Agriculture in the Classroom
Programs, Activities and News & Notes
MAY 5, 2020
Hello from Agriculture in the Classroom!
Check out the latest information on upcoming programs, activities for kids, and notes from Diane Baker, our Agriculture Literacy Coordinator.
Foundation Host Virtual Ag Day Contest
Like with many things, activities have been canceled, postponed, rescheduled - you name it. With schools closed our annual Classroom Door Decorating Contest that was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, was canceled. Instead, the Foundation hosted a virtual contest for kids to celebrate National Ag Day!
Kids were to create something to celebrate agriculture. This could have been a thank you to farmers, a picture they drew, a craft they made... anything they could imagine to show why they are thankful for farmers and agriculture. Age Categories were: Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and high school.
In total, 23 kids participate. Everyone did a great job! Congratulations to the winners:
- Pre-K Category: Easton Decker, Ellie Damhoff, and Kenneth Wolf
- K-2 Category: Parker Lindskog, Donna Haley, and Lucy Wolf
- 3-5 Category: Veronica Haley
- 6-8 Category: Frances Haley
AITC Plans Summer Activities
Thank you so very much for inviting Agriculture in the Classroom into your classroom this school year! I so appreciated the opportunity to engage with your students and share my passion for educating kids about agriculture. I smile each time I see pictures of your kids on your school Facebook pages and I look forward to seeing some of them again when it is safe for all of us to return to public places.
I hope that the summer break gives you a chance to relax and recharge. Please know how much we all appreciate the extra effort you have put forth in supporting your students during these unexpected and uncertain months. As you plan for fall 2020, I recognize there are still many unknowns. While I sincerely hope that I’m physically back in your classrooms with you this fall, I am also considering back-up plans. Educators have always been the most creative and flexible people that I have known. I’m confident that same creativity and flexibility will get us through the next school year – whether it means Agriculture in the Classroom is in-person, via Zoom, from easy-to-use kits, video based or some other idea that works best for your classrooms.
In the meantime, please encourage all of your families to follow us this summer on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/whitesidecountyagintheclassroom Instead of our traditional Farm Camps held throughout the county, we will be connecting with families through Facebook. The newsletter article below gives details about our themes each week and more information about what we have planned.
Wishing you all the best for good health and happiness this summer!
Diane
AITC – Summer 2020
Whiteside County Agriculture in the Classroom is going virtual this summer. Follow us on our Facebook page for new posts throughout the summer. Each week, we’ll be posting:
- A video farm tour featuring Whiteside County Farms
- Hands-on science activities that you can easily do at home
- Craft projects to complete at home
- Weekly games, contests and competitions … with prizes
- Suggestions for children’s book and online links where you can learn more
Topics throughout the summer (a new theme each week) will include:
- Dairy
- Sheep
- Vegetables and Flowers
- Christmas Trees
- Honey & Pollinators
- Corn & Soybeans
- Alpacas
- Poultry
- Goats
Depending on Illinois guidelines, we may add in local attractions and possibly an agriculture scavenger hunt for families to complete. Some of these details will evolve through the summer.
Join us for this free program to learn more about how agriculture impacts Whiteside County and provides you with the food, fiber and fuel that you depend on every day.
Contact Us
Email: aitcwhiteside@gmail.com
Website: www.wcfbfoundation.org
Location: 100 East Knox Street, Morrison, IL, USA
Phone: (815) 772-2165
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitesidecountyagintheclassroom
Click on the picture to visit the Foundation's website and download this flyer.