CCFB News» July 2025

Cook County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Program brought agricultural education to 24,129 students in 1,075 classrooms in 208 schools during the 2024-2025 school year.

Presenters taught Cook County students about Illinois’ crops, livestock, and soil, how food travels from farm to table, USDA’s MyPlate, specialty crops, keeping warm with agriculture, and agricultural careers.

Teachers gave the following feedback about our AITC program:

• We would do this every year-so great!!! It is better than some paid outside of school field trips!
• This program benefits our students/curriculum because it correlates with our economy, jobs related to agriculture, and provides the students with a variety of knowledge about the state in which they live.
• It was beneficial to my students as it connected to our social studies, math, and science curriculum and taught them more information. Students also got to have hands-on activities and physical visuals, which helps students to understand more. The short video clips were very engaging as well where students learned how corn can be an ingredient in many different things.
• One of the key takeaways from the presentation is that Illinois is consistently a top producer of corn and soybeans, which are crucial for global food, feed, and fuel. It is a state pride and shows importance in Illinois’ economy.
• The presentation is important because it helps our students understand the different career opportunities within Illinois. Many students may not realize the different roles in agriculture which is beyond traditional farming, from agricultural technology and research to marketing and logistics.
• This is beneficial to my students because many of my students do not know where our food comes from and how it gets to us. This introduces the students to new career paths they didn't know existed.

Thank you AITC presenters, educators, and students for making this school year so successful and educational!