The Cook County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom "Pivots" to Meet NeedsWe are here for teachers, homes schoolers and families!
The Cook County Farm Bureau Agriculture Literacy Program has demonstrated great resourcefulness and creativity during the past six months of the pandemic in its efforts to support educators, students, and member families. The CCFB Agriculture Literacy Program’s resourcefulness and creativity continues as the new school year begins.
With 33 years of reaching students directly in-person through classroom visits, the Cook County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom program has necessarily adjusted to meet school and family needs in a host of new learning situations.
Diane Merrion, Director of Ag Literacy for the Cook County Farm Bureau, said, “We aren’t going to let coronavirus stop our outreach now! We revised the model of our agriculture outreach program to ensure students in grades K-12 still have the opportunity to understand the farm to table process including how their food, fiber, and fuel provides our most basic necessities.”
The key adjustments made to program offerings include virtual learning opportunities. We have combined forces with local farmers, professional business members, and the renowned Illinois Ag in the Classroom to deliver FREE resources to…
- parents who are taking on the role of teacher
- home school organizations looking to enrich their curriculum
- classroom teachers in need of virtual curriculum that addresses learning standards in science and social science
- families looking for new opportunities to have fun learning and exploring together
The traditional in-person “in school field trip” that has been a key cornerstone of the program for 33 years for teachers throughout the county has been converted to a high quality, focused online format that can be used as a standalone or through live online presentation. For those schools that are conducting in-person classroom formats, Ag Literacy presenters are available to serve individual needs.
The many program enhancements that have been provided through our friends at Illinois Ag in the Classroom have broadened our local offerings. For a glimpse of these innovative offerings and other resources, we encourage teachers, parents, and students to visit the Cook County Farm Bureau website at https://cookcfb.org/ag-literacy-and-education/teacher-resources.
Teachers, parents or students seeking more information or looking for a customized presentation/activities, please contact Diane or Jill through email at [email protected] or by calling 708-354-3276.