AITC-C NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2024 | |
It’s almost back-to-school season! And while students and teachers across the country may be enjoying the last few weeks of summer, we’re excited to bring agriculture back into classrooms across the country in September. Our members from coast to coast are busy preparing programs and resources for this next school year. We’re excited to launch the next season of our national program, the Great Canadian Farm Tour, this fall. It’s the first time we’re taking students on tours of farming operations across Canada in the fall season, which will be an opportunity to showcase a new season of agriculture and highlight some harvest activities. We’ll also be launching our annual report on September 19 at our AITC-C AGM, where we’ll be sharing highlights from last year. As always, we want to recognize the commitment and dedication of our funders, who make taking agriculture into the classroom possible. | |
New Governance Structure for AITC-C | |
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AITC-C’s Board of Directors has made the decision to create a new governance structure to lead the national organization into the future. The new structure will be an independent, skills-based board with a chair and eight directors, aiming for a diverse, well-rounded team with expertise in areas such as agriculture, education, accounting and human resources.
“Collectively, our board has decided to create a new governance structure for AITC-C to better serve our organization,” says Rebecca Sooksom, board chair of AITC-C. “We will be seeking board members who bring diverse experience and different skills to the table, which may include individuals from the agriculture and education sectors and those with specific areas of expertise, such as accounting or human resources, to ensure a well-rounded board of directors.”
The new board members will be selected this fall, with the goal of having the new board in place by the end of 2024. Board members will be appointed by invitation only. Current board members will continue to serve until a new board is established. A steering committee of provincial Executive Directors will be created to ensure continued representation and input from the provinces.
Luree Williamson, CEO of Ag for Life in Alberta, has also been appointed as acting Executive Director of AITC-C. She will be overseeing the governance transition process as well as AITC-C operations for the interim.
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SAVE THE DATE!
AITC-C's AGM will take place on September 19. Stay tuned for more details!
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Rendez-Vous on the Rock:
Setting a Strong Foundation
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Members of the AITC collective from across Canada gathered in St. John’s, Newfoundland for AITC’s annual national Summer Sharing Sessions from July 9 to 12.
The week was kicked off with a full day of provincial sharing on Wednesday. Each member organization shared highlights of the last year, introduced programs and resources that have been successful in their region, and ignited conversations about improving agriculture literacy in classrooms. On Thursday, the group spent the day at O’Brien Farm Foundation touring the farm and diving into thinkAG, discussing a national strategy, learning about Manitoba’s approach to thinkAG and participating in an interactive activity to adapt thinkAG for every province. The formal sessions wrapped up Friday at noon with a morning discussion on creating a national volunteer strategy.
No trip to Newfoundland would be complete without some fun and a taste of the island! The opening reception at Quidi Vidi Brewery and a traditional Newfoundland Kitchen Party at Gahan’s got everyone immersed in Newfie culture and customs, including an epic Screech-in ceremony for non-Newfoundlanders, where kissing the cod was all part of the fun. Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture for Newfoundland Elvis Loveless joined some of the celebrations. It was a busy week with lots of great ideas shared by all!
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Pilot Mission Explorium Program a Success | |
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Congratulations to Jaime Finlay's Grade 8 class at Wawota Parkland School in Wawota, Saskatchewan for winning the inaugural Mission Explorium competition!
Missions Explorium, which launched on February 19 and wrapped up in late April, challenged adventurous Grade 6 to 8 classes across Canada to build a sustainable community after landing on a deserted island. Four weeks of cross-curricular activities engaged classes to work together to complete a quest each week that included work in science, math, language arts, visual arts and careers. Regional winners took on one further challenge in the quest to become the national champion.
A panel of agriculture industry judges awarded top honours and a $750 cash prize to the Voyagers of the SS Finlay in a very tight competition. The judges were impressed by the Voyagers of the SS Finlay's creativity, depth of development of their island in areas such as sustainability, culture and food, and their innovative storyline.
Over 280 classes from BC to the Maritimes and Northern Canada participated in the first edition of Mission Explorium. The feedback from teachers and students who participated in the program will be used to refine and enhance the competition for the next round, which is expected to launch in early 2025. Funding for the development of Mission Explorium was generously provided by contributions from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
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Across Canada with the Great Canadian Farm Tour | |
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Season 3 of the Great Canadian Farm Tour took place in April and May this year. During our cross-country journey, we learned about many different aspects of the agriculture and food industry, creating over 170,000 student experiences along the way.
On the tour, we explored an alpaca farm in Ontario, vertical farming in BC, a floral greenhouse in Nova Scotia, a beef and potato operation in Alberta, greenhouse tomatoes in Quebec, wild blueberries in New Brunswick, dairy farming in Newfoundland and Labrador, oysters in Prince Edward Island, a research farm in Saskatchewan and a cricket farm in Manitoba.
A special shout out to Farm Credit Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for helping us make this season a success and thank you to everyone who joined us on this unforgettable adventure! All 10 tours from this season can be viewed in English and French on the AITC-C YouTube channel.
For the first time, we will be hosting the Great Canadian Farm Tour in the fall! This will allow us to explore different areas of agriculture and food across Canada. Season 4 of the Great Canadian Farm Tour will make 10 stops at a diverse group of farms across the country, such as a turkey farm, a sea buckthorn farm and a Christmas tree farm. Keep an eye out for registration in September. See you then!
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Check Out Our New Resources! | |
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Real Farm Lives
This spring, we partnered with CropLife Canada to develop three curriculum-linked resources for educators and students nationwide. The interactive and engaging resources aim to help Grade 10 and 11 students explore modern farming by seeing what it takes to grow carrots, turnips and potatoes successfully. The resources draw on CropLife Canada's Real Farm Lives documentary web series, created to showcase the work and lives of farm families across the country. These resources focus on Season 3, which features the McKenna family from Prince Edward Island, who are deeply committed to growing high-quality food for their family and families across the country while leaving the land in better condition for the next generation.
"We know that fewer and fewer kids have a direct connection to the farm. Through Real Farm Lives, we've provided an easy and engaging way for Canadians to look inside the lives of Canadian farm families and what it takes to grow our food. By connecting students with real farmers who sustainably grow safe, high-quality food, we hope they learn about some of the obstacles farmers have to tackle and the tools they need to do their jobs," said Pierre Petelle, President and CEO of CropLife Canada.
Find the resources here: https://bit.ly/4feTgJA
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The Real Dirt on Farming
In May, the next edition of The Real Dirt on Farming in the Classroom e-resource was released. The innovative partnership with Farm & Food Care (FFC) aims to provide Grade 7-12 students across Canada with the opportunity to explore key topics related to the agriculture and food industry. Designed as a comprehensive educational tool, The Real Dirt on Farming in the Classroom offers students the chance to engage with topics such as the diverse individuals working in the industry, animal welfare and the impact of climate change on agriculture. The multi-media content, interactive modules and case studies provide students the chance to delve into the complexities of modern agriculture while gaining valuable insights into the importance of sustainable food production.
"We're so pleased to be able to work with AITC-C on this project. We're often asked by educators about how they can use our publication in their classrooms, but that's not Farm & Food Care's expertise. Using AITC-C's national network ensures that this award-winning resource reaches a much broader audience," said Kelly Daynard, Executive Director of FFC Ontario.
To access the e-learning resource, visit https://bit.ly/3xX6ER8 and www.RealDirtonFarming.ca.
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Meet The Board
From coast to coast, members of the AITC-C board of directors each bring unique expertise and perspective to guide our national vision. Get to know the leaders from each of our amazing member organizations one edition of The Cultivator at a time!
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Pat Tonn - British Columbia
Pat Tonn is a member of AITC-C’s board of directors and the executive director of BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC).
After starting her career as a secondary school teacher, Pat took her education knowledge to the BC Ministry of Agriculture as a Youth Development Specialist. Eventually, she managed their youth development programs where she had the opportunity to work with Agriculture in the Classroom and serve on the board. In 2015, the executive director of BCAITC retired and Pat stepped down to throw her hat into the ring for the position and has been there ever since.
“One thing I’ve learned in my career is agriculture is a great place to be,” said Pat. “It’s a positive story to teach the young people and teachers. There is a lot to learn about agriculture, so we can easily start at the ground with teachers, and they can learn along with students.”
BCAITC focuses on building programs, resources, and initiatives for agriculture education. The organization works with producers, agribusinesses, teachers and agrologists to educate youth across the province about agriculture and food in British Columbia. The organization has over a dozen strong programs with the BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program being their biggest. This program takes BC products, such as fresh fruits and milk, and puts them into every classroom for every student.
“That’s over half a million students in the province and 40,000 teachers, and they receive a fresh BC product each week,” explained Pat, adding the product comes with an accompanying lesson about farmers and agriculture in British Columbia.
Through her work, Pat gets to experience aha moments as students see what is grown in BC and try new things. Seeing those students appreciate and get excited about agriculture is what keeps her excited about agriculture education.
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Laurie Loane - Prince Edward Island
Laurie Loane wears multiple hats. She farms when she can and sits on the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) board of directors, as well as the Executive Director for both the Prince Edward Island Agriculture Sector and Agriculture in the Classroom PEI.
Growing up on the farm, Laurie has always had a connection to the agriculture industry, but she also has a background in finance and education. In 2014, Laurie took a position at the agriculture sector, tying all her expertise together into one role.
They can approach students differently with their office running both AITC-PEI and the sector, which has an employment site and agriculture training, such as welding certifications. She says it allows them to engage them at the age where they’re trying to figure out their career and what they’re interested in, give them pathways and connect them with summer jobs. They also run the PEI Farm Technician Apprenticeship Blue Seal Trade program helping to train a skilled and sustainable workforce for PEI Agriculture.
“It’s kind of two-sided for me because with putting our AITC and our agriculture sector together we’re able to teach and promote on both sides,” said Laurie, “then we’re giving these students the opportunity to explore careers in agriculture and hopefully end up in them.”
AITC-PEI hosts genAG, a competition that challenges high school students to consider careers in agriculture. In their very first year of running genAG, none of the participants in the group was going into agriculture, and currently, three of them are now in high-level agriculture jobs. AITC-PEI offers a magnitude of programs and resources to students on the island, with the most popular being the Egg to Chick program which allows students to hatch chicks from fertilized eggs in the classroom. The program helps students develop a greater appreciation and understanding of agriculture.
“We are going on four generations removed from the farm here on PEI and it’s that loss of knowing who’s producing your food,” said Laurie on why it’s important to ensure students are engaged in agriculture. “Our kids don’t know enough about food production. They don’t know where their food comes from.”
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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS FOR
THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT
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Agriculture in every classroom, inspiring every student. | | | | |
