Farmers needed to 'adopt' Cook County Classrooms
A staple of Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) is returning and bringing a farmer’s personal touch to classrooms across Cook County.
“We’re bringing back adopt a classroom/adopt a teacher, and we need help surfacing farmer volunteers,” Kevin Daugherty, IAITC education director, told county ag literacy coordinators attending a statewide meeting May 24.
IAITC suspended the program for two school years during the pandemic.
Through the program, agriculture writers are matched with specific classes and teachers in Cook County and exchange information throughout the school year. A goal is to help students and teachers better understand how their food is produced and agriculture’s importance to their lives.
From fall through spring, farm writers share what they are doing on their farms and farm life experiences. In addition to writing letters and sending emails, farm participants have sent photos and videos and visited their classrooms in person or virtually.
Exchanges with students may include crop samples, farm magazines, ag-related books, lessons and activities.
The students correspond with their farmer throughout the year and send questions and comments about agriculture topics or their farmer’s farm.
For more information or to sign up, visit Link.