IARN — The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is working to make things easier for parents and educators when school begins later this fall, whether that be in a traditional, virtual, or home classroom.
The foundation has recently announced new resources and $17,000 in grants to provide educators and parents with tools to help students continue to learn about how their food is grown. AFBFA executive director Daniel Meloy says the foundation hopes to make Ag education more accessible.
“The overall goal of the foundation is to build a better understanding of agriculture through education,” Meloy said. “These grant funds really go to that goal, to teach the kids where their food comes from, who’s growing it, and how it’s grown. With these grants we’re able to help people working at the local level to create programs that do just that.”
AFBFA is awarding the grant funds through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education program this fall. Ten classroom and community ag literacy projects across the country will receive $1,000 each to build on their efforts.
New this year, AFBFA is also awarding White-Reinhardt resource grants to provide funds for educators to purchase ag literacy resources from the Ag Foundation store in hopes of helping educators and students gain access to more accurate information about agriculture. Approximately 70 educators from across the U.S. will each receive a $100 gift card for use at the Ag Foundation’s online store.
Meloy says the foundation realizes educators and parents continue to face tough decisions and uncharted territory this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation wants to be an ‘easy button’ as they adapt and prepare lessons and activities.
“Educators and parents have enough on their minds right now,” Meloy said. “Figuring out how to pay for helpful resources really shouldn’t be a concern of theirs right now. We must take care of our teachers and parents. Our teacher resource grants, along with all our free resources, make things a little bit easier for them. We’re trying to make sure that no matter where kids are, that they are still learning and we’re helping them do that.”
For more information on AFBFA’s projects and resources, visit agfoundation.org.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
