2023 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
Applications due today!
The 2023 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference will take place June 26-29 in Orlando, Florida.
Watch this short video to see a sneak peek at what the Sunshine State has in store for you! Registration will open March 2023.
Want a scholarship to attend?
There are TWO scholarship opportunities to help teachers attend the national conference: 1) CHS Foundation Scholarship Program, and 2) Native American Agriculture Fund Scholarship Program. Each scholarship program covers the $435 early-bird registration costs to the conference. Applications for both scholarship programs are due February 15, 2023. To learn more and access the online application, visit this webpage.
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Now Accepting Applications
For the 2023 On The Farm STEM Immersive Experience
Denver • June 11-14, 2023
Discover science brought to life by American farmer and ranchers, researchers, nutritionist and veterinarians. The On the Farm STEM program was designed to equip you with free lessons, activities, online learning tools, and enriching professional development events.
The On The Farm STEM program brings together teams of educators with experts in science education and agricultural science to envision a model for science learning that will inspire today’s students, our next generation of scientists and citizens, to take action and feel empowered to use agriculture to improve society.
What is an immersive experience? This short video will explain it all in two minutes. Watch now.
Additional Professional Development this Summer!
Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom is busy planning TWO professional development events to take place in July - one in Durango and one in Denver. More details on both events will be announced soon.
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Sign-Up for 2023 Literacy Project
Free program for preK-5th grade students.
**Less than 75 class boxes remaining**
The Colorado Literacy Project is a way to bring agriculture into the classroom while reinforcing reading comprehension and other academic standards. Farmers and ranchers across Colorado visit classrooms - either in-person or virtually - to read a book to the students. They answer questions, complete an activity, and talk about their connection to agriculture. The class keeps the book!
The book for 2023 is another NEW book featuring a real Colorado family. The Woolly Way: Papou and the story of Lantern Ridge is a multi-generational family story of sheep grazing in a Colorado forest. The book was written by Rachel Gabel and illustrated by Liz Banman-Munsterteiger. Set in Meeker, Colorado and the White River National Forest, The Woolly Way tells of the role sheep and shepherds have played in Colorado, historically to present-day, including cultural and land management contributions. The Literacy Project runs from mid-January through May.
To participate in the Literacy Project and receive a copy of this book for your class plus supplies for several classroom activities (Wool Samples Kit and Tree Cookies), sign-up today at: https://forms.gle/Vc3KVSxNHw2LXkFt5. Educational resources will be provided that connect to Colorado Academic Standards for Reading, Visual Arts, and Science.
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Watershed Defenders Comic Book |
Ideal for middle school students, this 16-page publication provides a fun way to study water. Students can look forward to discovering The Watershed Defenders - a lighthearted approach to a complex topic. This book addresses runoff pollution and real-life strategies to empower everyone to be a hero.
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Winter Virtual Teacher Professional Development
Join us from the comfort of your home for engaging workshops and sessions to energize your agriculture literacy efforts with your classroom!
Saturday, February 18
8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. MST
Elementary Session
Help Your Students Bloom with Spring-Themed Lessons
It's been a long, dark winter, but what a re-leaf: It's almost Spring! Plant some new ideas with your students this semester with exciting new lessons and activities. This interactive, online session will include lessons and activities to pair with Earth Day, planting season, pollinators, and all things Spring! Join us for ideas on how to make this Spring season everything you and your students want it to bee!
Secondary Session
Riverology 201:Using a local approach to protect water quality
Because everything we do on the land can potentially affect water quality, the Grand River Dam Authority works to educate residents, students, and teachers about how the decisions we make about land management affect water quality. Through hands-on activities that encourage students to use critical thinking to find solutions to problems, GRDA has developed a set of lesson plans that can be adapted to almost any grade level and they want to share it with you!
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Resource Roundup - DIGS
Developing Individuals, Growing Stewards (DIGS) is a curriculum developed by Colorado State University’s 4-H STEM AmeriCorps program and faculty in CSU’s Agricultural Education Program. Designed for 3rd-5th graders, the curriculum covers a wide range of topics across eight units with a total of twenty-four lessons. Each lesson contains Colorado Academic Standards, 4-H life skills, background information on the subject material, vocabulary lists, career connections, and more.
Anyone can teach DIGS. Whatever your role – if you’re looking to build afterschool programs or a homeschooling parent or classroom teacher looking for a cohesive lesson plan to teach Colorado agriculture – DIGS is your solution. Click here to download the DIGS Curriculum today.
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February Featured Resources |
Check out these lesson plans and resources from the National Agriculture Curriculum Matrix.
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The Journey 2050 program is a unique combination of lesson plans and an educational gaming platform. The seven-level game and program meets educational standards for science, geography, social studies, STEM, career and technical education and agriculture classes. Lesson topics include: sustainability, soil, water, economy, geography, culture, careers, agriculture technology and project-based learning. It is geared to grades 6-12, is free of charge and is compatible on all devices.
Virtual Guest Speaker Presentation and Classroom Kit
Book a virtual guest speaker presentation to receive a FREE classroom kit. Quantities are limited. What is in the kit? The kit contains materials for THREE hands-on activities for 30 students.
- 30 compostable cups/lids
- 30 compostable straws
- 6 Sharpie markers to draw lines on the cup (the cups are still compostable after being marked)
- 300 sunflower microgreen seeds (10 per cup)
- 6 flexible cutting boards and pairing knives
- $20 gift card to purchase apples
- Barrel/Nutrients Poster (a teacher gift)
- Instructions for activities
- Media card highlighting the remaining levels in the program and providing student action ideas
- Colorado Curriculum Connections page
- Farmers 2050 promo card
For questions or to book a guest speaker presentation, visit Journey2050.com or email Lucee Church, Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CoAITC) education program coordinator. |
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Donate Your Colorado Tax Return to the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture
Have you heard about ReFUND CO? Started in 2020, it is a program that allows Coloradans to donate all or part of their state tax refund to support their favorite nonprofit.
Do you expect a state income tax refund? If so, your income tax refund could give agricultural literacy education a big boost! When you file, look for the "Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit" line on your tax return or tax software, type in Colorado Foundation for Agriculture and our registration number: 20043005483, and then write in the amount you wish to donate.
If you have your taxes prepared by someone else, just let them know you want to donate your refund and give them the instructions above.
Let us know if you donate! All refund donations are sent to us anonymously. Individual taxpayer information is confidential and the Department of Revenue cannot send the names of taxpayers to nonprofits under current law. We won't know that you donated unless you tell us, so please let us know.
ReFUND CO is a project of the Colorado Nonprofit Association and implemented by the Colorado Department of Revenue and Colorado Secretary of State. It is the result of bipartisan state legislation.
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Ways you can support Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom |
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Link your King Soopers/City Market loyalty card and support the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture every time you shop. Visit the King Soopers Community Rewards page to sign up for this free program. |
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The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education corporation. Our mission is connecting Colorado educators and students to their food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources through the Agriculture in the Classroom® program.
You can support our efforts to advance agricultural literacy by making your tax-deductible gift today at https://bit.ly/givecfa.
Giving is not just about making a donation.
It's about making a difference!
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Thank You Sponsors!
Listed below are sponsors at the Champion of Education and Honor Roll levels.
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Colorado Foundation for Agriculture | 970-818-3308 | GrowingYourFuture.com |
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10343 Federal Blvd Unit J Box 224, Westminster, CO 80260 |
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