CTAEF is partnered with and proud to support the National Ag In The Classroom consortium. The Ag in the Classroom program is voluntarily run by Ag Education Coordinator, Eleanore Provencal.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Honors Teachers for Ag Education
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is building awareness, understanding, and a positive public perception of agriculture through education.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced its recipients for the 2010 White-Reinhardt mini-grants. The Foundation received 60 nationwide applications for mini-grants of up to $500 to fund local agriculture education projects that will increase agricultural literacy. The Foundation awarded 30 mini-grants.
We are pleased to announce the application from Ashford Elementary School (Windham County), elementary school teachers, Jennifer Rioux and Carol Moran has been funded this year. Each county may apply for grants of up to $500 for classroom education programs for grades K-12 to initiate new programs or expand existing programs to additional grade levels or new subject areas. Grants are awarded on a completive basis.
The project will develop a pilot composting program at Ashford School (PK-8), in the town of Ashford. The program will enable students in fourth grade to learn how to compost, the science of composting, and the importance of engaging in this form of natural recycling. The program will help students gain an awareness of and appreciation for soil, its importance, and what contributes to improved soil. Students will apply scientific inquiry and scientific literacy. They will study and observe soil, looking for its connection to farming. They will study the connection between healthy soil, and arable land and the direct impact it has on their food. They will also learn that soil can be renewed using proper recycling techniques of certain organic materials combined in such a way that microorganisms, worms, and other compost creatures can break down the waste into a value soil amendment.
The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education honors two former AFB Women’s Leadership Committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy.
Eleanore Provencal, Connecticut Coordinator for Ag in the Classroom worked with educators from three counties to prepare applications. The Connecticut Agricultural Education Foundation is pleased to contribute additional funding to this educational experience.
