Cooperative Living August 2018 - 14

ForTheFuture | by Sara Owens, Virginia Farm Bureau
Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom:
Connecting children to agriculture for more than 25 years
G
erminating a seed in a sandwich bag in a classroom,
establishing a hydroponics tower in a courtyard, or working
in a garden near the playground are ways children learn
about agriculture without leaving school grounds.
From its beginning, Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom has
created innovative programs and resources designed to infuse
agricultural content into core required curriculum.
AITC is a national program and got a foothold in Virginia in
1987 as part of a national effort introduced by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. Virginia Farm Bureau, the Virginia Department of
Education and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services launched the joint project.
" Since its creation, the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom
program has connected more than 1.2 million children to Virginia
agriculture and raised more than $5 million for creating classroom
materials and conducting teacher workshops throughout the state, "
explains Kelly Pious, AITC's executive director.
Virginia AITC is an affiliate of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
and operates from the VFBF headquarters in Goochland County.
The nonprofit Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation
was established when the VFBF board realized that the program
would need to raise funds beyond Farm Bureau's support if it was to
grow into a program of significance.
" Agriculture in the Classroom began and flourished in Virginia
because of strong support from the Farm Bureau Women's
Committee, " Pious reflects. " The program has always been
closely tied to the Women's Program and county Farm Bureaus.
Those volunteers
remain vital
contributors to
AITC, serving as
ambassadors in
their communities. "
AITC has grown
from a program that
reached nearly 100
educators and 2,000
children in its first
Teachers attending a workshop display their
projects and educational resources. Many
schools have gardens that help students learn
about growing their own food.
12 | Cooperative Living | August 2018
year into a fundraising
entity with a
variety of programs
that is slated to
impact more than
2,000 educators
and 250,000
children in 2018.
Last year, nearly
2,000 teachers
and volunteers
attended training
programs. These
and other AITC
activities rely on
supporter donations.
Virginia Farm Bureau employees, volunteers and others read in
classrooms throughout the state during Agri culture Literacy Week.
Educational resources, opportunities aid in success
Online resources such as lesson plans, volunteer tools and grant
opportunities are available through the Virginia AITC website at
AgInTheClass.org along with additional educational resources. AITC
produces newsletters that are shared with every public school and
most private elementary schools in the commonwealth.
In its early days, programming was focused on classroom
educators who shared that information with students. In recent
years, AITC has diversified to include outreach by volunteers and
direct-to-student projects inside and outside the classroom.
During the annual Agriculture Literacy Week in March, volunteers
read agriculture-related books to nearly 50,000 students across the state.
" Agriculture Literacy Week provides an opportunity for volunteers
to share the story of agriculture through reading to school groups and a
chance for children to learn about life on the farm and meet real farmers, "
says Tammy Maxey, AITC senior education manager. " It is impossible
to duplicate the experience of a face-to-face conversation with someone
working in the agriculture industry. Children love the chance to
interact with farmers in their communities. "
Some hands-on projects are made possible by AITC grants. More
than 40 grants have provided children with interactive experiences such
as school gardens, farm-themed field trips and agricultural field days.
To celebrate and support teachers who excel at incorporating
agriculture in teaching, the organization offers a Teacher of the Year
Award. In three of the past four years, Virginia AITC Teachers of the
Year have garnered recognition at the national level. Through the
annual Adopt-a-Teacher program, more than 300 teachers have
received a collection of classroom resources.
Another recent innovation has been AITC's student-outreach program
that bridges the agricultural education gap in Virginia's urban areas by
establishing partnerships to reach more than 10,000 children annually.
" Agriculture in the Classroom's future is looking bright, " Pious says.
" Consumers are aware of their food, and there is an increasing interest
in having a connection to farms and food. Currently, we impact about
16 percent of Virginia's children. We look forward to the time when
Agriculture in the Classroom is making connections with all of
Virginia's children. "
Learn more about Virginia AITC at AgInTheClass.org. 
www.co-opliving.com
ASHLEY TOWNSEND PHOTO
KATHY DIXON PHOTO
KATHY DIXON PHOTO
http://www.AgInTheClass.org http://www.AgInTheClass.org http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living August 2018

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