Are you looking for an ag-connection for your classroom lessons? Are you planning for the new school year with virtual learning as a possibility? Did you know that you can find everything that you need in our NEW Champaign County Ag in the Classroom Resource Catalog?
Explore the AITC Resource Catalog!
Ag in the Classroom Director, Sarah Kaper works all over Champaign County to provide resources and in-person teaching in both public and private schools. During the 2019-2020 school year, she taught ag lessons to over 1,500 students each month.
When COVID-19 interrupted the school year, teachers had to continue their teaching virtually. That meant that the in-person Ag in the Classroom lessons that teachers scheduled and counted on, were cancelled. “It was a perfect time to work on putting together a digital resource for teachers. It not only gives a picture of what we have available, but it gives educators access to books, lessons, and materials as they navigate teaching in a digital format.”
The Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation’s vision is to communicate the critical importance of agriculture to our community. One of the ways that we do that is by sending a certified teacher into the classrooms to teach an accurate and relevant message about the agriculture industry. “Although still important, we are long past the days of teaching just about tractors and pigs . Today, students and teachers need to know where their food comes from. They want to know who is farming the land and who is taking care of the livestock. This is especially important since the conversation during the pandemic has been about the food supply chain. We have over 6 billion people living in the world now, and it is said that we will be at over 9 billion people by 2050. How will we feed everyone, and who is going to do it?”
The digital catalog provides free resources. It can be utilized from anywhere. So, whether schools resume in person or virtually, educators can access what they need. It is our hope that we can continue the Ag in the Classroom visits in person this fall, if not, this resource is available along with pre-recorded lessons that will be added to YouTube as they are ready. Visit our YouTube channel: Search “Champaign County Ag in the Classroom”.
We’re here to make things as easy as possible for you to browse, search and share our resources as you plan lessons.
