AITC-C NEWSLETTER | SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has been busy this summer preparing new resources to launch, welcoming new staff, and joining the Will Power campaign.
Read on to learn more!
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connectAG Launches Today! |
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AITC-C is excited to release its newest curriculum-linked teaching tool, connectAG.
The interactive, online resource aims to support students’ understanding of where and how our food is produced, while also examining the challenges and opportunities producers face. The resource examines farms from all Canadian provinces and enables students to learn about agricultural commodities from many farmers, allowing them to make links to our food system.
“We are looking forward to teachers and students diving into this e-learning resource and exploring what agriculture looks like across the country,” said Melissa Galay, AITC-C’s Education Specialist. “Agriculture and food production is so unique in each province, and this resource tells part of that diverse food story through interactive elements.”
The free, bilingual resource is geared at Grades 7 to 9 and is available for Canadian teachers to bring into their classrooms, as well as for parents and students for at-home learning. The French version will be available later this week.
connectAG is accessible on our Curriculum Connected Resource Matrix, found here.
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GROW YOUR LEGACY
AITC-C joined the Will Power campaign to empower Canadians to view their will as more than just a legal document, but a powerful tool to support your favourite charities.
Teaming up with fellow charities, financial advisors and legal professionals across the country, we are excited to show you how supporting AITC-C in your will can be an impactful way to ensure future generations continue to discover Canada’s agriculture & food story.
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We are thrilled to now be a team of 10 and still growing!
Laura Hardy joined the team in June as our Digital Communications Assistant and is based in PEI. After she got her journalism degree, Laura quickly realized her passion for agriculture needed to be included in her career, leading to her joining the AITC-C team. Now she's overjoyed to be helping people figure out the importance of their passion for agriculture .
Morgan MacTavish is the new thinkAG Project Coordinator, she began at the start of September. Morgan is based out of Ontario, and hails from a 5th generation farm. Morgan is excited to be able to help connect others to the unique experiences available in the ag sector, hopefully sparking interest in young people pursuing a career in agriculture.
Colleen Crunican joined the team as Education Assistant at the beginning of September. She is a certified teacher based out of Ontario. She has an extensive background in agriculture as she is also the 5th generation of her family farm. She is excited to combine her passions of agriculture and education into her new role and work collaboratively with our team from coast to coast.
We also look forward to soon introducing you to a new Fund Development Manager soon!
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This new school year also comes with a new look for our website!

We’re bringing you the same accurate, balanced and current AG education resources you trust, in a fresh new look! Explore it here.
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This year for the Journey 2050 program, AITC-C is focusing to bring the resource and guest speaker series to the prairie provinces, with an additional field trip program in Alberta.
The Journey 2050 virtual farming resource with curriculum-links for Grade 7-12 is available across Canada for educators and parents. We are proud to continue to partner with Nutrien to bring this fun, interactive resource to students - whether it be in the classroom or through the student-focused app, Farmers 2050. Discover Journey 2050!
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Guardians of the Grasslands
AITC-C will be launching an exciting teacher guide including research-based extension activities to accompany the documentary Guardians of the Grasslands in October!
Partnering with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation, the resource is designed for Grades 7 to 12 students to explore the key topics of biodiversity, soil health, climate change, land management, and more.
Stay tuned for the launch on October 18, 2021!
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AITC-C is joining Canada Career Month this November!

Each November career development professionals join together to promote meaningful careers.
The theme for this year is “it’s possible”.
When students thinkAG about careers, it’s possible to…
âś” Win scholarships
âś” Secure a well-paying job
âś” Find a career that matches your interests
âś” Work in a job that utilizes your unique skillset
âś” Make a difference in your life and others
Join in the conversation with AITC-C and other education and industry stakeholders using #CareerMonth - and encourage others to #thinkAG for their future!
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Career Case Game will Launch during Career Month
An exciting NEW career resource will be available to teachers across Canada through their provincial organization in November. Available in a ready-to-use game kit with all materials included.
The thinkAG Career Case game demonstrates the diversity, variety, and importance of careers in agriculture while supporting students in recognizing how their skills and interests can fit into ag and food careers. Students are faced with cases in which they work in groups to choose and explore the careers needed to solve the challenge.
The resource promotes the development of important skills necessary to fostering the global competencies, such as: collaboration, critical thinking, global citizenship and more!
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The Kareero App to be Piloted in November
Completing written assessments to learn more about ourselves and our interests is fun – but we decided to take it up a notch.
During Canada Career Month, AITC-C will be piloting an interactive self-interest assessment app with teachers and students. Kareero offers an immersive experience where students are faced with developing a garden. Through students’ choices and actions, their interest areas are determined. Used with the thinkAG website, Kareero will help students explore careers that match their interests.
Follow along with AITC-C during Canada Career Month to learn how you can get involved in shaping the future of this resource.
For more information on Career Month, Career Case, or Kareero, please contact our thinkAG manager Shayla Hertz at shertz@aitc-canada.ca.
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UPDATES FROM OUR AITC MEMBERS |
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British Columbia: BCAITC
BC students can enter the Field to Fork Challenge! By submitting a BC grown recipe and cooking video, students have a chance to win cash prizes (totaling $6,400), get their recipe published, and attend a conference. Entries close September 30. Learn more
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Manitoba: AITC-M
AITC-M is excited to introduce its new virtual farm tour program: Follow the Farmers! Throughout 2021-22, students will have the opportunity to tour four Manitoba farms, ask questions to the farmers in real time, and take part in activities related to the tour. Find out more!
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Saskatchewan: AITC-SK
Explore Healthy Foods from Healthy Farms where K-8 students make connections between the food we eat and the people in our community who grow it and process it by creating a healthy snack using Canada's new Food Guide. Explore it and more!
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Newfoundland & Labrador: AITC-NL
AITC-NL is welcoming back its Little Green Thumbs (LGT) and Little Green Sprouts (LGS) teachers - including the 38 new LGT and LGS classes joining us in growing delicious produce directly in the classroom! New teachers will also attend our Virtual Teachers Training! Learn more.
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Prince Edward Island: AITC-PEI
AITC-PEI is creating memorable, hands-on learning experiences through its Egg to Chick Program! Grades K-6 classrooms receive an incubator & 12 fertilized eggs so students can view and learn the process for chicks to hatch! Find out more.
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Ontario: Agscape
Ontario Teachers! AgScape is offering free lessons on food & agriculture, delivered virtually to Grade 7-12 classes by Ontario Certified Teachers who are passionate about working with you to foster food literacy in your students! Explore more!
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Nova Scotia: AITC-NS
The Quest for the Perfect Strawberry: An Adventure in Plant Breeding!
Grade 9 students compare sexual and asexual reproduction in strawberries with a hands-on activity while learning about crop breeding. Learn more.
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The Sustainable Youth Challenge (SYC) program is designed to educate and engage students with the world’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and provide opportunities to pioneer innovative solutions that address some of the world's biggest challenges related to agriculture. Learn more. |
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2021 Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductee:
Johanne Ross
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In July, we got the thrilling news that our Executive Director, Johanne Ross, is one of the 2021 Inductees to the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame!
Johanne has been a champion for agriculture education for more than 20 years – first as the Executive Director of AITC in Manitoba, and then by leading the development of the national organization which formalized in 2015. Johanne has tirelessly dedicated her career to advocating for agriculture education to be present in all classrooms, bridging the information gap and creating meaningful connections to agriculture and food for Canadian students and educators.
"The Board of Directors and provincial colleagues congratulate Johanne! She leads AITC Canada with enthusiasm and passion, encourages collaboration, and maintains connections with farmers and people experienced in agriculture," said Pat Tonn, Chair. "She has built a lasting legacy for agriculture education in Canada and is most deserving of induction to the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame."
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DISCOVER AITC-C's IMPACT IN 2020/2021
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Collectively, AITC-C and our provincial members are celebrating more than 2 MILLION STUDENT EXPERIENCES around Canada’s agriculture & food story over the past year!
We feel privileged to encourage curiosity and create meaningful connections to Canadian agriculture for students & educators. AITC-C facilitates learning through the sharing of agriculture education resources, programs, and events! Thank you for following our story as we strive to bring agriculture into EVERY classroom, inspiring EVERY student.
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We are working on 15 new snapAG sheets!
Have you checked out our 12 new sheets added this Spring?
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thinkAG.ca was launched this past spring to inspire students to consider the AG sector for their future careers.
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September is always an exhilarating time of year! Students are flooding the schools, and combines are dotting the fields. We want to wish all farmers a safe and prosperous harvest! And all teachers and students an exciting & fulfilling school year! |
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THANK YOU TO OUR FOUNDATIONAL PARTNERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT |
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Agriculture in every classroom, inspiring every student.
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