Pen & Paper

Nine teachers from across the U.S. have been recognized by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture because of their outstanding efforts to promote agricultural literacy, according to the Cattle Network.

The news source reported that teachers will each receive a scholarship that will help to fund their trip to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Loveland, Colorado. The Foundation, through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education, sponsors the scholarships as a way to help promote the agricultural sector through the education of the next generation of farmers.

This year’s recipients were from Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Carolina, Maine, Florida, and each showed exemplary work in the classroom and motivated their students to learn about the sector in innovative ways.

“We’re pleased to honor nine outstanding teachers this year, with scholarships to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference (AITC),” Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer, chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee and a Foundation board member, said in a statement. “Attendees consistently describe this conference as valuable for educators, which is why we’re pleased to provide the opportunity to attend to so many deserving teachers.”

The conference is usually attended by several hundred teachers from around the country, and there are a variety of topics that are covered. The educators are taught real-life ways to incorporate agricultural applications into classes in math, language arts, science and social studies, according to the news source.

The recipients were judged on their ability to use innovative practices in their classrooms, and they are provided with potential new methods at the conference. Though many have used farm equipment or have knowledge about the sector, their teaching can cover any aspect of agriculture.

According to Cattle Network, the Agriculture Department coordinates the AITC program with the goal of helping American students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the U.S.

The AITC website noted that the upcoming conference will feature a variety of workshops that will be held, and the broad range of courses will cover most age groups.

“Harvest of the Month,” “American History with Ag in the Classroom,” “From Farm to Plate: A Look at Modern Livestock Farming” and “Agvocacy and Agricultural Literacy: Tools You Can Use” are just some of the classes offered at the conferences.

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