ALBANY — Chicks, bees, a passport to farming, and wider program outreach are just a few of the things the recipients of the first Cornell Cooperative Extension – New York Agriculture in the Classroom Grant plan to focus on with their award.
New York Agriculture in the Classroom (NYAITC) and county Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) programs have a long-standing relationship of partnering and furthering the common goal of increasing agricultural literacy. The purpose of the CCE-NYAITC Grant is to provide support to county-based Cornell Cooperative Extension currently providing, or planning to begin, Agriculture in the Classroom programming during the formal classroom school day.
Seven grantees were each awarded with $5,000 to aid in providing in-classroom instruction or programming using agriculture to contextualize student learning objectives by a county Cornell Cooperative Extension staff member, or in developed partnerships and programming with area school districts. This grant will help connect educators with schools interested in having hands on learning experiences about opportunities available in the agriculture industry and where their food and fiber comes from and how food is grown. Recipients outlined their plans to purchase resources to aid in classroom instruction of agricultural lessons, hosting field trips, providing teacher trainings, recruiting and training volunteers, and provide professional development for staff.
CCE- AITC Grant Recipients:
Brian Gilchrist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Washington County
Katharine Schnepp, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Nikki Schiebel, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County
Robert Bucci, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County
Karin Bump, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County
Carrie Busekist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County
Brian Aukema, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County
Recipients of the grant will use the funds over the course of a year to implement new agriculturally-based programs of support existing ones. They will also be connected to the New York Agriculture in the Classroom network of educators and industry professionals to share ideas and resource opportunities.
For more information about the Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture in the Classroom Grant program, visit the New York Agriculture in the Classroom website at www.agclassroom.org/ny. New York Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership of Cornell University, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and NY Farm Bureau. Working with Cooperative Extension educators, classroom teachers, and volunteers throughout the state, New York Agriculture in the Classroom fosters an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of our food and fiber system.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension
New York Agriculture in the Classroom
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