant recipient, Jane Eklund of East Union Elementary in Afton, Iowa, whose students will learn about where their food comes from, conduct research about agriculture entities, and then plant and grow their own crop, commented, “I am honored and excited to receive the grant. I can’t wait to see how excited the students will be with the agriculture activities and books we plan to use.”
Some of the innovative applicants will be conducting projects this spring including culinary and nutrition programs, crop and animal lifecycles, pollinators, ecosystems, renewable energy, aquaponics, water quality, farm-to-fork projects, dairy field trips, egg hatching, and agricultural history tours. Successful applicants will use these agricultural experiences to teach language arts, social studies and a variety of other concepts already taught in their classrooms.
“We had a lot of great applications that focus on integrating agriculture into science, social studies, and language arts curriculums,” said IALF executive director, Kelly Foss. “We hope these grants will allow teachers to make real world connections to what they are already teaching.”
The grants are a special project of IALF and made possible through support from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.
“The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) is proud to provide financial assistance to support Iowa teachers in their classrooms,” said Ronnette Vondrak, IFBF community resources manager. “Agricultural literacy is critical in expanding a deeper understanding of the value and impact agriculture has across our state and the world.”
A teacher at Waukee Northwest High School applied to use the funds in a collaborative effort between Northwest High School’s culinary programs, the school’s science courses, and Waukee’s APEX program. Upon being informed of the grant award, Nick Ross, Waukee Northwest High School principal, said, “This is great news. Our students will have enhanced learning opportunities courtesy of this grant.”
The projects will be completed before the end of the school year with final reports submitted by June 9. For more information, visit www.iowaagliteracy.org. For a complete list of award recipients, go to https://bit.ly/3Itj8TE
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than nine billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF will support existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Corteva Agriscience, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Categories: Iowa, Education